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 Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 1:53 pm
What else could Vespa do but follow? This was Avior's home away from home and if anyone knew where to go, it'd be the White Moon senshi. So, twice within the same month, he trusted his safety to a White Mooner, and he was quick to catch up with him, not wanting to risk getting lost in a foreign planet, especially when he knew there was no way for the Negaverse to retrieve him should he be abandoned. He followed step after step, surprised that he was able to look at the scenery around him without missing a step and tumbling straight to his death as he listened to Avior's tale. Though, he wished he hadn't looked around him, as the sight of what he immediately knew to be bodies that were scattered along the base of the walls. Now, any mirth and fascination he once held was gone, and he felt his knees want to lock, as though his entire body was trying to stop him from moving any further. What happened here? What did these flowers mean?
"You get visions while you're here? ... Are you having one now?" Vespa asked, his curiosity not as commanding as before but still alive within him. He listened to Avior's story, forcing himself to keep moving so that he would not be left behind, even if it meant getting closer to the bodies. Avior mentioned the black tablets, and immediately, Vespa's mind went to a classic movie. "That's a monolith, I think. Many old civilizations used those to keep track of their history... or pass vital information on to the next generations."
History was more like it, from what he heard from Avior's tale. A flower that sucked out water from a living being and the ocean? It seemed impossible, but immediately that thought was debunked when he remembered exactly what and who they were. He made a face, biting his lower lip and keeping his thoughts to himself, not wanting to interrupt Avior's train of thought. He looked at the tall soldier, confusing it for a statue for a moment and wanting to pull his visor away from his eyes so that he could get a better look at it, but even he could see how weathered and old it was, and he made sure to keep his hands away, not wanting to be the one to help desecrate Avior's home, as ruined as it already was. But it seemed that Avior was quick to do that himself, and Vespa instinctively reached for it, trying to catch it before it crumbled away, though to no avail. He curled his hands into fists as he turned to Avior, continuing to listen in silence and feeling truly helpless, more so than he ever felt on Earth...
"So someone planted a seed of a plant not indigenous to this ecosystem, and with no knowledge of it or natural predators, they took over and destroyed what indigenous life was there. Like... when the British tried to put hares and rabbits in Australia, or the fire ants and nutria rats in the states," Vespa said, wanting to combat this helpless feeling within him in some way, even if he felt he was coming off as being extremely frigid and Spockish. It wasn't that he didn't feel for Avior and his plight- far from it! But this was his coping mechanism, and if it'd offer some insight for Avior, he'd be heartless to not offer it. "Did you maybe think it was an accident? Like those cases I just mentioned, maybe whoever brought the flower didn't know what it'd do?"
Why was he even speaking out against this? What was he trying to defend the White Moon? Vespa didn't know, but he couldn't silence himself, as hard as he tried. "And what makes you think the Dark Mirror Court could prevent something like this? Are you certain they haven't done something like this? What makes them exempt from the same betrayal from the White Moon, or even the Negaverse?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:25 pm
"Yes.. A memory, a whisper of the past, I guess. Just something I probably didn't witness myself, but something that had happened in this area. The soldier playing with children and being scolded to get back to work. You know, a slice of life sort of thing.. But yeah, That sounds about right.. A monolith.. I could show you it, but it's quite a walk to the palace. And this city.. Every inch has people just like this man." A tiny, faint smile was given to Vespa when he tried to catch the man's remains. This boy before him.. He really was a kind one in the end, wasn't he? It was so hard to believe that someone like this could be from the same organization as Realgar, or the other's who had attacked him so relentlessly before.
"No, no, Not planted. They were used as weapons. Seeds released into the air in a glowing plume of yellow like dandelions blown to the wind. And no one thought much about it, until all at once, they bloomed, freezing people into place. I can't pinpoint facts, and I can't tell what planet, or senshi or whoever did it without seeing them face to face, but it was a malicious attack against the people here. And those walls.." His hand reached out to touch the base of the enormous wall they stood beside, brushing his gloved fingertips against in a manner only comforting to himself. "There is no way these walls could have crumbled by 'accident'. Not walls this high. Not walls that have been recorded in those monoliths for what seems like an eternity."
Avior gave Vespa a long, confused look, unsure of what to think of him now...
"Why are you trying to defend what happened? You, who seems to hate the White Moon Senshi? And are you questioning your own alignment with the Negaverse, because that question applies just as much to you as it does to me."
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:34 pm
Vespa felt lost, and it had nothing to do with being on a foreign planet. He just stood there and listened to Avior's explanations, taking in his justifiable rage and anger, his confusion, and he wasn't too surprised that he found himself on the receiving end of his verbal assault. Others might have accepted the onslaught and tried to remain calm and explain their stance with a cool approach to counter Avior's fiery despair. But Vespa didn't have the temperament for such a thing, and he immediately snapped back when Avior tried to lash out at him, making sure that the edge in his voice was equally sharp. "I'm not trying to defend what happened, just... trying to think of maybe there being another explanation, that's all! It's not like it's written in stone that 'on this day, so-and-so attacked us!' right? Unless... it happened really fast, like you said, with no warning..."
Yet, as hot as his own anger was, it seemed to lack the fuel necessary to burn for too long, and it wasn't long before Vespa's self-doubt started to spread within him, causing the wasp senshi to take a physical step backwards, rubbing his hands together and glancing around at the mummified bodies around him. It was a depressing sight, but it spared him from Avior's anger for a brief moment, and he shrugged. "Look, sorry... this is your planet and you're the one seeing visions of it, so obviously you're right. I'm wrong. If what you say is true, then you know why I'm with the Negaverse, even if... they terrify me."
It was treason to say such a thing, even to another who had every intent on leaving his court for what he believed to be the greater cause, and Vespa was grateful that no Negaverse officer could reach him out here to have heard this. He couldn't deny that he was afraid of the Negaverse and what horrors he's seen from his own superiors, but after seeing what had happened to Avior's home... maybe they really weren't any different after all?
He felt hopeless now, even when Avior felt some hope in the Dark Mirror Court. Vespa didn't understand, and he couldn't stand the thought that he couldn't understand!
"Okay, so..." Vespa didn't want to fight, not here, on a foreign planet with no way of getting back should his ride decide to abandon him, so he was willing to drop the subject. For the moment. "Where's the monolith you were talking about? Maybe we can figure something else out about it before we leave..."
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Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:29 pm
"What part of stone monolith do you not understand? It IS written in stone, and the person who drew it, I could see the fear in his eyes, just how alone he was, the last person in the city, who managed to survive this catastrophe, only to starve to death in a dark and cold place!" How dare this little bee of a boy try to say he could be wrong! What did he know?! Though just as Avior was about to speak further, to lash out at him with more words, cruel ones that had no business in being spoken, Vespa unexpectedly backed down.
Even his own anger left him, leaving him tired and worn down. The tempting thought of just leaving lingered in his mind, until the mention of figuring something out together. He looked down the wide main street they were on, one that led straight to the palace, hundreds of people standing between them and their destination.
"Yeah... Another Dark Mirror Senshi helped me clear out the palace.. So once we get there, you won't have to see these people anymore.. This way." As he began to walk, weaving between the bodies (which would have to be taken care of later, when the nervous bumbling bee was no longer around) Avior looked behind him, making sure that Vespa was keeping up. He had no paitence on this planet. Not with the sweltering air, or the unforgiving start that beat down upon them once they stepped out of the shadow of the wall.
"Tell me.. Why the Negaverse? Why not the Dark Mirror court?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 7:27 pm
Coming here was a mistake, one that Vespa hadn't realized until they were already there, and any excitement he once had about visiting another planet was gone. None of this seemed to make sense to him, and yet, it should have. A Senshi attacking another's planet and causing such destruction... it was what the Negaverse had warned him about, right? Something like this was exactly what Queen Metallia and the Negaverse was trying to prevent for Earth, so this should have been an easy concept. Yet, Vespa was confused, and admittedly curious. What could have caused another Senshi to attack another... perhaps they weren't so different from humans of Earth after all.
He followed Avior and was willing to keep quiet, despite the thoughts buzzing around his head. He kept his gaze set firmly forward and on straight on Avior's back, trying not to look at the bodies and allow himself to let the overwhelming sense of guilt and horror overtake him. He wasn't ready for this... then again, who could possibly be? He seldom noticed the heat even when his black attire absorbed the sunlight, as he was simply too focused on not looking at the scenery and thinking of Avior's plight to notice such a thing. Tunnel vision could be a blessing at times...
"Why the Negaverse? I guess the same reason you were in the White Moon Court," Vespa said, glancing up for a second but keeping his gaze steady. Bodies and ruins passed through the corner of his eyes, but like a horse pulling a carriage, his visor worked well in keeping the bulk of it out. "They found me first and when they asked if I wanted to protect Destiny City, I told them yes. That's the short version, anyway... as to why not the Dark Mirror Court?"
That was another question entirely, and Vespa thought on the issue for a moment before shaking his head. "They never sought me out. Neither did the White Moon. Only the Negaverse did, so they must have deemed me worthy when the other courts couldn't be bothered with me."
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Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 5:47 pm
"It's funny. You say it's the same reason, but no, not at all. Certainly they found me first, but there was no such offer as to whether or not I wanted to 'protect' destiny city. No, it was more of 'you don't want to die, right? So you have to kill it first' and then I picked up that stupid pen, and found myself lost and confused and alone." As much as Avior wanted to dust the bodies around him, to let them crumble, there was just too many to do, too many people who needed to be set to rest in peace.. Not with Vespa along, who seemed to keep his eyes solely on him. But that was alright, he'd take care of all of this soon enough, when the other senshi was not here.
"That is still a valid reason though, and since we are to be allies soon, I cannot really say much about your organization anymore." Before them was a door, at the base of an immense staircase that led up to the place that rose hundreds of feet above them. Luckily for them, the last time Avior had set foot on this planet, his explorations led him to this door.
"This door leads to the underground of the palace. It's far too massive to be called a simple basement." Avior pulled the stone door open easily, though for a normal human, it would have been extraordinarily difficult to do so.
"When I first found this place, it was sealed shut.. The bodies in this staircase are not the same as the ones outside. You'll find skeletons here, rather than those dust figures.. The people in this staircase seemed to be the only people who managed to survive, but fear kept them from leaving.. They soon starved.. " As soon as Vespa was inside, Avior closed the door behind them, leaving them in the darkened space. Bright, colorful stones lined the walls, giving off a gentle light, enough for them to continue downwards safely, though it would take a moment to get used to the darkness after having been in such a bright land for that amount of time.
"It's silent to me now.. But upon the discovery of this place, there was just so much screaming... And I nearly collapsed from the sound, from the visions of people scrambling overtop of one another to find a safe place to hide. It's fine now.. Just mind your step as we descend. I've tried to clear this place the best that I can, but sometimes, in your sorrows, your vision is clouded, and you miss things." Not much else of a warning was given as he began to follow the darkness deeper into the ground.
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:52 am
What Vespa wanted to say was that he wasn't happy within the Negaverse and that if there was a chance to go back in time, he'd find a way to prevent himself from ever talking to that damned cat. Yet, the sci-fi nerd in him knew that time travel was not only impossible, but 99% of the time a bad idea, and thus, Vespa could only deal with the present. Except the present scared him... more than most things ever could. He was no fan of the Negaverse, but at least he was not a terrorist...
He looked to the door that Avior pulled open, assuming it was the senshi strength that allowed him to open such a formidable looking door so easily, and his warning would not go without heed. Skeletons weren't too frightening for him, though it still didn't settle right with him, and he entered when ushered in, not wanting to be the one to delay this experience for the both of them any longer. It was incredibly hard for Vespa to see thanks to his visor, but he dared not take them off in fear of loosing even a shred of his glamour- how awkward and terrible would it be for him if Avior saw his civilian identity here? Not to mention it just seemed safer to keep something over his eyes, even if they didn't shield him from the harsh truth that laid around them. The beauty of the shining rocks weren't as impressive considering Vespa now knew what kind of horrible fate was bestowed upon the civilians here, and he looked to Avior as he continued his morose tale.
When he mentioned cleaning the mess, Vespa couldn't help but allow for his pity to be heard, hoping that he wouldn't have taken it the wrong way as he fumbled over his words. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I can't imagine just how... traumatic that kind of thing can-ahh!"
His foot hit something and Vespa lost his balance, and just as he tumbled over his words, he found himself sliding down the stairs for a few feet, before clinging to the wall and stopping himself from going too far down. Now he laid on his back, one hand firmly gripping the wall and the other gripping the stairs, and while he was well aware that he was laying in something, he kept himself perfectly still and gazed up at the darkness that was the ceiling. He let out a few shuddering breaths, before finally croaking out. "Um... careful... where you step. I think I found something you missed..."
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Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:07 am
As soon as Vespa went down, Avior flew to his side, making sure that he was alright. If anything, the boy just seemed startled. It was then that the blue eyed senshi realized that the other still had that awkward dark visor on.
"Yes, well, I might have missed something, but then again, you might have seen it if you were to take that visor off. We are getting close to the bottom, but I don't want you to suddenly break your leg or arm here, just because you were too stubborn to take those dark things off. Now come on and get up, who knows what you're laying in.." A gloved hand grasped onto Vespa's and with a single pull, had the boy upright on his feet again, dusting his shoulders off a bit.
"Just a few more flights, and we'll be at the bottom. Are you good to keep on going?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 1:56 pm
After such a harrowing tumble, what Vespa didn't want to hear was criticism on his headgear, and it showed when his face construed into a scowl, quite visible even under the dark, florescent visor he wore. "It was given to me by the Negaverse for a reason! I can't just take them off!"
He wanted to prove himself strong and push himself back to his feet, but Avior gave him little choice in the matter. However, the moment he was on his feet, he pulled away from Avior and worked his way in dusting himself off, silently hoping that there wasn't an infectious disease lingering in the dust he patted off of him or parasites, and he held his breath until he was clean enough. As beneficial as it was to take the visor off, he simply couldn't risk the chance of letting the Senshi see who he really was…
"Yeah, I'm good. It was just a stumble, that's all. Bet you got a real good laugh out of it- I know I did! Let's go…" His response was a bit bipolar, he had to admit, but his laughter was short and meaningless, as he continued his march, this time with a hand tightly gripping the wall. "Come on…"
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Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:52 am
"Suit yourself." Avior was no longer in any sort of mood to be arguing with the buggy boy before him. If he honestly wanted to fall flat on his face, fine! Let him! He would not be as friendly as to help him up next time. The entire experience of just being in this city, trapped in the darkness was taking a dark toll on the Senshi's mind, and he began to grow tired of being here, missing the warmth of his large and empty room.
"No laughter, just worry. But if you are alright, then fine." He brushed passed the boy, not only to quicken his own pace, but to make sure that anything else that was left to tumble down onto was pushed to the side. He wouldn't want the other to fall again. Especially not down on top of him this time.
The bottom of the staircase seemed to lead to an level with a ceiling far taller than it needed to be, and before them stood two enormous, red obsidian doors. With an ease that seemed to be inconceivable for someone his size, Avior pulled the door open, standing off to the side.
"Go on in.. See the History that was once Avior.. It may not make much sense, but it's all there.. And if you want to see the very last monolith of this planet, go straight down the middle, towards the left.. The row with the red outline of a body on the ground.. "
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 2:24 pm
Vespa scoffed, letting Avior take the lead once more and following him without a sound. In truth, it wasn't that he wanted to be mean to the senshi, especially knowing that this whole planet was likely pumping so much negative energy into him, but he couldn't stop himself from reacting the way he did. Maybe it was the Chaos churning within him that caused this need to be so objective to Avior, or just the stress of the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize. What was the point of apologizing now? Best to just keep his mouth shut and not allow for anymore negativity to come out of it, so Vespa remained quiet for the remainder of the trip down the stairs.
His vow of silence was shattered when they reached the bottom of the stair case, and he stared up in awe at the large obsidian doors. Immediately his mind jumped to an old monster movie classic, and he couldn't stop himself from muttering softly, "I really hope King Kong isn't hiding behind that door."
He knew he wouldn't be, and the sight of Avior pulling it open forced is attention back to him. His invitation seemed welcoming, but the tone of voice the senshi took made Vespa a little hesitant to approach now. He looked inside of the room and even with his visor he didn't see any immediate danger, but he was not so eager to go in on his own, and he let it be known. "Why won't you come in with me? Brings up too many bad memories, or is there really something in there?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:24 pm
"I had just thought that maybe you wanted to see first. I will go in though." Avior stepped around the door, heading into the immense black cavern. There was much more here than just the final monolith.. It seemed that every major even in Avior's history, or atleast what he assumed to be major events, were recorded in this room, on the walls.
"It's.. Peculiar.. I do not get as many memories in this castle as one would think.. Outside, in the streets.. Maybe that's what my past life did, simply roam the streets alongside the normal civilians.. Anyway, the one of the senshi destroying Avior.. That one is towards the back.. "
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 9:05 am
It wasn't that Vespa didn't completely trust the Senshi; no, he obviously didn't, but given that he had allowed him onto his home planet and told him nothing but the truth since they got there, Vespa had every reason to trust that Avior had good reasons for not wanting to go in first. Vespa didn't want to just waltz into such a large and dark room on his own, and he was hot on Avior's heels, certain that he wouldn't appreciate him breathing down his neck but maybe thinking he'd get some comfort in knowing that he was right behind him and he wouldn't be going in alone.
When they entered, it was just too hard for Vespa to see beyond the visor, and finally he gave in. He sucked in a breath and pulled it up and over, setting it on his forehead and hoping that his identity would not be in jeopardy from such an act, and that Avior wouldn't turn around an notice him. Once the visor wasn't clouding his vision, he could see the writings on the walls, none of it making a lick of sense to him but he knew the words to be of great importance. He stared around with awe, any unease he felt washing away and leaving nothing but curiosity, and while he knew it to be short lived, he found himself lost in the wonder and spectacle that the room and the history it preserved had to offer.
That didn't mean he was completely ignorant of Avior's presence, though, and while he kept his gaze on the wall, he was paying attention to the senshi. "It's possible. Unless you were the recorder or your past self visited this room a lot, it's make sense why this area doesn't trigger a lot of memories. Or maybe not really a lot happened in here... well, outside of that event you mentioned."
And just like that, Vespa felt the weight of the situation on his mind once more, and without wasting another moment, he moved towards the monolith that Avior directed him to see. He was expecting to find the body and was grateful for Avior's warning, as the moment it came into view, he turned his head away and side stepped around it, not wishing to disturb the remains, no matter what condition they were in. He looked over the drawing, half wondering if he would recognize the senshi in the drawing and disappointed when he rung no bells. But the evidence was clear to see, and now Vespa felt like a fool to have doubted the senshi's story. The writing was on the wall. Literally.
"Do you recognize this senshi?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:38 pm
"You know.. I wish I could read this work.. I wish I could find a way that all of this would make sense. Maybe I could learn.. Maybe one of those godforsaken cats could help, not that I truly want to ask any of their help.. " He pulled one of his gloves off, using his bare fingers to brush across the deeply set in text in the wall. It was amazing; the words written weren't simply engraved in, now that Avior had taken time to look closer, they went all the way through the slab, so that it could be looked through as well. The images were like tattoos on the stone, etchings filled in with the glowing stone dust that illuminated the room around him.
"So far, I know nothing of my past self. Was I a fierce warrior, or meek like I am now? It would be interesting to find that out, but.. Right now, it's blank for me. " Finally turning to face Vespa again, he smiled, if only slightly at the fact that he had finally taken that silly visor off, even if it was to only gaze more at the tragedy that fell on Avior.
"I do not.. But if I did, If I knew who this senshi was, I don't know how'd I react.. Would I forgive them for a sin they committed before I was even born? Or would I hate them, would I want to wring the every ounce of happiness they have in their bodies for stealing away my planet's opportunity to thrive like Earth did? What if they are still on their own planet nearby, and because of my own world, they were able to continue on even a millennium later? What if that senshi who did this, or their ancestor still lives on? Gods know I wish I had more answers, but I do know that because of this, I just can't bring myself to entirely trust the White Moon Senshi anymore. How can I even say I belong with them if I know that someone just like them has capacity to destroy a planet? What if they destroyed Earth? It seems like my entire time as a senshi has been nothing more than an endless bottle of questions.. "
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:52 pm
On the comment of cats, Vespa gave a spat, shaking his head and expressing his own opinion on the matter. "Tell me about it. The cat that found me did me a favor in making sure I wasn't abducted into the White Moon Court, but she didn't tell me a lot of what to expect when I joined the Negaverse. Sad to see that cats on either end can't be trusted to inform those they awaken."
By no means was Vespa an animal hater- he simply found himself not trusting cats anymore. While Avior was brave enough to touch the scenery and risk any negative chemicals getting into his lungs and skin, Vespa kept his distance, even if it denied him access to the same discovery that the other senshi had found. That didn't mean he was ignorant to his plight, and without really meaning to one-up him, Vespa gave a spat, "We're on the same boat, then. But that doesn't matter to me... my past, that is. I'm of the Negaverse now, so whatever I did in the past, I'm working to not only redeem myself, but clean my record. If it means losing whatever history my home may have possessed, then so be it."
It would mean never seeing Vespa, his home constellation. It would mean cutting ties to that planet, to his past, to his heritage, even the truth. But given what he's seen here... maybe that wasn't such a terrible thing anymore? If the same fate had fallen upon Vespa, then would it be worth going home to. Seeing what surrounded him and hearing Avior's tale certainly made him consider it a blessing. He wasn't sure what to say or do for Avior, except hear him out, and when it grew silent once more, he let out a defeated sigh, raising his arms to shrug before openly admitting. "Maybe... we're all capable of such a thing? Not just senshi, but knights, and Negaverse officers. Even Dark Mirror Senshi... maybe we all have this kind of power within us? I'm not saying this to convince you not to switch sides- I really don't blame you at all. Just... you know what, forget I said anything. I shouldn't be saying these things, not to you, or anyone..."
He threw his visor back on and turned away, and though he sounded bratty, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to bolt out of here. "I think it's time to go home to Earth."
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