[Into the Shadows] The Hall [Group RP] | Page 1 | Deep Space: Homeworld Exploration | Guild Forums

Kyuseisha no Hikari

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Dragonslaying Dragon

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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:21 pm

Eternal Sailor Alastor

The Hall of the Ancients might have been an impressive structure, but it was aged and worn down by time, more now more than ever it lived up to its name. The change from Destiny City was drastic and jarring, though Alastor had done his best to explain what to expect. He’d been a bit less enthusiastic earlier in the evening; when they’d first all gathered in the park, he had a grim demeanor about him, even if he did smile politely and jump through all the necessary social hoops as they arrived. He’d greeted them, asked how they were, and when everyone had arrived, he’d warned them that Alastor was a dangerous place, and they’d be better off just staying close. He’d warned them it would be dark, and that it would probably be storming, and that they might feel uneasy or smothered.

He was right.

Even at night, Destiny City had a warm, friendly glow about it.

The Hall of the Ancients was cold, and dark. Lightning flashed, sometimes white, sometimes red, through the windows. Aside from a few large panels specifically designed to let light in, most of the windows were stained glass. Beautiful, intricate shapes in blue and teal and green lit up with each flash of lightning, and while it might have been beautiful in the daylight, now it just cast an eerie glow across the room. Thunder shook the building with such force that the glass sounded like it might rattle out of place. Sometimes, the ground itself seemed to shake.

They’d arrived in the lobby, which was by far the friendliest public room in the entire building.

Once.

Now, it was an empty, menacing shell of its former glory.

Black sconces lined the room and torches burned brightly every few feet–just enough to illuminate the room and keep the shadows at bay.

The gothic architecture was only somewhat softened by the colorful tiles and carefully constructed artwork that hung on the lower floor. Everything was color coordinated, even now. Alastor was a tasteful planet who admired strength and combat--a good mix of elegance and brutality.

The Hall carried these traits.

On its own, the architecture was a bit overwhelming, deliberately so. The high ceilings and narrow hallways gave an immediate sensation of being very small, and the sharp angles and deep shadows high above certainly gave the impression that danger could be hiding up above, watching.

The shadows danced with the flame and lightning. Maybe something was watching.

Someone had gone through great lengths to make the lobby more accomodating. It had everything it should have–chairs, and bright rugs, and paintings along the walls. All perfectly in place, as if he might have expected visitors any day now. It had statues, and fountains, and plants.

Now, the plants were withered and dead. The fountains ran dry. The artwork had been maintained, but the statues seemed to exist only as cold, imposing figures casting hollow judgment in the still room.

The reception desk was empty and had been for a very long time. The great door beyond it was bolted shut.

Despite it all, the lobby was clean, except for a bit of dust here and there. There were stairs up to two floors, and the rooms wrapped around the walls. A golden metal railing would have kept anyone from falling. There were three more floors above that, but no stairs to reach them.

The architecture in the lobby was both strong and delicate; tall stone walls stretched towards the sky, and the very distant vaulted ceiling had been meticulously structured to replicate the planet’s symbol–a flower mandala–in gold. Bright, once. Faded, now. Water dripped into puddles on the floor but the damage seemed remarkably small considering the storm raging outside.

From the center of the lobby, they could see the white stone interior, and the gilded marble floors, and blue and teal mosaics. The outside of the building was far more menacing than the interior–an onyx citadel with spires so sharp they looked ready to pierce the sky.

But here, it was just lonely. Long, thin hallways stretched outward, and the torchlight disappeared down each path.

Alastor had prepared for their arrival and spared no trouble to make sure it was as secure as possible.

A muscle in his jaw clenched; the trip with guests had been particularly exhausting but he didn’t allow the strain to show. He wasn’t used to having people here, and already he seemed a bit defensive. It wasn’t like his usual rounds.

In another time, he’d have been proud to introduce them to his world. Now, he was far less enthusiastic.

He exhaled, but stood at full height, and gestured to the empty, expansive room. “Welcome to Alastor.”

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:23 pm

Eternal Sailor Cybele

bad

his

her

Sessrumnir, Knight of Jupiter

The first thing Sessrumnir thought as he stood in the lobby was that this place felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was as though this was a place he’d been to before -- not just been to, but lived there, called home. Something about it made his heart race with dread and foreboding, but also something else, like memories just under the surface.

Against his chest, the little orb he wore pulsed with a golden light. And for a moment, Sessrumnir couldn’t tell if it was Devyn he was feeling, or Alastor, the world itself.

After all, the orb held a piece of the Core.

He stayed near Alastor as he allowed himself to look around, trying to figure out if there were any immediate threats they needed to deal with while Alastor discussed the plan with the others.

Valhalla, Knight of Jupiter

So this was Alastor. Valhalla stood beside Ganymede as he looked around the hall. He didn’t allow himself to look too closely because he didn’t want to get distracted from their goal.

He did, however, spare a weary glance towards his wife. He couldn’t say he agreed with what Alastor and Sessrumnir were doing, but their children were safe with their grandmother. With strict instructions to not leave the house.

Not that he was going to let anything bad happen to the children, but he had to wonder what was going through his brother’s head to make him think it was a good idea to have such young, inexperienced Squires with them.

Ephesus, Squire of the Moon

Ephesus was there because he wanted to help. And because Alastor had adopted him (sort of) and he lived with Michael and Devyn, so if anything were to happen to them (nothing would), then he wanted to be there to help.

He knew that some of the others weren’t very happy with him or Amarynthos being there, so he stood as straight as possible… but also very close to Amarynthos. And if he reached out to hold onto his jacket a little, it wasn’t like anyone could see that, right?

Transcended Eternal Sailor Ganymede

Ganymede glanced briefly around the hall with a vague sort of interest, but otherwise seemed completely unfazed by their surroundings. Storms she was used to after time on Jupiter. Darkness she was used to from all those years on her own moon, back when the only light came from distant stars, other Jovian satellites, and the red glow of Jupiter itself. Chaos she was used to after coming so close to the source of it she could almost taste it, the way it seemed to hang heavy and foreboding over everything.

The Hall appeared both derelict and cared for. To Ganymede, there was an air of sadness about it. It reminded her of her early days on Ganymede and her first visits to the Fortress of Valhalla. Surely, there must be ghosts here, too.

She didn’t allow herself to dwell on it for long. They were here with a purpose, and, should all go well, they may be able to cast off the shadows and return the Hall and the world beyond to something like its former glory.

Under less dire circumstances, she may have liked the chance to explore, but Ganymede held back. She thought she might understand some of the tension she saw in Alastor. She was protective of her own moon, though in this life it had never been her home. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that Alastor might have mixed feelings about their presence there, when he’d spent so long protecting it on his own.

She wished she could console him. She wished she could say with confidence that they would succeed. Certainly, they would all try their best, yet everything she could think to say seemed like little more than empty promises, so she kept quiet and waited, watchful.

Mauvian Lucasta

Lucasta, by contrast, could not keep still. She was antsy, tail flicking as she wound her way around ankles, amber eyes scrolling to and fro, like she expected something dark and nefarious would jump out at them at any moment.

She, unlike Ganymede, was less restrained with her thoughts, and much more likely to make her displeasure known (though her bonded wasn’t always so reserved either). Lucasta eyed both Alastor and Sessrumnir with reproach, and, when she could make herself come to a stop, planted herself near Ephesus and Amarynthos.

Squires they may be now, but they were still children. Lucasta had hoped, after their brief time on Astraya, that Alastor and Sessrumnir might have acquired some sense. They had assured her that they both had the boys’ best interests at heart.

How they thought bringing the boys along for this qualified as in their best interests remained a mystery to Lucasta. Perhaps the experience would be good for them, or perhaps Ephesus would burst into tears at the first sign of danger, and Amarynthos would place himself at unnecessary risk trying to comfort him. Either option seemed just as likely.

“Dreary place,” Lucasta observed, sniffing at the air like she expected to pick up the scent of something foul. Death, or Chaos. This world had seen its fair share of both. “We have our work cut out for us, it would seem.”

Eternal Sailor Lysithea

Lysithea held Soleiyu in her arms and looked around the area, feeling pleased that Ganymede was there, a little unhappy to see Cybele but they weren’t on bad terms and this wasn’t. This wasn’t the time to let small squabbles get in the way of other things.

It was odd to be up here. Odd to be in a place that was so different from Lysithea, so different from the calm serenity that she was used to…but. It was exciting too, even if this wasn’t a pleasure trip…perhaps if they were able to make it all a success, there could be pleasure trips at a later date which would be nice.

She didn’t have anything to really say, but her eyes flickered to the other Mauvian that was with the group. There was something about the voice that was almost achingly familiar, and Lysithea frowned slightly, watching her for another moment before simply hugging Soleiyu for another moment before placing him on the floor.

The other Mauvian was right, and they did have a lot of work to do.

Kyuseisha no Hikari

Crew

Dragonslaying Dragon

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Kyuseisha no Hikari

Crew

Dragonslaying Dragon

Offline

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:23 pm

Eternal Sailor Alastor
Mauvian Soleiyu
Amarynthos, Squire of the Moon

“Unfortunately,” Alastor agreed, sparing Lucasta a quick glance, but there was still a sense of pride in his voice when he looked around. The building was old, but it had stood for this long. It wasn’t going to fall any time soon.

Amarynthos wanted to suggest that it wasn’t that bad, but there was a tension in the air that he recognized enough to keep his mouth closed. They were, by far, the least experienced people there. And this was dangerous.

And, he wasn’t going to do anything to prove what the others must already assume.

He stayed close to Ephesus, because they’d always looked after each other. They were in this together, and they had nothing but respect for everyone else there. They didn’t want to step on toes, they just wanted to help.

Soleiyu was spoiled, and glad that he had time to assess the surroundings before he had to worry about getting his feet dirty. Yet. He bumped his head against Lysithea’s chin, glad to have his back guarded in a place that felt like monsters might lurk around every corner.

He’d known about Alastor, they’d spoken often enough about it. The place was dark, and dangerous, and he’d spent a significant amount of time building weatherproof spotlights to help. None of which he saw here now, so he supposed Alastor might be using them elsewhere. Outside, if he had to guess, but he didn’t feel the need to vocalize.

Soleiyu’s tail twitched; he watched the others–most of which he recognized, some of which were new to him. Once on the ground, he brushed against Lysithea.

Alastor made one more look around the room–a ritual, probably, considering the fluidity at which he moved from one observation to the next. A window that looked like it had been repaired, the bolted door, the leaks in the ceiling. And then, he nodded, and gestured for them to follow. “I’m taking you to a safe room for now. There are cameras set up.”

Soleiyu walked with a little extra bounce in his step. As long as Alastor had followed simple instructions, they should have been easy enough to set up.

“I need you to make sure I don’t get myself killed.” For Ephesus’ sake, he clarified, “Which is highly unlikely, but I’m being extra careful. There are cameras set up around the Hall, the room I’m taking you to is a little out of the way, but it’ll let you keep an eye on things. The Chaos can’t know you’re here, not yet. It’s been trying to get in for–”

No, he was really bad with time, he didn’t know. Didn’t want to think about how long it had actually been.

“–A while. I’m going to invite it in. From what I’ve been able to piece together, it’ll send in a manifestation. A figure.” He sounded guarded already. “Something to lure me into the darkness. But, I know its tricks. I’m going to give it what it wants. Or, let it think that I am. If the Chaos gets into my Core–the heart of my world, the source of my power, it gains access to everything. It will feed, and grow, and spread.” Probably. “I’ve been in the way for a very long time. And, I’m going to step aside. I’m going to let the Chaos reach into my world, and.”

He exhaled sharply. “I’m going to give it enough time to make a link. I can’t go into the darkness and search every corner of my world for whatever little piece of itself it's born of. I need to be able to track it, exactly. And the only way to do it is to give it a little piece of my world, just enough, to tie them together. And then, I’m going to destroy the Chaos I bring in, and I’m going to follow it out into the shadows. And I am going to ask for your help to protect this Hall while I do that. For now, I need you to make sure this plan works. I can lure the Chaos in easily enough, but if I slip up, if I can’t destroy it in the end, I need you to step in.”

He spoke in an almost friendly demeanor, despite the grim shadow that clung to him. He unbolted a pair of doors towards the back of the lobby, and pushed the great wooden barriers apart. He held it open so they could follow him into a dark hallway.

Now, he looked at them. The hallway was darker than the lobby, and there were no windows. Closed doors lined the passage, and the torches were a bit more scattered. It was bright enough to keep the darkness at bay, but these passages were long and expansive, and even from here it was clear that it wasn’t a straight forward path to their destination. It was dustier here, and still. The storm was a little quieter already.

“The room I’m taking you to will let you observe everything I’m doing. It’s right across from the stairs down to the Core. If something goes wrong, it’ll take a minute or so to get down there with me. But if there’s a problem, I can hold it off for that long. I’m sorry, I know this is a lot. So, the short answer is, I’m taking you to a safe room where you’ll watch to make sure I don’t actually hand over my world to the Chaos, and I’ll need you to make a judgment call and bail me out if I look like I’m in over my head.”

He was prideful, but he was rational, too. He didn’t want them to worry or doubt anymore than they might already be inclined to, so he added, “I’m confident I can do this, though. And I’m pretty sure this is the only way to do it.”

He’d put a lot of thought into it. He didn’t have time to scour every inch of his world looking for the Chaos–he couldn’t even track it, not when the cloud of it all was so thick and dense everywhere around the Hall.

So, he was hopeful. But then, he couldn’t really afford not to be.

Sessrumnir, Knight of Jupiter

While Alastor led the group into the other hall, Sessrumnir brought up the rear. He wasn’t going to let anyone get curious and start wandering around when they were trying to keep everything as contained as possible. He trusted Alastor, and they’d promised each other that this was not the time for anyone to die. They would purge the Chaos from Alastor’s World and then decide what to do about the future.

He kept an eye on the others.

Valhalla, of course, Sessrumnir knew the most of anyone there. His kind hearted brother who would rather try to convince those corrupted by Chaos to find a way to live in harmony with them. Although perhaps his opinions had changed since they watched their father be killed by someone Empyrean was trying to save, and then have his wife taken to be tortured and experimented on.

Ganymede had the most experience, next to Alastor. Even if she hadn’t been a Senshi for as long, she had the benefit of memories. And she was a Princess. She would be vital in turning the tide in a fight if they started getting overwhelmed. If her purification magic worked on Worlds.

Ephesus and Amarynthos were young but enthusiastic. Sessrumnir knew the others would probably disagree with his and Alastor’s decision to allow the two to come along. Ephesus could help with healing, and Amarynthos was incredibly athletic for his age. If they needed someone to run and get through small spaces, they could count on Amarynthos.

Cybele, he only knew as much as he’d been told, aside from seeing her fight when Ganymede had been kidnapped. They hadn’t had a chance to really talk, and he didn’t exactly go out of his way to introduce himself like he might have in the past when he was trying to put on a front of being cheerful and sociable. Maybe if they’d met ten years ago, but since that was not the case, he was fine with just accepting Alastor’s decision to make sure she came along. And Ganymede and Valhalla seemed to trust her, despite being taken by Chaos at one point.

Lysithea had also been taken by Chaos. Both her and Cybele’s memories had been shattered, but as long as they were fighting towards the same goal of getting rid of the Chaos on Alastor, then Sessrumnir would give them the benefit of the doubt. He’d approached Mont Saint Michel for help at Soleiyu’s encouragement when they were working on the Void. In exchange, he helped get the word out in looking for Lysithea. And now Lysithea had been rescued from Chaos and was there to help them. Apparently she had something special up her sleeves that involved her court.

Soleiyu and Lucasta were the only real Mauvians he was familiar with. He knew others, of course. He’d offered his shoulder for rides to others in the past, but he never had the chance to speak with them on multiple occasions like he had with Solieyu and Lucasta. Their presence was crucial in keeping them all safe.

He didn’t say anything, but he nodded to Alastor when he caught his eye. If Alastor was confident then they would have to take his lead.

Valhalla, Knight of Jupiter

“Once that connection has been made… how will you know where on Alastor its source is located?” Valhalla asked as he walked beside Ganymede. If they weren’t in such a potentially dangerous situation, he would have reached out to take her hand, but he wanted to make sure they were both focused.

He couldn’t help but notice how quiet Sessrumnir was being, but assumed he’d already discussed all of this with Alastor and didn’t have questions. Valhalla, on the other hand, would like to know how long they were supposed to be handling Chaos on this World when they still had children back at home.

Not to mention everyone else that relied on them -- and relied especially on Ganymede.

“Is there any signal you can give us if you do feel like you need help? Or… a signal that you could give us if you don’t need help, but are trying to make it look like you’re giving in?” he asked.

He hadn’t needed to lure Chaos before, but he did offer a bluff to Laurelite once. Back when Kyrie had been nearly destroyed and he could no longer sense auras or use magic. Back when his starseed was still cracked. It was hardly the same, but he didn’t want to jump in, assuming Alastor needed help when he didn’t. And he didn’t want to wait so long that they didn’t have a chance to save him.

Ephesus, Squire of the Moon

Ephesus was glad that both Lucasta and Soleiyu were there. He didn’t know many of the others very well. Just the two Mauvians, Amarynthos, Sessrumnir, and of course Alastor. He knew they would probably be looked at like they didn’t belong, or wouldn’t be able to do anything, but he was determined to help. However he could. It would be better than sitting and waiting back on Earth.

He crouched down for a few moments to pet Lucasta and scratch her back and under her chin -- with both hands. His weapon tucked under his arm for the moment.

“Would you like me to carry you?” he asked, because he could only imagine it would be a better vantage point if she was up higher, but if she wanted to stay on all four paws, he understood.

Every once and a while he would cast a nervous glance over at Sessrumnir, who looked more sullen than usual. Alastor was difficult to read, so it was a good gauge to find somewhere in between what Sessrumnir’s expression was, and Alastor’s, and determine how dire things were from that.

It would be okay, though. He walked beside Amarynthos on their way through the hallway with no windows and closed doors. Okay, he walked a little closer to Amarynthos. And tried not to think about Alastor getting himself killed. They would just have to save him before that could happen.

Transcended Eternal Sailor Ganymede

For the moment, Ganymede walked through the Hall as an Eternal. No doubt the time would come when the power of a Princess was necessary — if Alastor could vanquish the Chaos on his own, he would have done so already — but for the time being, at least, she thought it best to conserve her strength, and keep her aura as low as possible. Being transcended already made it conspicuously pure. (In this instance, she had nothing to say against the presence of Guardian Cats.)

She continued to look around as they followed Alastor, listening to the plan while taking stock of her companions. Most she was familiar with already, family and friends she knew she could rely on, but the other Mauvian and the two young Squires were newer acquaintances.

Her gaze found Alastor again as Valhalla asked his questions.

Ganymede added a question of her own.

“Exactly how do you plan to destroy it?”

Once, maybe Alastor’s confidence would have been contagious. For Ganymede, that was no longer the case. She couldn’t help but think he was walking into something he didn’t entirely understand. None of them did, Ganymede included. They would all do their best, she knew, but she’d learned over the years that their best wasn’t always good enough.

Somehow, Chaos always had the upper hand.

Mauvian Lucasta

Lucasta eyed the other Mauvian when he drew close, but did nothing more than offer him an impassive stare. It wasn’t often she was in the company of her kind. Perhaps that was negligent of her. Over the years, her dedication to her responsibilities seem to offer few opportunities for social time.

She accepted the pets from Ephesus with thinly veiled pleasure, then considered his offer.

“Very well,” she said.

As she allowed herself to be lifted, then draped herself around his shoulders like a shawl, she told herself she did so more for his comfort than her own. That Ephesus didn’t immediately start weeping the second Alastor said something about getting himself killed seemed like a small bit of progress.

Normally curious (not to mention bossy and judgmental), Lucasta nonetheless found herself satisfied with the questions posed by Valhalla and Ganymede, and waited patiently for Alastor’s answers.

His plan was risky, but he knew the Chaos here better than any of the rest of them. As much as Lucasta occasionally questioned his logic, they had to rely on his wisdom here.

Eternal Sailor Cybele

probably

Eternal Sailor Lysithea

Lysithea followed, and regretted that she had let Soleiyu walk on his own. He was the only one here that she knew well, at least until the rest of the court were called up, but that might not be for a while. Still. “We won’t let you die, Alastor.” Her voice sounded pathetic to her own ears, weak and almost timid but.

“You have a group of people here who seem as though they’re all ready to punch the chaos of your world right in the face, and I can’t see any of us just letting it take you down. Or. Any of us down.” They wouldn’t be far from him if the worst happened, and she had absolutely no doubt that they could be faster than they had to be. The only two she was a little worried about were the children that were here, but the brown Mauvian seemed to have settled herself atop of one of them, and hopefully…if the worst happened, they could be convinced to wait in safety and not get themselves into any unneeded danger.

…Doubtful, if she were being honest with herself but…

Hopefully.

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:23 pm

Eternal Sailor Alastor
Mauvian Soleiyu
Amarynthos, Squire of the Moon

In any other situation Alastor might have laughed off their concerns and rushed to reassure them that this was fine. It was in his nature to insist that everything was under control and that they were all worried about nothing.

Except, there was a good reason to be worried. He didn’t want to lose credibility by insisting what seemed relatively impossible right now.

Without an air current, the torches burned synchronously; identical tapestries hung along the walls, sixteen steps apart each, at Alastor’s stride. He’d spent a lot of time here; he knew the Hall better than he knew himself.

The deeper they walked, the more the hallways split off into branching paths. At a glance, it was almost impossible to tell the difference between one path and the next, but Alastor never hesitated. He was good at getting lost, just not here.

“If something’s going wrong, Sessrumnir will know. I’ll let him make the judgment call.” Sessrumnir knew him best; he knew how he fought, how he thought. He also happened to have a necklace that tied him not only to Devyn, but to Alastor as well. He couldn’t imagine a better tool. Ganymede might have known, but he hadn’t spent enough time with her to talk about any of it. He didn’t know what she knew any more than he knew her.

But, he was grateful she was here. And, he would make it up to her however he could. After they succeeded.

“I won’t give in, though. No matter how it looks. If I were going to give in, I’d have done it a long time ago. When I was alone.”

When there wasn’t anyone to know what he’d done.

Ephesus was carrying Lucasta, and she was being kind enough to the boy–so, Alastor could breathe a little sigh of relief. He understood the unconventional decision to let the two Squires come, but if everyone was so determined to have his back or keep him from dying, certainly that would have extended to the two of them. Not that they were going to get into any trouble. The two Moon Knights had already promised excessively that they’d stay out of trouble, listen to instructions, and leave at the first sign of danger. No arguing. They could have a role to fill as long as it was safe to do so.

Amarynthos smiled at Lucasta, and reached over to scratch her gently while she draped across Ephesus’ shoulders. Maybe it was an excuse so he could rub down his back reassuringly when he lowered his hand, but he kept an equal pace so they could walk next to each other.

Soleiyu never strayed far from Lysithea, and as they walked his tail sometimes curled around her ankle. He watched Lucasta without any need to introduce himself. They were Mauvians, that didn’t immediately make them friends and he wasn’t going to make himself look silly by being too excited to have someone else here. Even if he did want to show off all of the technology he’d made for Alastor and suspected she might be the only one who could properly appreciate it.

Alastor half turned to continue speaking to them while he walked, but his attention seemed to be mostly on making sure that there wasn’t anything in the darkness waiting to jump out at them. He continued, “All of the Chaos here is connected. You can feel it moving, shifting. It’s one great entity that stretches out and grabs all that it can. In the beginning, people would just wander into the woods. Afterwards, they used to say the shadows themselves stretched out and grabbed them. And, there is something unnerving about the shadows. I’ve seen them move. They watch you, waiting until you show weakness. The light keeps them at bay. Soleiyu had made many for me. And the cameras.” He nodded to one up in the corner of the hallway, carefully installed.

Soleiyu thought he’d done a good enough job. He could have done better if he’d been installing it, but Alastor hadn’t wanted him here until he knew it was safe enough. Or, until he was desperate enough to need the help.

“So the lights will help. They have, they’ve kept the shadows away from the Hall in my absence. And if the Chaos can take a physical form, it can take physical damage. Its energy isn’t unlimited. The Chaos isn’t natural, something on my world is hosting it. So I’m going to find that, and I’m going to destroy it. All Chaos is different, but it seems to share that much in common–it can be overwhelmed, and it can be defeated. If I take a piece of the Chaos and give it to the Core of my world, I think I can track it. My Core is still strong, it’ll burn the Chaos up. And if the Core can do it, I can do it. I’ll show you.”

This, at least, he was confident in. Even if he couldn’t explain it in a specific, articulate, methodical way, he had faith in himself and his world, and he knew this Chaos.

He’d spent centuries with it.

Tonight was the last, though. He wasn’t going to spend a day longer with it haunting his world.

Cybele had his back, and for that he was grateful. Lysithea spoke strong words but seemed like she was still working herself up to believe them. But, she was right. He couldn’t see any of them giving in. He couldn’t imagine them letting him fail.

“My biggest concern is that the Chaos will try to destroy the Hall, the Core of my world, while I’m not here to protect it. If I open the door, it won’t close until the Chaos is destroyed. I know my world better than anyone else. You can feel the Chaos,” he insisted; the swarm of dark, sticky energy swirled just outside of the Hall, like a storm waiting to break through. “I know it’s out there. I know I can find it. But I will need help keeping this place safe while I’m doing that. It might be more distracted trying to break in than it is trying to stop me. So, once I can track the Chaos, I want to bring everyone in. I’ve had a lot of people offer to help me, and I’m going to take them all up on it. Sheer numbers could overwhelm the Chaos, but that’s too dangerous to just rush in and hope for the best. If the Chaos is spread thin, it’ll be safer for everyone. Easier to manage. And–I’m just one Senshi. I held my ground for a long time. I lost my power for a long time there, and it couldn’t break into the Hall then. This place is resilient. Right now, you all have more power than I did a year ago, before I first came to Earth. I could hold it back by myself, but I can’t just keep it at bay. It needs to be destroyed. And I need help protecting the Hall while we do that.”

He sighed, heavily, and took another turn. The hallways seemed to be getting shorter; they seemed to be getting closer to their destination. “I just need you to trust me for this part. I’ll call it all off if this doesn’t go right. If I don’t think the plan can work, we’ll figure something else out. But I have faith in it. I think I can do this. If I have your help.”

Sessrumnir, Knight of Jupiter

Sessrumnir did his best to remain as calm as possible, although a deep frown was growing the closer he knew they were getting to parting ways with Alastor. He would have to face the Chaos of his World on his own, if they were going to lure it into a position for them to fight it.

But Alastor was right. If something was wrong, he would know. At the moment, the golden orb around his neck swirled at a comfortable pace. Devyn was calm. Determined. And Sessrumnir believed in him.

He was glad that Amarynthos and Ephesus seemed to be holding it together, and Lucasta was being kind to them. Or at least tolerant of them. They were good boys and would stay out of trouble -- they’d promised. They knew the risks and how upset others would be if they were hurt, but Sessrumnir didn’t want to baby them when they were Squires and could end up having to fight Chaos on their own, maybe sooner than later.

Valhalla, Knight of Jupiter

“Are you sure that the source of the Chaos is close by?” Valhalla pressed. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but he wanted to know how long they were going to be expected to hold Chaos at bay.

“I know you are confident about being able to track the Chaos, but is it possible that it could be sourced anywhere on Alastor? Could it be hours away?”

He didn’t know how long all of them could fight. Especially when there were children there. And Mauvians. And any number of others of various experiences who might show up to help later.

“I trust you to know how to handle the Chaos here,” Valhalla clarified. “But this is new to the rest of us. We’re used to dealing with people who have faults, and sometimes humanity left in them. Sometimes they don’t even want to be corrupted by Chaos. But we aren’t used to fighting pure Chaos, whether or not it can take a physical form.”

Ephesus, Squire of the Moon

It was easy to distract himself from what the others were discussing by petting Lucasta and scratching her chin and behind her ears as she draped over his shoulders. He smiled at Amarynthos to make sure he knew he was okay. The others seemed like they were ready to do what it took, and that both made Ephesus anxious and relieved.

At least they would have people fighting -- people who knew how to fight. And he and Amarynthos would do whatever they could to help. They might not be fighting, but they would be there to support and hopefully keep the Chaos distracted from the others for a little while.

Transcended Eternal Sailor Ganymede

It seemed too risky. Even if Alastor knew this Chaos. Even if he’d survived for this long, alone. It was always going to be risky, and there could be no guarantees, no matter how confident anyone felt at that moment.

Ganymede didn’t like it, but she had no other suggestions, no alternatives, just anxiety and doubt, and very little hope — a small flicker of it, maybe, but it was almost smothered beneath the dread she’d carried since her time in the Dark Kingdom.

She knew the Chaos which existed on Earth. Metallia. Laurelite. All her little pawns, some cloaked in malice, others in kindness. Some escaped, some sank deeper into the darkness. Some relished it, sought it out for themselves, used it for their own ambitions. She knew how to combat it, to an extent, but a purification here and a death there did nothing to bring them any closer to the end of a war that spanned decades, at least. Centuries, if one went back to where it all began. While Metallia still thrived, there would be no victory for the White Moon.

Here, Ganymede had to place her trust in Alastor.

It should have been easy. She had the benefit of memories, after all — another lifetime’s worth, almost, except where the fog still lingered, obscuring parts of Liesel’s life, twisting things out of order, or leaving her with faces but no names, few explanations, and gaps she couldn’t explain.

Anxiously, Ganymede clutched her hands together, using her left thumb to massage along the glowing ghost of a scar across her right palm.

The past seemed at once close and very far away.

Mauvian Lucasta

Lucasta accepted the pets and scratches from Amarynthos and Ephesus like she thought they were her due. Even if she didn’t think the boys should be there — and had no qualms against letting their adult guardians know exactly that — she didn’t intend to treat them with cruelty. A bit of tough love, perhaps, and a heaping dose of blunt honesty, as was her way, but for now she would trust them both to follow directions, knowing how dangerous the situation was, and how easily something could go wrong.

At least they would have formidable protection. Lucasta was more familiar with some figures than others, but the strength even in their small numbers was obvious.

From her place across Ephesus’ shoulders, Lucasta eyed the camera in the corner. It seemed well made. She couldn’t speak for the installation job without a closer look, but Mauvians were crafty, and Sessrumnir knew his way around wiring. Alastor had surrounded himself with competency, enough so that Lucasta didn’t yet have any complaints or objections.

Eternal Sailor Cybele

Eternal Sailor Lysithea

Lysithea listened and thought that Cybele asked a practical question that she would also love to hear the answer of, having something tangible, something that she could actually fight...would make things so much easier. But, if it wasn’t the case…so many of those that were here had already fought of their own brands of Chaos. Cybele and herself for one, Ganymede had been captured by the Negaverse…the others, well. She didn’t really know them…at all but.

It was a good group. And they weren’t going to be the only ones on this mission. There was a whole other back up group waiting that the chaos on the world could have no idea of.

While Valhalla was correct that they were much more used to fighting people...perhaps the fact that they weren’t meant that it would be almost an easier time of it. There could have been no leaked plans. Nothing to give away their ideas and skills. Nothing to tip off the Chaos that they were coming, or that they weren’t the only ones coming. Which.

Could be something wonderful, honestly.

Kyuseisha no Hikari

Crew

Dragonslaying Dragon

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Kyuseisha no Hikari

Crew

Dragonslaying Dragon

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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:23 pm

Eternal Sailor Alastor
Mauvian Soleiyu
Amarynthos, Squire of the Moon

“It might take a physical form. It’s what I’m expecting,” Alastor answered. He took another turn, and the distant echoes of the storm seemed further away. There was a slight angled descent downwards as they continued down the hall, but it wasn’t particularly noticeable at the pace they were going. “Once, a long time ago, it could call to you from the forests. People would wander in and wouldn’t come back out. Now, it’s stronger. If it knows we’re here to destroy it, I anticipate it will use every last ounce of energy to fight us off. But, it won’t be enough.”

He didn’t think the darkness could take all of them. The shadows were strong but they couldn’t be that strong.

“The lights will help, though. It won’t be able to achieve full strength as long as they’re on. When it was first born here, it was just the Darkness. The Shadows. It was in the Hall once. I don’t know if it was always here, or if someone brought it. I don’t know if it was my lifetime, or before. I just know that one day, it was here. I drove it out. I didn’t know what it was then or I would have gone after it. Back then, I was used to people trying to kill me, trying to destroy the Hall. They were gone, I thought that was it. I didn’t think any more of it until it was too late. I didn’t know,” he tried to rationalize, but he never shifted the blame.

He should have done more. Maybe things would have been different if he had.

It didn’t matter, he couldn’t change the past. He stopped in front of an old, wooden door. Metal reinforced this one, like many of the others, but it seemed like it had been recently fortified. When he pushed this door open, light spilled into the hallway. Unlike the other rooms, this one was filled with technology, and instead of flames there were strips of LEDs illuminating every corner. It was a little overwhelming at first, if only because of the transition from the darker halls to this.

Large batteries were hooked up to the lights, and to a dozen screens. Most of them were still; a few cameras showed hallways or the lobby, but one had been installed outside and was aimed towards a nearby, looming forest. It was dark outside, if only because the clouds were obscuring what sunlight there might have had. There was a distant, hazy glow visible through the thinner patches of clouds, and a golden lining that hinted at sunlight beyond them.

The other camera was aimed directly on a glowing orb that seemed to sometimes move in and out of focus as the liquid gold light swirled slowly. Sometimes, tiny lights sparkled from within it, like broken crystals reflected its own light. Tree roots had broken through the ceiling to wrap around the orb, wrapping it in a protective embrace.

It probably needed the extra protection. It was difficult to make out other details in the room aside from the fact that it looked peaceful. It looked well-preserved.

The Core of Alastor’s world matched the swirling, golden light in the pendant Sessrumnir wore, and if he’d had it out it would have been obvious to see that they moved in perfect sync.

There were eight chairs in the room and they matched the long table supporting all of the electronics. There were easily three dozen flashlights, and stacks of maps and old books. There were snacks, a large first aid kit. Walkie-Talkies. Some electronics were not easily identifiable, but they had Soleiyu’s signature all over them.

“You can come in, it’s safe here,” Alastor insisted. “This is where I’d like you to stay while I’m bringing It to my Core.” He nodded to the screen at the end, but there was something guarded about it. He didn’t need to explain to them how important it was to him, how sacred it was. Even on a screen, it felt a little violating to just share it, but it was a necessity that they be able to see what he was doing.

“If you head straight out of this room, you’ll find a dead end. There’s a tapestry hanging over the wall, but if you move it you can get into the Core. Ideally you won’t have to.” Ideally this would go well. “The room behind it is a meditation chamber. You have to go to the back corner and you’ll find stairs down. If you go fast, it’s only a minute to get from here down there. If something’s going to happen to me, if I slip up, it’ll be down there. So when I get It down there with me, just. Be ready. But have faith in me.”

He didn’t know all of them well enough to ask for it, not when he knew it was putting them in danger.

“There’s a scanner on the table. It can read energy spikes nearby.” Another one of Soleiyu’s gadgets. “I can’t find exactly where it is, but I have my suspicions that it’s nearby enough I won’t have to go to the ends of the world to find it. I don’t think it ever went very far after I chased it out the first time. So, I’m sure the source of a Chaos is nearby. I don’t think I have competing variations of it here. But, the forest is still vast. It’s well-hidden.”

It would have to be, after all these years.

“Even if I knew within a one mile radius of where it could be, I don’t think I could go looking for it unless I had a stronger read on it. But, that’s what this trap is supposed to accomplish. When you’re all settled, I’ll go back to the front gate, and I’ll bring it in. You’ll be able to follow me the whole path. It won’t take me more than ten minutes to get from the gate to the Core. I only ask that you all stay together here until I get back. Once I’ve sprung the trap, I’ll meet you back here. We’ll move back into the lobby. We’ll have to go fast, but I think we can manage it. The others will arrive then, we’ll get them stationed where they’ll be most useful, and I’ll leave the Hall in your hands. And if anyone isn’t comfortable with that, tell me now because once we get started, I can’t stop.”

Valhalla, Knight of Jupiter

Valhalla could sense the unease in Ganymede, and so he gently reached over to take her hand as they followed Alastor to the bright room. He wouldn’t leave her side unless she needed him to, but if that was the case, he suspected it was only so he wouldn’t be hurt if she was fighting.

He nodded to Alastor, hoping it was just going to be a mile radius. If they were able to distract the rest of the Chaos long enough, then… maybe they would have a good chance.

“We have faith in you,” Valhalla agreed with a nod. “We’ll make sure nothing happens to you. And we’ll stay safe,” he promised. He gestured to the flashlights, picking one up to hand to Ephesus and Amarynthos first, before picking another two up for Ganymede and himself. The others were obviously welcome to them, but he wanted to make sure they were in hand before they started anything.

Ephesus, Squire of the Moon

Ephesus graciously took the flashlight from Valhalla, but before Alastor could run off and start luring in the Chaos, he quickly moved over to him to give him a hug. He was careful about not knocking Lucasta off his shoulder!

“Be safe. Love you, dad,” he whispered to Alastor as he held him tightly for a few moments before taking a step back. His eyes were a little misty, but he smiled to try and reassure Alastor that everything was fine.

He was nervous, but determined. So he took a deep breath and nodded to let Alastor know that everything was okay and that he could trust them to take care of themselves -- and anyone else if necessary.

Transcended Eternal Sailor Ganymede

Ganymede grasped Valhalla’s hand in return, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

She would be fine. The haunted feeling would remain, and the anxiety, but if there was one thing she was confident in, it was her own survival. She worried for Alastor most of all — the man, and his world. All that experience and confidence would only get him so far. They could only hope it got him far enough.

Hope was a tricky thing for her now.

“We’ll keep the boys safe,” she said, watching the display between Ephesus and Alastor with a concerned frown.

None of those present would allow any harm to come to them, but Ganymede did not think it was arrogant to say that they stood the best chance with her and Valhalla. Alastor would need all his strength and focus to combat the Chaos. He did not need to worry himself over the well-being of two young Squires in the process.

She motioned the boys closer, and put on what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

“We’ll be ready for anything,” she added.

Whether it be success, defeat, unforeseen complications — there was no better prepared group on Earth.

Ganymede tried to believe that.

Mauvian Lucasta

Lucasta may not have been knocked off when Ephesus hugged Alastor, but she nonetheless found herself slightly squished — perhaps even a bit scandalized. Hugs were not a common form of affection she engaged in, and yet she unwittingly found herself semi-involved in one.

At least Alastor was not unkempt. Lucasta sniffed, but did not pick up anything unpleasant.

When she had the opportunity, Lucasta scaled down Epehsus’ body, careful not to p***k him with her claws as she did so. She jumped onto the table with the electronics to inspect them all and found them satisfactory. Then she examined each of the screens, and the view they offered. She came to a stop by the screen which showed the Core.

A shiver of anticipation crawled up Lucasta’s shoulders. She adjusted her position and almost seemed to roll her shoulders.

It would not be long now.

“At any rate, you needn’t worry about any of us. We are, after all, stronger together.”

Eternal Sailor Cybele

Eternal Sailor Lysithea

This was it then. The distance honestly surprised her, and Lysithea frowned slightly though moved to stand by Cybele, glancing at the screens. Clearly Soleiyu had been quite busy up here. As the squire hugged Alastor, called him dad, there was a strange sort of sad jealousy that pulsed through her chest and she sighed softly, and not for the first time wished that she had the guts to talk to Zac about the whole wanting a family of their own thing. But. That could obviously wait until after all of this. It wasn’t the time.

Glancing to Cybele, Lysithea laid a hand over the other senshi’s and flashed a small smile. “...If it comes to us having to run, I’m happy to let you on my back so we can get there faster if your feet still aren’t feeling up to hard running. I know we’ll still be slower because of it but, I’d rather you not be in any pain that can be easily avoided…”

Her words were pitched low, and hopefully Cybele would pick up that this was more than just the surface words too. That this was…maybe a chance for them to both put their bad blood firmly in the past.

Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2022 6:24 pm

Eternal Sailor Alastor
Mauvian Soleiyu
Amarynthos, Squire of the Moon

Ephesus’ hug had been grounding. Alastor had returned it immediately and rubbed the boy’s back. He took a selfish moment of comfort for himself and hoped it was enough to keep Ephesus in good spirits, too. He kissed atop his head before he let him step back, and let that say all that words would have otherwise.

Amarynthos had immediately moved to stand closer to Ephesus; he hooked their arms together gently so they were linked at the elbow. Usually, nothing scared him. He was pretty confident, and adaptable, and eased into new situations easily.

He didn't like the idea that Alastor was leaving. Realistically, he understood the plan, he just didn't like it.

This was the calm before the storm and he was already a little anxious. Realistically, he understood why Sessrumnir and Alastor had wanted them to stay back. But, this was important. No amount of trepidation was going to chase him away. He cared too much about them to not be here, not if there was anything he could have done to help. He knew Ephesus felt the same way.

This was a decision the both of them had made, and he didn't regret it. They'd talked to Alastor and Sessrumnir both, extensively, about all the potentials and possibilities. They'd trained their hardest. They'd earned the chance to be here.

And, if he was here for nothing else, he thought he could at least be here to help keep Sessrumnir safe. He didn't have to look at him for long to suspect that he was anxious about Alastor going off alone, and he suspected that he'd have just tried to stay quiet and bottle it all up and let himself fester in silence while they waited to see if this works.

Ganymede had beckoned them closer, and that seemed like a good idea. He already suspected that they'd be with her when things started getting dangerous, and though he didn't know her, she had a kind smile, and Sessrumnir and Alastor had spoken highly of her. In this room, with all of them, Ephesus felt safe. But, he knew it wasn't going to stay that way. He knew they would scatter, knew they all had an important role to play.

For now, he just had to have faith that Alastor knew what he was doing.

The others had asked all the questions he'd had, and more, and while he was curious about so much more, now was neither the time or place.

But, they'd make it through this. He'd ask later.

Amarynthos squeezed Ephesus' arm and pulled him a little closer to Ganymede to make sure that Alastor knew they were taking this seriously. Except, he stayed close to Sessrumnir, and bumped his elbow with his own. Just to make sure he didn't forget that he had people here for him, too.

Alastor watched the boys and some of the weight melted from his shoulders. Briefly, he smiled at Sessrumnir, to reassure him, too.

“Thank you all. I appreciate it. I’ll be safe,” he promised. “I won’t give you anything to worry about.” Not if he could help it.

He trusted them, and put every bit as much faith in them as he asked them to put in him.

Soleiyu stayed close to Lysithea, but she seemed to need a moment with Cybele; he made himself busy by checking on the screens–just in case Alastor hadn’t gotten everything hooked up properly. He didn’t want things to go wrong, not when they were so close to the final stretch.

Alastor exhaled, and drew in a deeper breath. It helped him relax, even if just a bit. He was confident, but he wasn’t arrogant, not about this. “I’ll do my best not to worry about any of you. I know you’re in good hands with each other.” And, he was in good hands with them.

He pressed his lips together and looked to the door, like he was thinking maybe he should get a head start on this.

If there was a chance it might take a while to find the source of the Chaos after all of this he didn’t want to exhaust them all now making him wait to get things set up.

“I’ll head out, then. If you can think of anything else, I’ve got my phone on me. I’ll keep an eye on it.”

Better to get this done quickly, before the darkness could suspect anything.

Better to get this done quickly so they could go home.

He looked at Sessrumnir for a moment and then pressed his lips together. It wasn’t a goodbye, it was just a promise. He suspected, though he didn’t show it, that Sessrumnir was probably just as worried as Ephesus. But, they’d talked about this.

Sessrumnir knew what he was going to do.

He smiled, briefly, and turned back towards the hall.

Sessrumnir, Knight of Jupiter

Sessrumnir remained quiet as the others gave Alastor their reassurances and promises. He kept his head down and watched as they explored the room and waited for Alastor to move on with the plan. He took some time to study the monitors, to see where the cameras were pointing and the range they had.

He was proud that Alastor managed to get everything set up as instructed. They’d worked on things on Earth, of course, so it was just a matter of getting the portable generators plugged in and running, and everything set up. Alastor hadn’t wanted anyone else going there until he was ready, so Sessrumnir chose to trust him to ask for help if it was needed.

He waited until Alastor turned to leave.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to the others, and then followed Alastor out of the room and into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him.

Kyuseisha no Hikari

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Dragonslaying Dragon

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