Welcome to Gaia! ::

I see...

::As the child re-appeared by the tree looking a bit less a part of this scenery and more like he was stuck in an animation.::

So that one is Datho...

::He would never let Sun fall flat, he was just that sort of supporting man. He stood strong, taking in the look on Sun's face, the bit of a tone shift in his voice. He took another bite and tapped his chin while he chewed it.::

What about....him?

::It seemed a rhetorical question. As if walking through existance with the greatest of ease came a man standing beside the boy, yet he didnt react to him, he reacted only to Sun, and this odd figure, and his reaction was merely a look of utter disgust. He looked to be in his late 30's though something said he was actually quite older. His crimson hair was long reaching to about the small of his back, yet it was tied perfectly with a formal ribbon. He wore dark blood red crimson attire which seemed just about as close to royal as could physically be. He did not wear a name tag, but his presence spoke for himself. This man was a ruler, a king, a lord, a majesty...a god. Those eyes, those ears were unmistakable but quite a time in the future. This was Sun...the God. Let loose to do as he pleases.::

Or him?

::Another figure stepped beside the God. A boy, if not for his eyes and his red hair one would never have picked him out of a crowd. He looked totally normal, no scars, no injuries, no tattoo's, infact in his little animation he was smiling and waving at Sun, and his dark clad friend, and then stood calmly waiting. He wore his blue jeans, a red flanel top, and looked like he had just got up this morning. From the look of it, he was a normal human boy, who had lived a normal, good life.::

And him?

::Another figured walked into being, this one quite different than the one before it. It was hulking, and yet monsterous, vestiges of humanity only barely clung on leaves in a hurricane. It had two arms, two legs, and set of dark wings, and was overed from head to toe in lizard scales. Its hands led to two abysmally dark bloody claws, which seemed poisted to tear through flesh and bone. Its feet dug trenches into the ground with each step. Its seemed as if they wanted to shoot fire out across the world. A salamander victorious.::

And if they are part of a many fold you...who are they? Are they what makes you? Are you what makes them?

::His arm fanned out, filling the tiny plateau with people. Raven, Enki, Vahn, and many others. Each person Sunstrike had touched each person he had loved, or cared about. Or each person that cared about him. Each one spoke their honest opinion of Sun, forming another version of him to sit beside the other 3, soon forming quite the large crowd almost entirely filling this once quiant and empty area. The crayon moon had just breached the tree shining bright enough to clearly light up all their faces. Every possibility, ever Sun that was...every Sun that had been. Even Henry appeared, with his ideal version of his Child. This was Sun's life, how it was seen, and how it could have been.

The black clad mean, slowly brought his arm back, placing it on Sun's shoulder as he leaned next to his ear. Not too close, but close enough for Sun to hear him.::

...A melodious myriad of me's, maligned for mischievious meaning. Melting mental matter into a mysterious muck of mystification. This mutitudinious militia means to maraud your mind and maim, massacre, mutilate, and mar your mentality. More over, these many me's, this military of my selves, would seek to mislead you into misplacing your marbles.

::He stepped into the crowd as he spoke, pointing out the more threatening Sun's which seemed as if they would have been dangerous turns in the man's life. His voice built up momentum as if he was describing some horrendous tragedy about to transpire!::

If allowed this malignancy will masticate, minify, and minimize all you give meaning until, you are but a morself of misbelief....how morbid. I fear my monologue has moved into the macabre...forgive me.

::He quite nearly danced through the crowd before finally making his way back to Sun's side, calming for the last few final words.::

My main misgiving is this, if this mass of men are me's...myselves...then who, mon ami...are you?

::He smiled a bit as he kneeled down beside Sun with a calm smile on his face. It was good to hear him laugh, letting the versions one by one flitter away from the nothingness they came. Theatrics, thats all this was, theatrics. This man wasnt a riddler or a rhymer, but he did consider himself a friend.::

Maxi...mos...

::He let the name roll off his tongue so as to try it on for size.::

No...I dont think thats what they're calling me now. I'm sorry Sun. But the truth remains my friend, if you know who you arent...you know arent totally lost.

::He reached down placing his index finger on Sun's forehead.::

...your somewhere in there.

::The light hit him just keen enough to glisten off the little skull beads that were used to hold the draw strings of his hoody. And he just simply smiled.::



::Just as Sun finished the last of the figures faded away leaving those amber eyes to float in his memory. He just had to ask the tough question of the day...the dark man was hoping not to have to answer that for a while longer, maybe he could distract him a bit. But he knew he couldnt avoid it with fancy word dances, he leaned back, and layed on his back with his arms folded behind his head staring up at the bright scribbly moon in the starry sky. He held his smile, though it seemed quite solemn.::

I cant say Mr. Sunstrike...I'd love to, but I cant. Strictly speaking, I dont believe I even exist, except of course in this place.

::He gently closed his eyes, as reality fleshed itself out. The crayon drawn images filling in with realistic shading. The once tiny tree infact stood a good severa hundred feet up, and the moon was easily as big as a house in the starry sky. The huge tree sat on a small island floating in the midst of nothing and no where. Slowly his eyes opened again.::

::His eyes perked up, as they slid over to Sun and his smile resumed its usual brightness. He didnt want to interupt, but he did slid into a sitting position, leaning back and propping himself up on his arms.::



Really?

::He seemed most intrigued, it was like Sun had just described an impossible or extremely rare phenomenon such as an Aurora Borealis, or a shooting star, and then told this man that it had happened every day, right under his nose.::

You...painted me?

::He seemed almost puzzled if not outright confused.::

I..I dont think anyones ever done that before...

::And really he meant anyone. He remembered a close friend he traveled with sketched him once but that was over 10 years ago. A full painting, that someone actually visited over and over. He really didnt know what to say.::

Th-thank you, indeed. I should very much like to see it should I ever be able to.



::He wanted to say something complimentary, but remembered that day. Not easily one might add, his right hand gently touched his forehead as if trying to ease some invisible pain. It felt a bit like someone had jabbed a steel rod into his brain and melted it down. He didnt really wince, he just paused for a moment as the flashes played through. Scenes of wild sword slashes, people falling aside and being torn apart, and then memories of his face inches from Suns with putrid breath pouring down as he leaned in on a blade....Its not pleasant to think so kindly of someone, and then have such memories. But such was his weight to bear, one doesnt remove a piece of themselves without leaving little bits.

As the pain passed, his right eye glowed just a tiny bit brighter. And his tone seemed very much apologetic.::

I'm really very sorry about that Mr. Sunstrike...that side of me is quite gone now, but I have alot to make amends for.

::It seemed the clouds had decided to roll in.::

There was a soft sound from Sunstrike, his shoulders were shaking, and finally it settled itself into a weary chuckle.

"Max, if I went about, calling up amends from everyone that needed a wake up call from myself, I'd have more apologies then I'd know what to sanely do with. You don't have to make up anything to me, you said yourself that the side of you was gone."

He looked warily at the rainclouds, he and a great deal of cold water had never been on good terms.

"You told me to live, and I did for a while, found something that might even be worth fighting for. I didn't have that from anyone til you came along. And I've definatly never been a hero...I think that scared some people, and now I'm in the situation I'm in here."

He waved his hands a little, frustrated at his prison, even though most of it was self-made.

"I'm probably going to be in worse situations then you've ever placed me in, my friend. My life isn't completely over yet, after all. And there's someone else out there that's a bit like you, thinking he's gotta take up the brunt of everyone's hatred, while the guy that looks like him is as emotionally free as a bird. He needs someone to get him to wake up every now and then, sometimes roughly."

Teeth flashed in the darkness, and Sun pulled his knees up to his chest.

"This place is nice, but it's kinda empty compared to Gaia...y'know? And there may be things you feel you gotta repair, which I don't think you do, but what I think is kinda moot, considerin. I gotta figure a way to get myself outta here..." With that he stood up and stretched, before looking down straight at that white, glowing eye.

"You wanna come with?" A hand was offered in the darkness. He talked as if this was nothing at all, as if he had to get out of secondary conscious planes every day of his life, was an old hat at it, regardless of not having any sort of clue as to how he was going to do anything. Nor how much it would probably hurt to wake up.

"Can't?" The hand gently lowered and came to rest at his side as he stared down at the now deathly serious man. The purple runes reflected in his eyes until they faded from view, leaving only the small marbles.

Confused, he took a small step back, trying to think.

"Why can't you? If I can, shouldn't anyone?"

Oh....s**t.

Sunstrike took some more steps back, only barely avoiding impalement from the black swords. He swore some more under his breath.

"Damnit...no one said anything about having to fight for this..." He was, ultimately, still the slack coward he always was. He wouldn't have been Sunny-puff if not.

Sun patted himself down absently as most people do when faced with a whole row of weapons and finding that their own was left at home next to the fireplace. He spoke up while still making his way backwards.

"Well, look, thing is, Maxi. I REALLY have to leave now...s'a lovely place and all, but I gotta get back...there's this doctor see, cute daughter, nasty attitude gainst folk like me...I gotta tell him I'm quite partial to my own existance all of a sudden."

And with that, Sun turned and legged it behind the tree.

Sunstrike didn't reply to the apology as he physically threw himself sideways at the two swords embedded into the ground, maintaining a quick grip against on of the hilts to hold him at the odd angle. Both feet planted themselves against the blades and with a shove, launched him directly at the dark person stepping forwards.

The other flying sword became part of the display as he cartwheeled down the blade and threw himself physically over the larger man, having to use a pair of shoulders to get him all the way over.

---

In the other reality, wherever Sun was, his palms twitched ever so slightly.