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Interesting Conversationalist
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 Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:37 pm
I trusted you.
~~~
The rain was coming down in sheets. In the middle of the inner-city ghetto, the buildings looked despondent, broken down apartments painted grey under the torrential downpour. The stale, cold smell of morning. Here, the cars were few and far between, an occasional splash of color muted by their drab surroundings, the headlights harsh and bright. There would be the crackling of the crumbling gravel beneath a set of tires, a splash as they kicked up the water pooling in the gutters, and then it was gone, replaced by the sound of the rain and the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance. Deep in an alley, tucked away behind the overturned trash cans and against the walls lined in white graffiti, a black dog huddled against the side of a building, hiding from the rain which had soaked its mangy fur to the skin, water dripping from tips of its ears and its muzzled tucked close to its chest. The buildings offered no protection from the flood that came down straight, no wind to blow it off course.
It was alone. It stared at the ground beneath it, at the quivering surface of the puddle pooling on the dirty concrete, rippling as the rain mocked its broken reflection.
~~~
"Do you love him?"
A mouth, hot and hungry against his own, laughed deep in the back of his throat, rumbling in a broad, expansive chest. His lips curled a little in a smirk, amused by his question, but didn't answer, but to lean forward, closing the distance he'd created in asking it. Large, calloused hands slid over bare skin, drinking in the feeling of it under his fingertips, over his ribs to grip the back of his neck before drifting down again to squeeze his hips, pulling him closer, into his lap. Finally, when he'd coaxed him to breathlessness, he drew back a fraction of an inch, teeth roughly grazing his lower lip.
Touch me...
"Yeh."
Those lips came down upon his again, catching him before he could speak, ask another question.
Then why are we doing this so close to your lover's bed.
~~~
Two pillars. One black and one white. Against the blinding backdrop of emptiness, infinite and all-encompassing, only the black was visible.
Only black had ever been an option.
I don't know what love is.
'Oh?' a voice in his ear asked, its tone disapproving and skeptical.
No... that was a lie. He did.
Nakoma.
The image of his sister appeared, conjured unbidden to him. The sweetness of her face. A smile that always reached her silver eyes, glittering contentedly. Jet black hair she kept from spilling over her shoulders, a simple blue clip pinning it against the back of her head.
Family.
He thought of a rag-tag group, gathered around a bar. Sharing a drink, no less, and laughing at the antics of a fat, affectionate white tiger. He thought about Sammy's teasing smirk. He thought about his arm on Jing's shoulder. He thought about G's big, dopey grin, the gargantuan man tossing Massacre shrimp. He thought about Riyo, running her hands through the soft black and white fur, of Candace pacifying a puffed up Jerry, of Jordan lifting a glass in toast to him from across the bar. Of Serafina's sly grin, of Ying's mortified stare when he'd headlocked her brother, of the countless he hadn't had the chance to meet. Of Melvin, talking of rooftops and stars.
It's so easy to leave me, all alone with the memories...
'Why don't you go back, say a final goodbye, just this once.'
And all of a sudden, he was as angry as he had been in the last moments of his life. He thought about Rep's kiss, his last kiss, angry and loathing. He thought about the claws, buried deep just under the ribs, bloodied tips of the razor-sharp edges coming out the other side, impaling him all the way through. He thought about the whisper against his ear, cold and dripping with repugnance.
No homo.
He thought about returning the favor, in full.
But it faded after a moment, faded into the white abyss, until for now, it ceased to be.
He wanted to want revenge. He wanted to be angry. Maybe he would be, if he saw him.
But that's not what he really wanted.
~~~
Exhaling slowly, Nuk opened his eyes.
Another day is dawning...
[Exit to Blue Kingdom]
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:37 pm
Darkness. Darkness all around him. A voice. A single voice echos in the darkness, reaching out to him through the worlds. It calls to him from the darkness, as if trying to wake him.
A name. A name that means everything, means the world, a single name that means so much to him. A name, a single name on the tip of his tongue--
Emma.
He is in an empty hospital room. The air is sterile, heavy and dank with iodine. The curtains flutter in the wind and she's sitting on the bed. Even in this desolate place, her poise is excellent. Her brunette hair hangs down, a crown of braids upon her head. He walks in and sits down beside her bed. She does not say anything. If she knows that he is here, then she makes no indication. He places the flower he picked in her lap, a offering to this quiet goddess.
"I know," he says, quietly, "that I'm not the person you want to see."
He doesn't say he has failed. Because he has, but he hasn't really. He'd protected Wilson in the end, he'd done all and more that he'd sworn to do but there was an emptiness, a hollowness that he could not understand. He felt, that perhaps, maybe he hadn't made a promise? Maybe it was all a dream? If he asked her, would she know? But Elliot did not want to ruin the dream, he wanted to live it a little longer.
She says nothing. He says nothing. They sit in silence with the breeze and sun. And then, slowly, she turns. Her pale lavender eyes are haunting, striking. That is what Elliot loved about Emmaline. She had these eyes that saw straight into his soul. It is what he hated about Emma too, but--
"Elliot, wake up."
And the dream fades. He is in the swirling darkness but in front of him are two pillars. The hospital is nowhere to be seen and the voice that calls to him is not her's.
Do you wish to know a secret?
He stands up. He walks to the white pillar, drawn by the same warmth and light that ---- and ---- gave off. That was why he loved ----, that was why he served ----. The voice continues. He looks at his shadow, the floor is an empty mirror. Nothingness greets his eyes and Elliot laughs.
So this is it. This is the truth. "Nothing." He says. "Nothingness." And he laughs more. This is all a farce, a play and he is just a fragment. Does this mean everything is fake? Is the ---- in his dreams a fake? Is everything that happened a fake? He wants to know, but he cannot even recall her name. He knows that she is important, so important, so dear and close to his heart, but he cannot remember. The world is spinning, and Elliot closes his eyes. If this is the end, he accepts it.
But it isn't. The voice calls out to him and he walks toward it. Light fills his vision, overbearingly sinking into him. He feels himself reforming.
"Really, it's much more entertaining this way."
Elliot agrees. Even if this is just a lie, he still wants to see it to the end. Where will you take me? He asks the Voice, but he does not expect an answer.
"I guess I'll find out for myself."
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:53 pm
Bix was dead.
He thought he'd made his peace with dying from the moment he pledged his life for his King. He'd even offered himself for sacrifice, loyal until the end. His sacrifice had come eventually, even if it wasn't according to plan.
He thought he'd be back in the stars. Some part of him wondered if dying would shoot him across the heavens, his spirit following the call of his people, back to their homeplanet. He would join the celestial bodies to watch over the lush jungles where the serpent people lived, traded and hunted.
But it was a lie.
He was nothing more than a shadow and there was a real Bix somewhere. Was he similar? Would he throw his life down for someone whose loyalty he'd pledged himself? Would he die for his cause as well?
The albino hoped so. If they were tied together, if he was simply a shade of this other man, than that other must have been more noble and more well meaning than himself. Right?
But he felt beckoned. Back. Back.
The serpentine shade knew hemust go back. There was truth to discover and if his existence was to have any meaning.. he must follow through until the end.
[EXIT]
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:57 pm
She heard joyful laughing.
Where was it coming from?
It reminded her of the gardens in her kingdom... so peaceful. The animals that would run around the outskirts. They were just like her. Reflections. Not real, but it was all she ever wanted and what she fought so hard to keep. Were they still there? Was the tower still standing?
The garden near her home... Her younger sister would laugh as she ran through the gardens.
That was before hard times. Before she had taken a fishing job to help ends meet. Before she found a love for the sea and lost it quite suddenly when it repayed her love by killing her before she even got to tell her sister goodbye.
The laughter distorted into a hollow, echoing chortle that sounded like gravel. Scary and threatening.___________________________________ Millie sat up with a start. Where was she? Looking around, it took her a minute. Which memory that she just experienced was the real one?
"Do you wish to know a secret?"Another voice. Was this one a memory too? No, it was real this time. Whatever real meant. Millie looked to see two pillars. The white one seemed more inviting so she moved closer to hear it. As she listened, she pondered on its words. The monsters had been telling the truth all along...The traitors to the kingdom were insisting that they were not real and so was she. Not real at all.Say a goodbye? Who would she say a goodbye to? Her king? The one she failed? The others that she never really got close to?She was sitting on something... her waistpouch. One last item was in it... Or maybe a memory of something that used to be in it, she didn't want to find out which, so she didn't even bother to open it in case she found it empty like her king's gift box, but she knew what it was. It was the useless, worthless crystal her king had given back to her. One of the two crystals she had brought back as a trophy for climbing to the top of the silver tower. Useless as it may be to anyone else who held it, it was a symbol of her triumph and her greatest possession. She wasn't sure what the answer would be as to who to say goodbye to, but if she was being given another chance, she would take it. She wanted to see what she had fought for one last time. Even if that wasn't real either. [[exit]]
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:33 pm
A quick intake of air and he stood, anew before the two towers. Blinking, his head cocked to one side much like a curious animal, a low guttural growl escaped from what functioned for his throat, and he crouched down.
How was he alive? He very distinctly remembered that he had lost the vast majority of his body to the blessing of the violet wretch he’d been fighting, before the world had faded away and he had embraced death.
Wait… Where was Judgment! His eyes darted about quickly – worried that his friend had shared his fate – that she too had gone down fighting. It would have warmed his heart to see her there with him, so they could walk this new road together but…
All the same – he was glad she wasn’t there. She would avenge him – of course, if there were any left to be slaughtered – and yet…
Without her by his side, something seemed missing… He pushed such thoughts away and turned his attention to the towers before him, one White and the other Black.
A low hiss issued from his lips as he glared at the blindingly white tower. No – he would not go there.
Turning then he approached the black tower. His inky hand touched the matching stone and it spoke to him. He cackled and shook his head – of course he could learn from this, but he was confused… How could he be a creation of Pride when his only sole purpose was revenge? Doing as the Black pillar bade him; he turned and looked at his “shadow”.
As the image resolved to vibrant colors he tossed back his head and laughed. THIS – THIS LIVING THING – was him? No, surely the pillar must be mistaken, because he was a Shadow, unliving, he had never known the sweet touch of life – for he had been created by his king. This thing before him was nothing but an under aggressive whelp that spent far too much time reading and not enough time pursuing life.
Truly, if Judgment could see this she would be laughing so hard – it must surely have been a jest.
Judgment… Shaking his head he pushed her from his mind for the moment – he could worry about that later. She was fine he was sure… His partner… his friend… was fine.
“I don’t understand,” he finally spoke, hissing angrily. The Pillar’s reaction made his eyes narrow.
A fake! A FAKE! Oh no, he was anything but fake. Even if he was some fragment pulled from another person – some living creature that had never truly seen combat and felt the sting of a weapon against its flesh – Aezeloth was REAL. He may not be alive – but he was REAL. Fragment or no, he thought, he felt, he desired.
If that wasn’t being real – what was?
He felt himself begin to ebb away, to fade once more as he had before, and with a howl of pure-blind-rage, he stumbled forward into the darkness. HE WAS REAL – FRAGMENT OR NO – HE WAS REAL! The darkness grew more and more oppressive as he sprinted toward it, and he reveled in it.
He would not go quietly – he would fight and prove his realness. Even if he was a simple fragment, a part – that part was real. A reflection is just the other side of the mirror after all…
As the boon was granted, he felt a sudden change upon him. Once inky black started to shimmer and glow of molten silver, and a rust-red undertone shone through the glittery ichor that now made him. A bright and silvery spiked chain formed in his hands, and he measured it and he smiled.
He hoped Judgment would be impressed with this new look – and even so, he missed his shadow covering all the same.
So to fight until Pride’s throne was cast asunder and the world came to a close?
Hefting his chain in his hand, he wrapped it once more around his right arm, and rust-red eyes looking towards the thrum that bade him go – he went, knowing that Judgment would follow wherever Justice tread – and a small smile flickered to his eyes as he thought this, for soon, very soon he would be reunited with his partner once again.
And it would be grand – oh, so grand. For it wouldn’t matter who stood against them, they would triumph.
Even the Kings or the Voice would fall if they so choose to fight – he was sure, for together, they would be invincible, and real… and… She would come in time, and then they would be together again…
With that thought in his heart, he made his way to wait for her – at the place where this would end.
(( Exiting to Tower!))
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:46 pm
[[from here]]
The had been named The Tower when she had Fallen, Chosen by the Shadow King and Named. It had been a proud name, like his own, billowing in Chaos and a bad omen to all that would cross her path. But there were so many words associated with such a card of the Major Arcana. Failure, Ruin, Crash, Burst and she had revelation to them all. The Truth.
The ill omen was her own life, never set to succeed. Never to do anything right. They were the Chosen, to lead a life so much larger than the Shades that were mindless and inept to life and could only do as the Shadows commanded. But, so early from her Fall, she wondered who was the more useless in this life.
So much she had tried to do, to prove herself and her worth. Crafting and creating like so many of her kin, she was never really good at. All the tried her hands on would crumble and crack beneath her fingers. They were burned, destroyed and dented. Never passing for possible work. Each hand she tried to dabble in, always a failure. Jewelry, clothes, armor, brooms, pots, pans, swords, shields. She could create nothing and she could feel the mockery upon her.
What good was she. The only simple joys she had in life had been her name - which even then she had chosen another, so no one would know how how much of a disgrace she was to it- or perhaps how fitting it really was. But her Shades, that was something she could hold onto. Something she could be proud of, like her with their horns but so beautiful and majestic and powerful. The one thing she had never failed at, training them... loving them ... creating them. They had always been with her even as the others would pass her by, leaving her unnoticed in their grandeur.
But, maybe she could be proud of living up to her name. The Tower. Failure and Ruin. But it hurt to know that it had been with her King and not just with life alone. She hadn't stopped her kinsmen, those she should have been closer to. Maybe if she had tried harder she could have stopped them, or seen their ways. But she had always been so afraid and withdrawn to speak to them, to get to know them. So, she had failed that too.
Had she failed Uru? She wondered, she had only known him but briefly, shared in his sadness over the lose of his Kingdom and had been happy enough to bring him to her King. To give him a purpose, to give him a hope to revenge all that he had lost. She wasn't sure. She hadn't found him on the battlefield and it made her sad. Perhaps she did as well, that poor soul that she wanted to get to know so well.
And now she was left with a choice. Would she mess this up too? Picking the wrong one. Maple stared at both the pillars before her. White and Black, to tell her a Secret.
She chose the Black one, it was like her Kingdom that she loved so much.
Pitiful and Powerless, yes. She knew this already, it was nothing new yet she could still feel the sting in such words. The boiling anger from someone else speaking these words to her. But then, confusion. "C-creation..." She whispered, unsure of what that meant. It was more confusion than disbelief, so she turned anyway to see what it meant about her shadow.
A mirror. Maple turned fully to gaze upon it and what it held for her. She watched it change and warp, showing a young girl with complexion and colors. Reds were still present, but she was like those like Uru, solid with beaches and browns and greens. Sharing that same uncertainty in her eyes and ... ... she pulled, trying to find something. A memory, it was on the tip of her tongue ... there.. no ... gone.
"No." She breathed.
"No!" She wailed. What was this showing her? Was this ... person the real one? NO! That couldn't be! She was a Shadow! She was, he had told her, but not a replacement or a replicant. NO! She had lived, her failures had to be evident of it! She had lived and made mistakes and bled and cared and loved.
Maple had tried so hard in this life, failed so much. For something so fake. No....
Come now, do you really think that is your end?
She turned back, such sorrow in her eyes. Come, it said, and she turned back and walked towards the pillar standing so strong and powerful. Like a Tower. Like she .. no... not like she had been.
A final goodbye though, who would she give it to, she wondered. Maybe she would find someone. She wouldn't fail in that.
[[exit to the tower]]
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:54 pm
Failure…failure…betrayal…betrayal…
The words echoed even as the darkness surrounded her and wrapped her in it's safe embrace. The pain was gone, faded away into a distant memory. So much to regret, but she couldn't seem to summon the right emotions everything was tangled inside her. She fought through the fog, the confusion, trying to understand what had happened. One moment they had all been united for their King and Kingdom…and then betrayal. How could they have betrayed Om, and their King? Julian and Belladonna who were so steadfast and loyal, for so many years they had-but the memory of years was oddly empty. She tried to remember when she first met Julian the Ranger and the more she tried to recall the memory the further it floated from her. Had she known Julian at all? What was happening, why did she feel so empty?
Do you wish to know a secret?
Yes, yes she wanted to know, she had to know! She moved to the black pillar a movement that felt odd, like swimming through a fog. Then the words surrounded her, harsh words…pitiful, powerless, creation, destruction, imperfections. She might have flinched under such harsh judgement had she not been wrapped in a dark void. She was a creation of a creation? Did that mean she wasn't real? The Green Kingdom had been one of creation…what made any creation more or less? She didn't want to believe, but then she looked down. The numbing black void was gone and her eyes burned with tears as she looked into an empty mirror. Why was it so hollow? She lifted her hand and then gasped softly as suddenly the reflection swirled with color.
It was a shape, a colorful figure, a streak of hot pink on black, pale violet and black and then the figure turned and her eyes went wide as everything turned cold. Her chest went tight as if she'd been dunked in freezing water and she ached with the desire to grasp a distant memory…but there was nothing. She lifted a trembling hand to her own dark locks and separated a thin streak of that pink, but it wasn't the same….she was not them, they were not her. Yet she was created from them…she was the creation, the fake, the puppet.
I just don't understand…
Fake…she was the fake, all her memories, her fighting, the betrayal, even this moment, even death was all simply false. The darkness wrapped around her again numbing where it touched and helping her fade…back to nothingness. Not the end? Come closer? She pulled away from the numb sensation and writhed closer to the darkness wondering what favor could be of any assistance to one dead?
Go back? To save the king! Yes, yes she would go back…to save…but why? Why save a king who may or may not be anymore real than she was? Perhaps because they were both fakes…shouldn't she protect him? Perhaps if she could, if they could save this false world perhaps they could find a way to make it real, make memories, create!
She jerked suddenly-Thankful
[Sin Exiting]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:57 am
[[ Entering from Battlefield East ]]
Useless
I know, Arachne thought. Useless ranger. Unable to bring herself to kill, all her noble inner thoughts about how she would fight and die for her Kingdom had been just mind-chatter, when it had come down to it, she had been useless, unworthy of being a soldier for the Green Kingdom. Amd she had died twice, twice her actions or inactions had caused her death.
Her thoughts cast back to before the call had gone out, to her life before..her life before? Thoughts drifted and floated before her, she tried to grab hold of them, form them into memories that made sense, that she could say were her, that was her life, this was who she was. But everything was as of a dream that you had woken from, the more you remembered the more it slipped away.
The King, the Kingdom, that was real right? All she had seen..and done there and since. That seemed. Real? Then she heard..a secret? Did she want to know a secret?
'Will it help me?' she called, her voice thin and desperate to her ears. There was no answer, but it seemed that for the first time since being where ever here was that she noticed the two pillars. A white one. A black one. She looked at each one in turn and then chose the white, drifting forwards until she felt the presence. She felt comforted for the first time since arriving, peaceful.
Until she listened. And then she saw. The strangle, rippling reflection. A form, something that she could call familiar. But she couldn't, it was as if she had been hollowed out by what she had just heard.
'I'm not..real?'
How could that be? She had felt real. Her mind couldn't take it all in, she reeled as more words flowed around her, cruel, illusion stripping words. Fake, fragment, artificial. Unlived. Died, but did not die, for how could that which was never alive die?
She felt herself, this thing, fading..but then it seemed like there was an elsewhere to be, something more to do. Maybe she could prove she had something to give. This time, she would not fail.
She followed the light...
[[Exiting to Tower]]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:36 am
 Dying was painful, yet surprisingly calming.
For the first time in his life, Marosa didn’t feel a need to sate his thirst of touching. He lay on the ground, staring up as the sky above him darkened. Sharra’s face was the last thing he saw.
It wasn’t supposed to be nighttime yet, it was still midday.
Just like…
He was a lost child thrown in a dungeon, covered from head to toe so that no part of his skin was exposed. The only thing that was allowed to be free was his wings, but they weren’t large enough to actually get him anywhere. The only sun he ever saw was from a window thrice the height he was, the sunlight streaming through the window through the bars in a spot that he found he couldn’t curl up in, just beyond the iron door. He was fed once a day, when they remembered… but the food hadn’t mattered when what he needed the most was a single touch.
Prisoner.
Slave.
Wait. Things were fuzzy. Was this even real…?
His only saving grace was being bought by a captain’s crewman who was interested in having a smattering of aliens aboard the ship, and thought that Marosa’s talent would be different enough to fit. He was right about that fact; he fit in almost naturally, due to the ability that his kind had of making others fall head over heels for them.
That was when he had met Sharra. He was the first one he actually touched once aboard the ship, and both of them had hit it off instantly, becoming best friends that could hardly be seen apart.
Now lovers… too late.
Or were they? His mind was blaring at him that this was wrong, all wrong. Was this how it was meant to be?
As he grew alongside his friend, he found that he couldn’t keep away from people, nor could he keep people away from him. He had natural charisma that others loved to be around, and despite his smooth charm and words, he still found it trying and was nervous when it came to meeting new people. His friend sometimes had to beckon him to join groups at the initial start, but he fit in with ease. Over the years he saw the looks others gave him, but he was all too well aware of the same looks from Sharra.
The Ganerie had resisted, not wanting the same fate to befall his friend as he had others.
Too late, he realized, as he didn’t need to worry about such a thing. He was loved for who he was, not what he was. And to him… it made all the difference in the world.
Memories or not, he knew what his heart was telling him. Love triumphed all, didn’t it? Even… the false love that he naturally had that affected others.
Was it worth it, in the end? He winced, his heart yearning.
… no.
Fighting for Kings who sacrificed their pawns with ease… was that the kind of King he wanted to follow? Was that the Captain he wanted to follow?
… no.
And yet, a small part of him told him… Truthfully, they had offered themselves…
It didn’t make sense. Why had they wanted death? Didn’t they have much more to live for? Didn’t they all have lives to live, choices to make… paths to take? He knew he did, and he wished he’d had taken that path sooner. Much sooner. It would have been a lot less heartache in the end… or perhaps it would have been more?
He had always fit in, even when he thought he didn’t. He was great at gathering information. He’d given everything he could to keep the ship from dropping, and was proven on many occasions that he was an invaluable member of the crew.
But it was all a lie, wasn’t it?
It didn’t matter now. What was done was done. There was nothing he could do but die.
He didn’t want to die. It was too soon. He had just found love… true love… and it was torn away from him. Torn from his bleeding fingers, his parted lips…
Marosa wanted more, but he was unable to act. He couldn’t feel anything anymore. He was unable to process that feeling of lacking.
His time was up. The Ganerie didn’t want to go. He still had so much to do, so much to live for, so much to give. He didn’t want to give into grief. Didn’t want to lose what he had.
He.
Wanted.
More.
-------
There were two towers in front of him, black… and white. The black was foreboding, while the white was welcoming, beckoning Marosa towards it with ease.
He slid up to it, listening to the story before he was ordered to look at his shadow, through the mirror. His reflection.
Standing in front of the mirror, Marosa stared at his sad reflection. It was true that the other was painfully vibrant, actions more familiar than his own, but… the other him looked distraught. Depressed, yet…
He was a fragment.
He was a shadow of a soul.
He was a farce.
The Ganerie tilted his head, attempting to remember his memories. They seeped away from him like ink in water, and the fragment found himself pressed against the glass, his hand splayed out against the mirror, the other mimicking his actions.
Or was he the one mimicking?
A man without a soul. That’s what the Voice had meant.
If he was nothing more than a fragment, then why was he the happy one, while the other looked a shadow? Yet, he couldn’t deny it. Despite the other’s looks, he was more vibrant, more full of life than the Ganerie could ever be. He’d always felt that something was missing, that something wasn’t right.
He didn’t feel sorry for himself, nor was he angry. The more he stared at his reflection, the more he pitied the other. What burden was he himself lacking? Baggage? Bad memories? Even through false memories, the Ganerie found that there was not one thing that lied to him during this event: his heart.
He loved. His love was not false, and he knew this despite knowing nothing else.
Reaching up, the fragment placed his hands over his chest. Over his heart. The one in the mirror did the same, yet he looked so sad, and so forlorn. Again, Marosa didn’t understand, wonder crossing his face. If he was the fragment, despite his lack of vibrance, why did the other look more shadowy than he did? Why did he look like he was about to break? Why, why, why?
The thought kept echoing in his mind until he stepped away, his reflection dissipating. His time was not yet up. With his mind made up, he moved towards the light, determined to “live” once again.
Determined to see Sharra once more.
[ Exiting! ]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 3:19 am
Eva thought that she would die without regrets. She had fought for her kingdom and she had died for her kingdom...so where was the problem? She had been ready to sacrifice herself for her King, so the fact that she had fallen in battle should have made her feel...well, noble or something, right?
But it didn't. Instead, she just felt stupid, and yet she couldn't exactly place why. It just felt...pointless for some reason. Not only her death, but this whole thing. The tournament, the fighting--even the Kings and the kingdoms themselves. When she thought about it, she just felt empty somehow. Hadn't she been doing the right thing? She had fond memories of her kingdom and the people residing within it. Things like how she always went out to the woods to practice her shooting, exchanging tales with the King, her friendships with Ofie and Alex...
Even these started to feel empty. Why? She wasn't sure, but before she could mull over this, she was suddenly aware of a voice addressing her. A secret?
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt. What's up?"
"What's up" was probably not an appropriate response--you did not just "what's up" a mysterious voice that asked you a shady question out of the blue--but regardless, Eva stepped up towards the white pillar and waited expectantly for the voice to go on. And what it told her...
Well, that made no sense at all. The girl lifted her brows in confusion and propped a hand up on her hip as she tried to take in the story. Uh, Great King, fragments of memories...was she...supposed to be following all of this? It was a little hard, to be honest, and Eva didn't consider herself to be that dumb either. She opened her mouth to ask a question, only to pause when it ordered her to look at her shadow. Looking puzzled, she obediently glanced down.
And what she saw made her pause, because she immediately knew that something was wrong. The girl who she was looking at looked exactly like she did, but a hundred times more vibrant, more alive. She didn't even have time to be all that confused, as it was explained to her why this was the case. That was the real Eva, and she was...a fragment? Not someone who was born a baby and grew up over the years, but something that was simply created to serve a purpose. But...surely that couldn't be true, right?
"I don't...understand..."
A fake. That's what it was calling her. She wasn't the one who was looking into the mirror, but the one who was staring back. The realization stunned her, and slowly, she felt herself begin to fade. From her fingertips to her toes, she began to feel lighter and more distance, but was promptly dragged back by the one who had been addressing her.
She stepped closer to the light and listened what it had to tell her, trying to focus on it even when her mind was almost entirely fixated on the fact that her whole existence had been brought into question in a matter of moment. However, what she did catch was that it wasn't time yet. She was being given a second chance to say her goodbyes, a second chance to wander through the world knowing the truth this time.
And she would take it. She felt the tug, and let herself be awakened for the first time.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:11 am
Even as she greeted the darkness, the voice of the Hierophant came once again. Do you fear Death?
Death will come when Fate decrees it. What's more important is what we make out our death. Will we die cowards, or will we die heroes? I will confess that I fear dying of cowardice, but I do not fear if my death is for the good of our Kingdom. At first, her answer had been what she thought was right. Justice had always been about objectivity, rationality and analysis. It had been an answer fitting of her Arcana.
I fear Death, if I were to die alone. And yet, as she walked towards her death, she had come to a different answer. As the circumstances had thrown her objectivity out of the loop and made her question what exactly was Justice. What she had known, what she had lived for, had all been torn apart as she had watched other Shadows betray their King.
Marzena had never been one for emotions. She had always preferred to distance herself, a mysterious figure who did not speak up unless spoken to. Her height had been even adjusted; she was originally taller, but she did not like standing out of crowds. Even her bestial form was never seen; that of a large shadowed seal. She had been of the opinion that it wasn't as grand and fierce as the others. Certainly not as intimidating as a Shadow dragon. And so, she had rejected her true form and made herself something she was not.
And she had done something she had never expected she would ever do. To seek comfort in her death. To trust one that she barely knew, to trust one that was not of her Kingdom. Had her death been cowardly or heroic? All she knew was that she had accepted it, but the knot in her heart still remained. Despite her facade, she had cared fiercely for her Kingdom. So why...?
But she was dead, and she walked into the darkness. The dead could not go back.
"Do you wish to know a secret?"
She froze, the darkness presenting to her two pillars. One of white, of the Kingdom the first person she slayed belonged to. One of black, of her own Kingdom. Perhaps once upon a time, she would have chosen the black. But for some strange reason, she found herself stepping towards the other, pressing her palm on the white pillar.
Warmth flooded through her as she was spoken to. About the Great King, and what his Pride had done. Was that why...? Her head bent, looking down at her shadow for more answers. At first, there was a mirror, nothing.
And then it swirled, and she felt hollow. She saw someone that looked so much like her. Certainly not a Shadow. That her was dressed in furs, a scowl upon her face, arms crossed protectively over a chest where a seal skin was wrapped around her. It was almost as if this her was someone she knew, but she could not remember, despite racking her mind and her memories.
"You are they. But they are not you. You were created from them, a fragment. You were created as a perfect puppet to orchestrate a perfect play. You were created to break, because you are not real."
A fragment. A puppet. Not... real.
She could only stare down at the her that was whole, that controlled her own destiny, that was real. She was a fake of that girl in the mirror, and she found a bitter smile forming on her face. Fitting, wasn't it? For her, as a Shadow, to be truly the shadow of that person?
With this truth, she was ready to fade away as part of the darkness, but the voice beckoned her forward, and gave her a chance to go back. To say goodbye. Goodbye to who? She wondered. She was more interested in making something of her own existence.
She remembered something she was told when she fell from the sky into the Black Kingdom. When she was given her true name. The Justice Arcana. To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty...
In her death, she had been uncertain. This pillar had been her guidance. And she would take this guidance, to find her one true path. As her. The actions she took from here onwards was of her own choosing.
"I hope you find and walk your one true path too." She told the mirror at her feet, smiling wistfully. And thus, Justice accepted the Pillar's offer and--
No more darkness.
[[Exit]]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:52 am
He falls. It has always been this way, it seems. With every step he takes, he falls and breaks. What was the point any more? It began when he took the first step onto the ship. He left his own sense of being-- his very world. The place where nothing could eve go wrong-- to help people. That was his very being. To help and protect-- Yet he never could.
He remembers the first time Wilson greeted him. A wide smile, a gripping handshake. Never before had Zephyros felt so happy to be welcomed onto a crew before. He swore that there would be nothing to destroy them.
And yet there was.
He remembers quite clearly that they were on their way to the last world. The last planet that needed a shipment before they could head home. Wilson was getting his crew to ready the cargo... and then BAM Something attacked them. Zephyros jerked forward from his position-- he was one of the first to see the pirate ship.
They were driving right into Wilson's. His face was pained and he was shouting commands. Zephyros immediately went forward to aide in his need-- but there was no use. The pirate ship was pounding, attacking. And he knew that he had failed his captain. His fellow crew.
As the ship began falling out of the safe orbit of space.. into the very planet they were to deliver. All Zephyros could do was help everyone. They needed to hide before the crash. He needed them to be safe. After all that was his job wasn't it? To protect and keep everyone well.
But he failed.
What more could he do? With everyone stranded, he felt... incomplete. There was nothing left for him to do anymore but regret.
When Wilson called for help, he wasn't enough to protect his commander. Wasn't even enough to help save that blasted bike from an android. No, instead he would get up and fall. Over and over. Sure Zephyros' persistence was strong. But it didn't help any of them.
When his eyes caught the death of Wilson, all was lost-- and yet what for? He's dead now, and nothingness was entering his mind. What was the point of sacrificing himself-- No there was a point. For everyone around him and his King.. yes his king-- but why?
His memories of his home world is fading in these conflicting thoughts. Everything is beginning to muddle together. What is going on, he wonders. And then his eyes open and he's on the floor. His hands clutch and tighten. The pain in them is enough for him to be aware that he's not dead.. he's still alive. And the voice echoing in his mind...
"A secret...? " His voice was cracking, his head turns slowly to stare at the two pillars. The white one was calling to him. Zephyros struggled to stand-- the pain in his body was very crippling. But he did it. And he headed towards the white pillar. The color of his home, his crew--.. wait? Was that right?
His hand clutched at his head. Why was it white that he was heading to again.. He couldn't remember. But he continued forward slowly. unsure of what to do next.
But there it was... the warmth of the white pillar helped the pain in his body to cease. He was beginning to feel better.. And yet he's still not sure why he is there.
Then the voice began speaking once more. A legacy... Fragments, trials. What did this have to do with him? Obediently he looks down at his shadow and then gasps. Was that him? But.. he looked different. His left hand clutches at his chest s pain throbbed through his heart. He.. is a fragment? The voice is telling him he is nothing.. but.. a fragment? A puppet? Everything that has happened... was a LIE?
Zephyros' blue eyes widen in horror.. The feathers on his arms begin to fall. His tail is shrinking as he becomes aware of his own fake identity. His left hand reaches out. His torn sleeve had revealed the marking of his planet on his arms-- but they began fading. With a quick look down at the mirror.. he sees himself. Everything that he was.. is gone. He is now standing there-- a plain man. His hair looks.. unhealthy. His bright blue eyes now dull. Even his vibrant white clothing.. has been changed to that of a dull brown shirt.. All the feathers where now disintegrating on the floor. And His tail is completely gone.
Something about this was familiar. Wait-- yes. Sinclair. Sinclair The man was so plain-- from the silver kingdom? The other two.. He couldn't recall there name. But them as well-- completely plain? Where.. did they know already? Did they know that they were fragments.. Was that fake Ryan there to kill his King because he found out? Ryan was trying to release them. No. No; Zephyros' brows furrow and he holds his head. No, why?! I don't understand
How could.. the voice just tell him that he will die? Die.. and.. never have existed. There has to be something more he can do. His hands fall from his head and he stares at the pillar with aggravation. Zephyros will not give up so eaisly. If he never existed he would never have felt that pain. Or.. so much happiness when he did succeed. Or the Grief That came with his kingdom. So much Suffering there is no way that he did not exist.
He walks a little closer to the light and is about to say something before he's interrupted. He was being told he had another chance to say his good byes.. Before he fades completely. Tears begin falling down his face and he chokes. What was the point of returning if there was no meaning ?
But he took up this offer and turned away from the pillar. Then a tug..
His eyes brighten. He has another chance to return back to reality--- not himself.. but his true self. That was all he needed. And he will take it.
Clutching his hands.. he makes his way out to the Tower... It called to him.. beckoned him as the new silver he is now.
[EXIT]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:10 am
The Death was not afraid of her namesake. So when she fell on the battlefield because of the poisonous air and Roch's blows she did not fear. But... why did she fight? For the Black Kingdom. Her home, and for her King. She knew that but... She could not remember, and the more she tried the less she succeeded, only chasing the memories farther away. Opening her eyes, and sitting up, the shadow saw two pillars in front of her. Without hesitation she chose the Black one. After all darkness was her everything. Listening to the voice of the pillar, she was not sure to understand it. The creation of the great king? A creation of Pride? Certainly not ! She was born from the shadows of Revenge. Still she looked down at her shadow, only to find a mirror. And after a while, in that mirror played things that should not be. She sees herself doing things she cannot remember, wearing impossibly bright colors. Was that her before her King called her to the Black Kingdom? But no, the voice said that she was not real, that she was only a fragment of what she was witnessing. Created to break... She didn't understand. "Shadow, fragment, replica. You are a fake. Your existence was artificially created, and thus, artificially taken from you. You will die without ever existing." Now Death felt a very deep fear. The idea of disappearing without having ever truly been was terrifying. She could feel herself panicking as she was fading away. She would do anything to escape fading, so when the pillar proposed the ghoul to converse, of all things, with it to be spared she slowly came closer to it. She felt sluggish and oppressed by the overbearing darkness she once thrived in. When given the chance to say goodbye she gladly took it. It didn' matter who she was to say her farewells to, as long as someone knew of her and would remember her she would have been real. And at that point it was the only thing to matter in her eyes. As the pillar faded in the darkness Azmodel felt a tug and suddenly.... ...she woke up. Looking left and right, the former shadow realised that she was back in the ruins of her kingdom. Or, what she had believed was her Kingdom, but now she knew better. Nothing was real, and the next time she would go under would be her last. Looking at herself she saw that she still had her white hair, dark skin and black wings, but she was wearing a plain grey dress. And she was now a Silver and a ... well, what was called a Wandering Shadow. She would not loose this opportunity to make herself as real as she could be. [[Exit]]
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:17 am
The darkness was overwhelming. A cold space chilled her skin as emotions ripped through her. She hadn't failed in battle, but she had failed AT battle. It was a feeling of severe deja vue but Meixiang just couldn't place it. Like a tiny string pulling at the back of her mind.
As she turned out of the darkness two pillars appeared. She took a cautious step back. Sizing them up and taking in the detail of each. Drawing closer to the darker one, she placed a hand upon it's cold surface and suddenly it spoke. A startled retraction of her hand.
Eyebrows furrowed as she listed. Everything it said was true. She was worthless. A failure to bring her kingdom to the forefront. How horrible it must be to ever be acquainted with her. Meixiang placed the palms of her hands against her eyes. Rubbing them harshly before tugging at her hair. Smoothing it out once more.
When it told her to look down she nearly jumped off the ground. Beneath her was....her? But not her. Familiar yet not. Strange clothes, similar and not.
What was going on here?
She looked to the pillar for an answer but it gave none. This story of a Great King, fragments, memories. Was she really just something made in another's image? To fade away.
Meixiang felt herself fading...
But then she was yanked back...
The pillar beckoned and she obeyed. Stepping closer once more. Paid in full. Would that mean the end of everything for her? The true end to everything? Would she fade into nothingness forever to be forgotten. To drift away like the autumn leaves in a cold winter wind?
Well s**t, if she was going to fade away like that then she better go out swinging. Or something. Everything about everything confused her now. Like some great big truth had been revealed to her but she did not have the mental capacity to understand.
As the pillars faded away, she looked to the ground once more. The mirror was gone. The other her was gone. Or maybe that mirror self WAS the real her....
Her body jerked as she came awake. Even more confused and disorientated than she had been before.
((Exit))
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:41 am
That was it. it was the end of his fight in life. At the hands of an ally. The feeling of bitterness and regret that rippled down Damien's back, the cold, numbing chill that prickled his spine on its way downward. It was unsatisfying. There was so much left undone, a promise that was kept to live, to bring life to others and keep their world the beautiful place he once thought it was.
In death, the sight of two pillars were imposing, was it to represent heaven and hell? The imposing structures were formidable, but even more so was the tone of the darkened pillar when he came closer to its splendor. A deep voice that demand to be heard, to share what it knew and what it meant.
It was a mocking sound, hollow and horrific as the truth began to seep, the floor and the colors that were brighter than the gardens he once loved, and thought was real. Below lay real flowers, pure and special, below lay the real Damien. It was unfathomable, The boy that looked so similar and yet so foreign. "Is he really, me?" the shadow had to ask, skeptical and unsure.
The continuation of the pillars story left much to think about. going on? could he indeed try and make it, find out what lay in the depths of the voice's lair? to cut the ties he had with everyone here?
The answer was obvious as the sensation of falling and fading away swept him up and drifted back into the depths with a sharp force.
The sudden arrival into the garden of the false kingdom, its trees shaking in the breeze, leaving shadows over his face and blocking the bright harshness of the sunlight. "I can, and I will."
The silver tower of the voice was calling.
((Exit))
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