The Escapist Avatar Adventure: An Open RP (Now Re-Opened!)

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Rising Dawn: Living Areas
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

"Sure thing, just watch yourself, Leoric still has a lot of his forces hidden around here." Jenny warned before using her Psychic powers to make a bit of a distraction for them.
Wagging one of her fingers, she pulled on one of the roof lights in the hallway before it suddenly sparked and exploded, drawing some more of the skeleton creatures out of their search to find out what the hell that was.
Waving Hillary along, she was able to get them inside one of the bedrooms, using that trick of hers several times again to create a rather spooky effect as soon the hallway was in darkness.
The clackering of bones shivering in fear filled the air, much to Jenny's satisfaction.
"Alright, I think I brought you some time. Make it quick, these parlor tricks will only last so long..."

As Hillary looked around, Jenny's radio went off as David's voice barked: "West to all points, subjects in the brig are still secure. Either they're all playing dumb or they all have zero idea what's happening either. Whatever the case, I'm digging in here to make sure. I'll regroup with the rest of you at the Bridge soon. Oh, and Violet says hi-" "Hi!" "...Right, West out."
Peering a slightly open door, Jenny kept watch while the skeletons outside fearlly stomped on the glass and circuits, worried they'd come back to life and explode on them again.
"Guess they are thick-skulled..." She smirked to herself before giving them a real fright, having one of the broken bulbs "lunge" at the investigating party, prompting them to fall over each other as they ran off.
"Alright Hillary, where you able to find anything or should we check another room? Think fast, this time window of ours ain't getting any higher."

 

[Zepherus14]

The Rising Dawn: Living Areas
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

Hillary nodded in agreement to Jenny's plan, although she had no idea who this Leoric fellow was. Regardless she'd follow Jenny's lead and keep behind her as best she could. Slipping inside the bedroom, Hillary quickly looked around the place. This wasn't Miia's room but with some of the damage the skeletons had caused Hillary couldn't be sure right away. But as Jenny asked her how things were going, Hillary pivoted around on her pseudopod to look at her, shaking her head, the air pocket inside of her expanding before she spoke.

"Hillary hasn't found it yet, but I think she should find it in Miia's room. That's where she left it last, I hope that's okay?" She asked slowly scooting back over to Jenny by the door, the ground oddly not getting covered in lemonade as she did this. "If I remember right, Hillary went to the room..." Hillary paused as she took a moment to count on her fingers. "Three doors down, and on the other side. That's where we should go." She offered pointing in the general direction they should be headed.

Out into the hallway, a door flew open as a skeleton came running out, flailing about as it appeared it had gotten its head stuck inside a light fixture with all the damage Jenny was causing. It might not get the skeletons distracted from their already spooky experience, but at least one would point and laugh.

 

[BlackHarte]

[hr]

A Painted World

miriam's story

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[hr]

Vihaan and Yona turned to Nina and took a step back in surprise. The air tensed. The silence dragged on for several moments, each becoming more awkward than the next. It took several of these moments passing before Yona broke the silence by uttering the simple two words, "You're alive?"

Nina could deduct easily from the incredulity dripping from her words that Yona had not expected Nina to have survived whatever had happened before she found herself in Anazorzia.

"Come now," Miriam interrupted. Somehow in the brief moment between words Miriam had lodged herself firmly in the space between Yona, Vihaan, and Nina. Her red hair bobbed up and down as he let out a frustrated harrumph. "Did you really expect Nina to die here? Anazorzia is not a bad neighborhood by any sense of the definition."

Vihaan unbuckled his armored robes and pulled a badge from within. It was a gold pin wrought in the shape of a winged ship - the insignia of the Rising Dawn and the organization that supported the heroes. "We meant no disrespect. It's just that so far we have not reached a habitable world."

Miriam took two short hops backwards so that she put Nina between her and Vihaan. The young girl's eyes narrowed, suspicious of her new guests. The marbles that floated around her person tightened their orbits. "What do you mean by that."

Vihaan held up both of his hands, "I did not mean any harm by that. We are travelling right now, gathering the scattered remnants of the Rising Dawn. We have been two four worlds so far and this is the first one that we found to have... intelligent life..."

"What worlds?" Miriam asked.

"An ashen world named Samda, a jungle world named Shuwa, and most recently a hellscape that was once named Ypris." Yona said flatly. While Vihaan had stripped himself of the bulky armor, revealing thin silk robes beneath, Yona had made no motion to undo any of the heavy clothes that hung from her shoulders. "The heroes we recovered there were locked in a sleep that resembled death. Vessels robbed of their souls."

"Impossible!" Miriam shouted. The paint around her person grew agitated. "There's no way that those places are dead! Those are my sister's worlds!"

"Hunger and Syl are dead." Yona responded in her aggressive monotone. "We were unable to recover Alesha's body from Ypris, but we are reasonably certain that she is dead as well."

"Yona!" Vihaan's voice was sharp and biting. His glare was colder than ice. "That's enough!"

Yona cast a sidelong glance at Vihaan and tutted. "There's no point in withholding that information."

"Rest assured, we mean no harm. We are simply thrilled to see that Nina is safe and sound. It has been a long journey for us and our repeated failures have taken their toll on our crew."

"How many of you are there?"

"Two dozen including Yona and me. We have a dimension-boring airship we have been using as our base-of-operations ever since our world was shattered." Vihaan tried to smile, but it came out as too forced. Yona smirked at him.

"Then I would say that we will have more than just two guests to serve?"

The words came unexpectedly from behind Miriam. Everyone turned around and found Blue standing up, the brilliant azure of her eyes and headband shimmering in the sunlight flowing in from the windows along the far wall. She was holding two menus in her hands and her gentle-monotone voice reflected the wistful far-away look she held in her eyes. She had at some point changed out of her chef's uniform into the more revealing and frilled uniform of the diner waitstaff.

Miriam looked just as confused as everyone else.

"How many guests will we be having today?" Blue asked again gently.

"A table for two please." Yona answered in a pleasantly uninterested tone rivaling Blue's own emotionless candor.

Blue bowed, "Right this way please."

Yona started immediately after Blue, sidestepping both Nina and Miriam.

"Hey! Wait, Yona!" Vihaan called out after her. He looked back at the entrance and then back at Yona as she journeyed deeper into the diner. "Are you serious right now?"

Yona took a seat at a table and Blue handed her a menu and poured her a cup of water. "Please take your time." Yona nodded and opened the menu.

"Yona!" Vihaan called again.

Yona turned around, "Well?"

"What do you mean 'Well?'!?"

"Well, are you just going to keep standing there like a lost child? Or are you going to sit down and order something."

Blue approached Philip and plucked him from Nina's shoulders. "I will be borrowing Philip for a bit. I believe Red will need assistance in the kitchen." She turned around and carried the tentacle monster into the kitchen. As the doors opened they could see Red hard at work on multiple stations, her brilliant fires leaping from pot to pan as she danced between the aisles. Green was bringing raw ingredients by the tons from a staging area that Black was managing from on top of her floating tablets.

Vihaan looked at Miriam, unsure of his next actions. "May I?"

Miriam gave Vihaan a long hard look and then relented. "Let's all take a seat. I'm sure there's a lot of things that need to be explained for all parties involved." Her marbles and paints settled down into their loose formation around her shoulders.

When Nina, Miriam, Vihaan and Yona were all settled in at their tables, White came bumbling through the kitchen doors carrying two platters in each of her arms and one balanced precariously on her head. She rushed past them to several tables at the back, unloading heaps of eggs, pancakes, and sausages at the tables. Where once there had been nothing by empty space and phantom customers, there were now many people sitting at the tables of the diner.They were people of all sorts, many of which Nina recognized from her time on the Path of Destiny.

A young woman caught her gaze and waved at her. The gentle cascade of violet-hair was unmistakable. Mnemosyne was sitting at a booth near the back, chatting with an older blonde woman over tea and biscuits. The older woman turned to follow Mnemosyne's gaze. She smiled when she saw Nina and waved. The two looked incredibly similar and held themselves in a similar way.

"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, and three eggs done over easy. I also want an order of pancakes, a side of hashbrowns, and a tall grapefruit juice no ice, add honey." Yona's order snapped Nina back to her immediate surroundings.

"Is this vegetarian?" Vihaan asked, pointing at something on his menu.

White nodded, "The stuffing is made with pureed mushrooms. We can substitute the egg batter for a crepe as well."

"Then I'll have that. And a coffee. Extra cream, extra sugar." Vihaan closed his menu and handed it to White who tucked it under her arm. Her headband was glimmering gold in the light of the sunlight filtering through the far windows.

"How about you Miriam?" White asked as she walked up to Miriam.

"I, uhm..." Miriam stammered as she fumbled for a menu. "I don't know. I think I need more time..."

White turned toward Nina and smiled, "I think that our chef has something special brewing for you Nina." Then she hurried over to the next table over where a petite woman was crying into the shoulder of another woman. The older woman brushed the smaller woman's hair from her eyes. Faea was holding onto her older sister's hands as she wept tears of joy. There were several other weaves at their booth as well, but Nina could not see them clearly from her seat.

"Red! Table seven needs their hashbrowns well done." Blue called from somewhere in the back of the restaurant.

"They'll get what they'll get dammit! I can only split my fire so many times!" Red answered from inside of the kitchen, her voice simultaneously furious and happy.

"This is quite the place you have running here," Yona said as she drank from her cup of water. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. I was just surprised to meet a Daughter of BlackHarte that was so undeniably normal."

"Oh, why, thank you...?" Miriam replied. "But I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself what's going on anymore."

"Is this not your power at work?" Vihaan asked. His concern was really starting to show on his face.

"At first it was, but..." Miriam paused, "now I'm not so sure."

"Whatever is the cause, we should move forward. We have found Nina alive and well, and a Daughter of BlackHarte that is not only reasonable, but also possibly sympathetic to our cause."

"I never said anything like that!"

"If you are not hostile, then you are sympathetic toward us. That is the nature of our current situation." Yona continued, "Naturally we expect Nina to return with us to help put things right. The murder of your sisters, the death of the heroes, the destruction of our world. All of these things must be corrected."

Miriam interjected, "Excuse me, but you said the murder of my sisters?"

Yona didn't so much as flinch. "We believe that there is a force conspiring against the Daughters of BlackHarte. There is no other reason that worlds that have been stable for so long have begun to collapse under the weight of their own causality."

"Yona, should you really just be telling them all of this? Who knows who could be listening nearby?" Vihaan looked exasperated, holding almost none of the regal manner he had just a little earlier.

Yona shrugged and put her cup down. "I don't think I care at this point. It's been so long and we've done so much. It's more than time to push things into the next chapter, Admiral Vihaan. I understand your caution, but we have long left the point in our story where simple ideas like common sense or logic will bring us forward." Yona turned to Miriam again, "Something is happening at a cosmic scale that is causing the upheavals of nearly every world that we have visited. If we do not stop it there will be no hope of restoring our world back to the way it was, much less a way for Vihaan and me to return to our worlds. It is in all of our interests to tackle this threat together."

Miriam nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but if you're looking for someone useful, you've come to wrong place. I can neither leave Anazorzia nor challenge any of my sisters in any sort of show of strength."

"Oh, we aren't going to ask you to do anything like that," Yona replied. "I have a gut feeling that Nina's already got everything we needed from you."

Nina looked at Yona, confused. But then she noticed something warm in her right hand. There was a small gemstone in her palm, it looked like a piece from Miriam's stone headband.

[HEADING=1]Item Obtained[/HEADING]​

 

[BlackHarte]

[hr]

???

???'s story

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"Well," BlackHarte replied, "I am very glad that you still remember who I am. That gives me some comfort. It is as you surmise, this Rising Dawn is nothing more than a mental construction I created to help ease your mind. The truth is, we are still both inside of my Daughter's realm. Her's is a dangerous power and I have unfortunately fallen under it's curse as I entered the world."

BlackHarte looked at Rugal and laughed. "You look confused. Let me explain. Livia is not the daughter of the Roman statesman Livius Lucretius. She is a pious girl with a good heart but a recklessly idealistic attitude. She is my Daughter. I rescued her from a world on the brink of destruction as a part of my research. Never would I have dreamed that her power would spiral out of control like this and form a barrier that even I would struggle to break. Thankfully, your immense power jump started my consciousness."

"It is thanks to you, Rugal Bernstein, that I am able to awake at all. Many years ago - several millennia by the time table of this world of hers - I tried to break her out of this most troublesome dream, but I was cast into a deep sleep. Before I succumbed, I broke off her memories and sealed them in a box of my own design. The stone vessel that eventually found it's way into the hands of one Marcus Aurelius. Much of her power is kept within that lockbox. Should it open and Livia regain her former memories and powers, it will be nearly impossible to subdue her."

"This world we are in, so named Eterna, is a manifestation of her hopes and dreams. Both her desires and fears manifested in a twisted nightmare paradise. Within it she lives out the adventurous stories of the books she was once so fond of reading." BlackHarte closed his eye. "It is necessary for Livia, as she calls herself now, to put aside this childish fantasy and return to her duties as one of my Daughters. As such I will lay waste to this world until nothing remains. That should be enough to wake her from her dream. She won't be happy when she awakes, but if we wish to leave this world, we must do so."

"Before long I shall remove you from my body and return you to Eterna, and to Livia and her creations. From there, I trust that you will know what to do."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

[hr]

???

???'s story

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"...You would make a terrible sales person, you know that?" Rugal bluntly answered before standing up and walking around the false Canteen.
"So everything in that world was little more then a simulation? And that stone box we've been pursuing is in fact Livia's full power?....My my...I never thought I'd find myself longing for the days where my biggest concerns were civil conflicts between egomanics calling themselves ideologists. I know what you want me to do but I have no intention of doing so. Not until you answer some more of my questions." He begun to speak as he reached over the bar and found a recreation of one of his favorite wines and a pair of suitable glass.
"This research of yours for example. I was never much of a man of science, I had people to do that for me but I find it hard to believe that you're here because your work was a success. You wouldn't be talking about laying waste to an entire world otherwise. So this begs the question: What is so important about Livia waking up that you would rain such destruction?"

Taking a sip, his face soured for a moment before he sighed "Hmmmm...A good recreation...but just short of perfection." as he took his seat once more and nursed his drink.
"...I suppose what I really wish to know is, if Livia has enough power to overwhelm a being like you: Why should I be helping you subdue her instead of helping her be free? And how does Kyuubey fit into all of this? Is his kind also another construct of Livia's or was it an attempt on your part to dislodge the seal keeping you contained?"

While he considered his answers, The aging King of Fighters left the other glass in front of him before offering him a glass.
He knew everything where was just a construct Blackharte created but he didn't want to be seen as too impolite.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Rising Dawn: Living Areas
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

"Alright, I hope we can find someone...Get ready to move on my mark..." Jenny warned as she went about looking for a new way to scare the skeletons away from Hillary's path.
With a bit of a smirk, she used her powers to set up a large Light Screen along the hallway ceiling.
While this was mainly used for countering non-physical attacks against Psychic types, she was able to alter the EM Spectrum of the screen slightly from transparent to a rather satanic looking dark red.
To add to the effect, she then dragged a Psychic construct in the form of a invisible hand along the walls, leaving massive claw marks along them as well as terrifying noise akin to nails on a chalkboard/Demonic claws against the reinforced metal.

Screams and the sounds of jaws hitting the floor filled the air before everyone in the hall ran for their undead lives. (They didn't even pick up their jaws after them!)
Peeking back out, she smiled before adding "I mightn't be able to mind control them but I sure as hell can get inside their heads! Make your move, I'll put up a Reflect barricade to cover us if they get back!"

 

[BlackHarte]

[hr]

???

???'s story

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[hr]

"I do not know." BlackHarte said after a long pause. "Kyuubey appeared one day, out of nowhere, and began its machinations. I understand what it wants on the surface - to harvest entropy - but I do not understand it's true purpose. It has interfered in my experiments, so it would not be wrong to say that we are adversaries."

"What I do know, is that Kyuubey is like you and unlike me. A creation born from outside my native causality." BlackHarte gazed at the glass of wine in pensive thought before continuing, "Although, you are so far removed from your original form that I daresay you are more like me than you are like Kyuubey."

"I digress. It is through the outside machinations of a third party that has doomed me to this prison within a prison. If it were only between Livia and me, I do not believe that I would have lost to Livia's outburst." BlackHarte laughed. "But here we are. There is no point in musing on what could have been."

"Livia is a child in her heart. I had hoped that this exercise would have taught her some degree of responsibility, but Kyuubey has enabled her to indulge in excessive childish fantasy. She dearly grasps the things that are familiar and refuses to reach out to greener pastures. Soon this world will no longer be able to sustain her and the actors that populate the land, and the ecosystem will collapse unto itself. Should that happen, I fear that her world will wither, leaving a land incapable of sustaining life. What will she do then? Starve to death as a king of a barren mountain? I shudder at the thought of her dying such a lonely death."

"You and I are both fathers, Rugal," BlackHarte turned to face Rugal, "you must understand how I feel. How it pains my heart to watch her day after day, never moving forward or out, stuck in a fantasy that is slowly whittling away at her capabilities. I want what is best for her, even if she doesn't want it herself. I know that in the future she will come to understand and forgive me."

"After all, everyone needs to grow up one day."

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

A Painted World

Nina's story

​

[hr]

It all happened so fast, like the world itself was set to double time. Nina didn't exactly argue with Yona's comment of Anazorzia being dangerous, seeing the patchwork first hand she had been lucky to get this far. She held Miriam to comfort her as the girl was informed on the fate of her sisters. Nina for her part was surprised to hear that other members of the Rising Dawn had been put into similar boats as she had, but she was the only one they'd found so far that was alive. That was ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as the sudden appearance of Blue, and sudden blossom of characters she thought she'd never see again. "Don't ruin this for me!" Phillip retorted before Nina could protest to Blue taking her companion. She was apprehensive as was imaginable, but the sight of Mnemonyse and Faea with their families' helped to put Nina at ease and a smile on her face. Faea's was enough of an emotional bombshell that Nina had to grab an extra napkin just to dab out the growing tears in her own eyes, it was priceless. And Nina could have stayed there for hours easily, watching the strange denizens old and new coming and going, meeting different peoples and letting this world's machinations slowly click into the wee hours of the morning... at least until Nina was directed to the small radiating rock in her gloved hands.

And it was at that moment, looking down at the lapis crystal in her hand, that Nina started connecting the dots while a certain song's intro started to slowly build in the cafe's speakers. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uX0wjl9PzM] Never getting quite to the lyrics, Nina's gaze shifted from the lapis in her palm to a salt shaker resting on the table inches away from her empty hand. The song slowly overtook the ambiance of the kitchen and chatter from the patrons as minute vibrations started to shake the air around them. At the same time, the salt shaker suddenly leapt into Nina's hand liquified for an instant before condensing back into its original form, but skewed, like an experienced artist was given a new medium to play with. The vibrations grew stronger, not enough to startle the denizens of the world, but the people around Nina sure felt it as if a flood was nearing, a torrent of unconscious possibilities charging headlong into oblivion. Nina's expression was oddly stoic, surprised yet eerily calm, as the world around them started to strain as Nina's hand let go of the shaker and slam down on a button that'd materialized on the table but an instant before.

Suddenly the song was gone, the vibrations were gone, everyone was acting as they should, only their table seemed to have noticed anything amiss. Nina took a few moments before presenting the gem to the group, her hand trembling as she spoke. "W-Why do I have this?!" She looked down to Miriam in her seat. "This is supposed to be your's, it's from your mum, I can't take this, I shouldn't have this!"

"And you two, what the hell are you talking about, Nina's gonna help solve this murder!? Like sure, I might have managed to luck out and somehow do it here but what you're saying is totally different! Apparently 5 of however many of the people at the Rising Dawn already died against whatever this threat is and you think me, normal white bread, no powers, minimum self defense training me can do anything about this! If it wasn't for everyone else, there's no way I'd be here. You can't honestly think I can do this alone?" Nina argued back to the two, not having any of their nonsense. She had never met these two before, and it would take a little more than just sweet talking her to get her to help. Likewise, Yona and Vihaan's crew on the outside was still able to communicate with them, but the duo were locked in that place for the moment.

 

[BlackHarte]

[hr]

paradigm story end

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[hr]

White came barreling out of the kitchen with plates stacked on her arms as high as she was tall. She unloaded several dishes at Nina's table as she swept by, leaving a plate of food before Miriam that was very clearly a concoction unique to Philip's generous talents.

Miriam smiled kindly and gently. "You have that gem because it's yours, not mine. It is a crystallization of Anazorzia's collective power. You can relax, you're not taking anything away from me."

"First of all," Yona said as she started to dig into her plate of steak bits lathered in egg yolk, "we're not asking you to solve a murder, we're asking you to help us save all of creation. Second of all, the Rising Dawn all died inside of the Labyrinths before whatever force arrived to destroy the plane. That puts you above all of the other heroes right now, Nina."

Vihaan poked at the crepe on his plate looking a bit wary of the brown-beige blob covered in tomatoes and olives. "That's true. Although Miriam might not look like it, she is the equivalent of a God, Nina. You won against a God in a world of their own making. That is an incredible undertaking if you ask me."

Yona pointed at Nina with her fork, "And that's not mentioning that you didn't even end up killing anyone or relying on your friend's eldritch powers. You won over Miriam all by yourself."

"Now let's not get carried away now, I am still sitting right here," Miriam laughed. Her eyes were bright, filled with something that had been absent here in this painted world, a reflection of the glimmering sheen of childish optimism called hope. "But it's true. You were strong, not outside, but within. Now that you carry the soul of Anazorzia, I doubt that you will have any trouble in the world outside. And when you are done, you can come return Anazorzia to it's home."

"Besides, it's not like you'll be the only one we're relying on." Yona fished out several stones from her coat pocket. A Cat's Eye gem, two Quartz pieces, and a metal band.

"Alesha, Hunger, and Syl..." Miriam said quietly.

"We have Balance as well," Vihaan added.

"Biancarossa too huh?"

"Balance was struck down by BlackHarte himself, I think. She had overstepped her boundaries and manifested in our world."

Miriam looked aghast, but said no more. She just shook her head sadly. "That still leaves... Teresa, Cor, Livia, and Erika."

"Would you know how to get to their worlds?" Yona asked, "If we arrive in time we may still be able to save them."

Miriam nodded. "Yes. I've sent my avatars to their realms in the past. Although Livia's world is particularly dangerous. I would wade into that realm carefully."

"Thank you, that would be very helpful." Vihaan gave a short seated bow.

Yona stood up, having already finished her meal. "I'm sorry Nina, but you don't have a choice. You are coming with us. Please say your goodbyes and come meet me at the door when you are ready."

 

[Silence]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise
Anjali's Story​

[hr]

Anjali stepped out into the arena with the other competitors. She had been quiet before while they were talking, not interested in posing or intimidating anyone else. The other puppeteer made her uneasy, true, but she tried to ignore this as best as she could. To find out what was going on with him would be for a different time.

As Garrote announced that they would be fighting him, together, Anjali stood at the ready, giving Astarte the command to defend whoever got attacked for. She did not want to go on the offensive yet. She barely glanced at the others, but responded to them regardless. "Anjali. My ssnake is Astarte. Can you use your puppet to sstand in the way of Garrote and distract him? Then we can attack him from the other ssides. But fight in the ssunlight, I think he likes that more."

While she was moving in position, however, she occasionally glanced at the other puppeteer, looking to see if he was following her suggestions or if he was doing something suspicious.

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Server Farm
Mio​

[hr]

"I mean, your existence could end completely! You could lose sunlight forever. Or whatever else you look at. Death could take you, and have you ever argued with Death? It's hard! All of this and more. Instead, you can do whatever you want to do ..." She trailed off. "Wait, you said 'Lord of Lies'? How can someone be calling himself that? That's very pretentious. It's like talking about lying all the time and then still expecting people to believe you!

Do you know where I can speak with that dude? Maybe I can ask him what he wants you to do. Or just kick his legs. Oh yeah, I kind of still need to know what you want." She paused and waved a skeleton closer. "I'd also like a drink." she said to it, before dismissing it to serve her. "So, you can just relax, drink a bit of bone juice and lie down in the sun, let me handle things. After you have pointed me in the right direction, of course. I'm your captain, but I need to know things so I can help you."

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

paradigm story end

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[hr]

Nina looked conflicted, knowing that what they were saying was in fact true but still not believing she was really deserving of it. She'd only finished a long discussion of Miriam saying how she wasn't an infinite creator of unlimited power, for them to say the opposite was pretty laughable. But as the conversation continued and the promise of someone else helping her, Nina lamented that she really wasn't gonna be able to convince them. They weren't listening to her, so hopefully her new chest would protect her through the rest of this nightmare. "Fine..." She sighed, getting up from the table. "Alright, Miriam. I hope we can have a talk later, maybe have a real tea party with Phillip getting some practice? But if this is the last time I get to see you before you leave, it's been nice to meet you." Nina offered a hug for the little one before she moved onto the Mnemonyses.

Walking up to the two, Nina gave them a little wave, and stopped next to Mnemonyse jr."Is it alright if I sit down for a second?" She asked cerdiously, sitting down with her alter ego if allowed, but otherwise standing where she was.[footnote]If asked about her new look, she'd be honest and say she ate this magic bean that did it.[/footnote] "So this must be your mom? It's very nice to meet you Mnemonyse~" She greeted the woman before turning to the Mnemonyse she knew. "Well, we did it! Couldn't have done it without you." Nina smiled, playing a bit with her hair. "I've unfortunately been roped into helping to clean up someone else's messes, so I'm not really gonna be able to celebrate with you guys just yet." Nina said, putting her hands into her lap and squishing her chest a bit at the same time. "Maybe once I come back, we could go out and get some food or something? Not entirely sure what you both would like to do, but I'd like to have a proper visit." She said, eventually saying her goodbyes and offering a hand to shake and accepting any hugs the Mnemonyses' wanted to share.

Walking up to Faea's table, Nina wasn't entirely sure how to go about inserting herself into the conversation. Faea had only just been reunited with her long lost family after all, it certainly wasn't the most timely of things to do. Still she needed to talk with Faea more so than anyone else here in some respects. "Hey." Nina said, stooping down a bit so she was level with everyone in their seats at the table. "I'm really sorry I'm butting in here, but trust me it's important." She said to the spider family, looking across all the member's there before her eyes centered on Faea. "Looks like we made it, for better or worse, I couldn't have made it all this way without you. I really appreciate it Faea. I've got to go and take care of someone else's mess, but would it be too much of a trouble for you and your family to make me something?" Nina said as she reached into her dufflebag and with the magic of this universe she now wielded pulled out a large spool of thread.

The thread itself was something unlike any of the weavers had seen, visually it appeared to be like Death's dress but it had the properties of different imaginary materials like vibranium, adamantium and what Nina perceived her hair to be. Nina knew that creators like them would have a hard time to say no to the ability to create a one of a kind work. "I know it's a bit sudden, but this outfit's not gonna help me keep safe, and let me come back so that, I'dunno, we might be able to have a vacation on the beach or something?" Nina commented, not entirely sure if Faea'd accept such an offer but the fact that she was asking them of all people to make her an outfit to bring to the endgames. "I got other threads to use, but this should be the base. Sexy is fine, just please make it practical. Safety first for this one."

 

[Zepherus14]

The Rising Dawn: Living Areas
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

Hillary watched the ceiling for a while longer before turning back to Jenny, her eyes wide and body vibrating slightly. "What did you..? Oh! Yes! Hillary will go now!" The Slime exclaimed. Clearly she hadn't heard what Jenny had said moments ago, but had managed to put two and two together to figure out it was her time to shine.

Peaking her head out of the door, Hillary checked to make sure the coast was clear, before making a swift motion towards Miia's bedroom. With Jenny's clever thinking, the path there was effortless but as Hillary tried to open the door she found the door locked. "Oh dear. Hmm..." The slime thought for a moment, considering her options until her vision turned downwards to the part of her pseudopod that had slipped underneath the door. "I should have enough..." She commented to herself before turning to Jenny. "Hillary will be right back." She said as she leaned down towards the door.

Hillary didn't have the means of adjusting her shape nor the experience to know exactly how she'd do this, but how hard could it be? Hillary forced her way through the lip underneath the door, initially just trying to squeeze herself through, but once she started making progress she tried to push on the door from the other side to help bring the rest of herself along. Surprisingly it was working, up until Hillary was about a third of the way through, at which point Jenny noticed something alarming. Hillary wasn't lemonade anymore!

Maybe it was all the extra effort, squeezing into the tight space, a laps in Hillary's concentration or a combination of many aspects; Jenny was now treated to the sight of a metallic looking leg from the thigh down as well as another foot from the ankle crushed underneath the door. At least she knew the Slime was unharmed by such a situation, but it was clear Hillary wasn't coming back the way she came.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

[hr]

???

???'s story

​

[hr]

"..."

Rugal gazed deep into his wine glass as Blackharte explained himself, a somber expression on his face as he had to admit, he had a point.
"....Being honest, this was always the part of "Playing Hero" I hated. Knowing one day, you'll find some fresh horror or impossible choice to haunt your dreams. It's strange, I think little of the sadism I was known for but now I can't escape all the good deeds I needed to perform but didn't...Damn you for making me a part of this..."
Finishing his drink, he stood up and added "I don't doubt your logic, just even you can understand that growing up doesn't usually involve being assassinated. *Sigh* ...The worst part of is that she'll have no idea what's happening. Why I betrayed her..."

Turning back to the nanite swarm, he cracked his neck and said "...If I discover you were just using me as some pawn in some greater scheme, trust that you'll never know peace again. Even if you'll never die, I'll find a way to make your entire existence pain. I've faced gods and demons, all of whom thought themselves untouchable. But...What you are asking of me....I-....I'll do it. It'll be quick, it'll be painless. And when it is done, I wish to never see you again."

His grim speech spoken, the King of Fighters got ready to leave, deeply exhaling and preparing himself for the terrible deed.
Walk up. A Slashing Aura stab to the back of the neck. Sever the connections. Instant lost of brain and bodily function. It wasn't often he found himself dreading the act of murder but like all things in life, he would overcome it. He had to.

"...She's a good girl, you know. Kind, brave. Wise beyond her years. I'm telling myself I'm doing this for her sake. Whatever life she might have after this: You treat her right, not like you've done so before. Growing up also involves letting your children go. Holding onto them too much is what allows those like Kyuubey to steal them..."

"...Lets get this over with..."

 

[NotYetForsaken]

[hr]

End of an Era

story of dusk

​

[hr]

Yona finished her breakfast platter and placed her knife and fork down on her plate. The blond-haired planeswalker shook Nina's hand gently, "And it is very nice to meet you, Nina. I'm glad that you were there to be Violet's friend."

"And don't think you're rid of me yet. Anazorzia is where I was raised, but I belong to the Rising Dawn."

"It is good to see that your father has not perverted your strong sense of right and wrong."

Mnemosyne smiled, there was a welling of small tears in her eyes. When Nina moved to Faea's table, the weaver family turned to greet her warmly. The oldest of the group was a tall and handsome woman with thin almond-shaped eyes. Her hair was raven black, woven expertly in gentle cascading ringlets down the sides of her face.

She held out her hand to Nina, "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Drizzle, I am the matriarch of the tribe to which Faea once belonged. It would be an honor to weave for you a dress worthy of your coming trial." She bowed and the rest of the weaver clan bowed as well. They were all women and varied in appearance as there were stars in the sky. Each of them had a small spider that clung to them either as hair decorations or as the centerpiece of a set of jewelry.

"Thank you Nina," Faea said between small breaths for air. The tears were still fresh on her cheeks and Issem was scuttling around the table greeting the spiders of the other weavers.

"Before Faea inherited the title of Arachne, the post belonged to me." Drizzle spread her fingers and the threads that formed between them glittered like spun diamonds. Brilliant beams of prismatic like danced against the jewels and metals on her wrists and dress. "We are children of the Earth and Water - blessed with both natural acuity and a natural yearning for synthesis. Your dress will be as strong as the citadel-trees and as flexible as the vapor seas."

And the dress they made was stunning. A deep mantle made of interwoven lapels flowed down Nina's back, letting her blonde hair float over the dark fabric like rays of light. Below a thick scaled weave hugged her body like a second skin, the smooth surface broken by ringlets of gold and silver. A half-skirt hung down from the swell of her hips and reached up her navel to the halter weave around her shoulders that kept the entire dress taut. Faea herself wove a golden broach and set the lapis gemstone within, setting it on Nina just over her heart.

Yona stood up and tapped Vihaan who had just started to eat his own breakfast, now that it had grown quite cold and greasy.

"What is it?" the admiral asked.

"Nina, hurry up. We have to be somewhere else very soon. The binding around another Labyrinth has just collapsed enough for us to break in. Grab Philip and let's go."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise
anjali's story​

[hr]

Chimes smiled and nodded. He held out his hand and the controller on his gloves roared to life, sending magical lights fluttering to all corners of the room. Anjali could see the ethereal strings resonating under the limits of visible light pull his armored puppet forward into a sprint toward Garrote.

"YES! SHOW ME YOUR WILLS!" Garrote roared as he jumped off of his high perch. He twisted his body and spun his obelisk around, bringing it down hard on top of Harnis. The puppet caught it, but the kinetic impact forced him deep into the sand, kicking a thick cloud of it into the air around them. Then the sand began to fall sideways into the large black columns that were standing around the arena. In a matter of moments the combatants were engulfed in a sandstorm. The light from the fake sun refracted between the tiny crystals in the air, sending a kaleidoscope of light to all corners.

"I can't see anything in this garbage!" Krisk screamed out as he dashed away to cover behind one of the black pillars.

Wait! Came a voice. It was Emil, he was using telepathy to speak. Anjali turned around and saw the mind mage had wrapped his face in the thick blue cloth of his robe to protect himself from the sand.

Chimes tutted and took a long hop backwards, pulling against the invisible strings that connected him to Harnis. The metal bells on his robe were clanging madly against each other in the accelerating sandstorm.

"You must be prepared to fight in ever changing environmental conditions as a delver, for the Roil itself is fighting to keep the secrets of Amaranthia from you!" Garrote swung his obelisk at Harnis and caught the armored puppet in the chest, launching it out of the sand and into the air. Garrote tossed his obelisk after it and ran headfirst into one of the black pillars before appearing out of his obelisk in a bright blue flash and suplexing the puppet back into the sand. He reached out and caught his obelisk as it fell to the earth after him.


"There will also be many unknowns! The relics of the Crimson Congregation are not all dormant. Some will seek you out to destroy you, be prepared for the most unpredictable of surprises!"

Krisk run! Emil shouted. The small rogue dashed out of his hiding place as a lance appeared in a flash of blue light, embedding itself in the wall across from where Krisk had been taking shelter from the sand.

"What in the hell was that!?"

I can sense people in the pillars... but they keep moving. Those things must be the same material that the city waypoint system is built out of! Be careful, Garrote's controlling the in-outs of those things!

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Chimes spun around and pulled Harnis out of the sand with a flourish of his fingers. He set the white golem down besides him, his smiling mask concealing any emotions that might have been flowing through his head. The invisible strings retethered themselves between the pillars.

"Snake girl, Harnis isn't going to be able to match him in a show of strength. We'll need a different plan."

Garrote laughed raucously. "Of course not! I am the STRONGEST THERE IS!"

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]


Rugal found himself back in his body, still rippling with the dark energies drained from his formidable alter-ego. The scene had not changed - BlackHarte must have swallowed him and conversed with him in less time than he needed to blink. The box in Livia's hands had cracked down the middle and golden light was spilling out like an unstoppable torrent.

Julia stood us, Kyuubey perched on her shoulder. She drew her hand back and summoned a lance out of ice. "Ice spear!" she screamed out as she clenched her hand. The ice in her hand compacted as she screamed again, "Ice spear!" Then again, and again. Each time Julia cast her spell, the ice in her hand compacted more until what she was holding was barely even recognizable as ice - instead it had begun to take on a metallic sheen. Her hand was starting to turn black from the strain of holding onto something so impossibly cold and high-energy at the same time.

"I'm sorry Livia, I really am..." Julia said as she grit her teeth and turned her body to throw, "GLACIES ULTIMA - FROSTBITE LANCE!" As the spear of sheer cold left her hands, Julia's gemstone turned black and she fell over off her perch on the temple roof - her eyes blank and body limp. Her entire right arm was covered in chaotic frost blossoms swallowed by a larger block of frozen rain. The spear in flight radiated cold that turned the rain solid as they fell, leaving needles of ice in it's wake.

Livia turned and shielded the box with her body instinctively. Rugal felt his muscles spring to action - but what was it that he was to do?

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Canteen
Mio | Leoric​

[hr]

Leoric was already into his 3rd bottle but thankfully one of his minions started to man the bar seeing how the battle of Mount Condiments with the canteen imps seemed to have ended in a ceasefire now their king was drowning his sorrows.
"I-...I don't know who or what has done this to me. It all started after this vessel arrived at Cloudtop Citadel. Ever since that flash, I've been reliving the same day over and over. Everytime I believe I'm getting close to breaking the spell, I wake up and it all starts over again. I've burned this ship, I've cleansed it of life, I've tried everything! BUT NOTHING FUCKING WORKS!" The Skeleton King barked, slamming his mace down into the tiles in frustration.

"I-i-i-i don't even know if it IS demonic magic or not! But it has to be, right?! What other beings can turn time itself into a prison?! I don't know any, do you!? And Death has long since forsaken me since I purged Diablo from my soul but-...I-i-i-i don't-....I can't-..."
Despite his imposing stature and his minions, it was quickly becoming clear that Leoric wasn't that much of a bad person. If she was stuck in a time loop, how long until she would just try killing everyone she saw in order to break free or just cure her boredom?
Her advice seemed to have sunk in as slowly but surely, his forces begun to stand down, namely because their King couldn't punish them if he was drunk off his ass (well, he could but he wouldn't be nearly as good at it).
He slowly retreated to a quiet corner and all but crumbled into a seat, rambling like a elder off their medication as the exhaustion of 20+ Military Campaigns against the Dawn took over.
".....I couldn't stop it then....I-....I can't stop if now..."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Rising Dawn: Living Areas
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

"Hillary? You alright? Come on, we don't know how long they-...will...."

The Gardevoir trailed off as she noticed the trouble her friend was having getting past the door, prompting a slight sigh.
"Okay, I think I see what the problem is...Uhhh....Hm...." She remarked before attempting to open the door manually, finding it stuck even without Hillary jammed underneath it.
"Damn it...Alright, hold on, this-...this might hurt a little..." She added before using some of her psionic powers to "Push" the rest of her leg though the door.
She was already pretty worn out so blasting the metal door was out of the question, thus was the next best thing.
Several Reflect Barriers and some invisible hands then started to push on Hillary's leg, a strange conflicting motion of both trying to stuff it though the gap but at the same time trying not to "Hurt" the slime too much.

"Grrrh...Why couldn't you bond to the carpet or something instead?!" She grunted from exertion before finally breaking through, bending the door a little as she did.
Sitting down against the size of the hall, Jenny caught her breath before adding "A-alright...I'll be here. I'll try to contact you mentally if I can."
As for the room Hillary found herself in, it was-...different to what she was expecting.
While a lot of the rooms on the ship were designed like cruise ship bedrooms, this one was more like some bastard child of luxury and a bombed out storeroom [https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/6/60/Storage_building_int1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120901000716].
Rusted Metal, empty lead chambers, various household objects in varying states of disrepair, weapons that were primitive, weapons that were advanced and even weapons that somehow managed to be both.
There was a bed and an en suite here but clearly this wasn't the room she was looking for.

She didn't know it yet but she had found the old room of one "Wanderer", a refugee from a world burned by nuclear fire.
And in David's words: "The most insane son of a ***** I ever worked with."

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

End of an Era

Story of Dusk

​

[hr]

Wordlessly, Nina gave Mnemonyse a thumbs up as she left, looking forward to spending an afternoon with her when this was all over. Maybe watch a movie, a spa day, maybe even get their hair done perhaps? Regardless, her mother's kind words causing Nina to have an extra spring in her step as she came to the Weaver's.

"Thanks a lot Drizzle, love what you've done with your hair." Nina nodded, reaching out to accept Drizzle's hand and gave her a confident, respectful handshake. Greeting each in turn, Nina took a moment to grab a napkin from the table and hand it to Issem. "You should really help out your partner there, it looks like she needs it." Nina whispered to the little spider, while she listened to Drizzle, and smiled as the Drizzle offered her services.

Nina made sure to restrict her current dress and her hat from Drizzle's unraveling effects. She'd learned from before not to leave it to chance, so when Drizzle worked on her dress, the old one wasn't destroyed but unraveled into a ball that she slipped into her dufflebag. There was no way in hell she'd allow such a masterpiece to be torn away so nonchalantly, so instead she reworked the outfit to be able to reweave itself over the wearer on command.

Not that Nina had much time to pat herself on the back for her quick thinking, Drizzle's new dress had grabbed Nina's attention like coiling tendril's around her body. The lapels, ringlets, revealing skirt and not to mention the material hugging her new curves so completely. Nina couldn't help it as a flash of red came across her face while she bit her lip. She had never felt so sexy and desirable, and as Faea set the broach down on her chest Nina grabbed her and gave her a loving squeeze.

"Sorry, I know you're not keen on this, but I kinda need this." Nina whispered into Faea's ear, her heart fluttering as a mix of emotions danced in her mind. Fear, happiness, empathy, relief, concern, erotic; Nina was starting to realize she really was gonna be doing this, and was getting a bit emotional herself. "So when I get back, we'll have Phillip make us some Vegan food, get some sexy looking guys, and share some stories or something?" Nina requested, hugging Faea for a little while longer before letting go and putting on a brave face.

"Alright! Alright! Keep your pants on, Jesus!" She shouted back to Yona as the agent called out to her. "Have fun with them, you need to make up for lost time." Nina spoke quietly to Faea before letting go of her and heading towards the kitchen. 'Nina, hurry up. Nina, clean up my mess. Nina, wipe my rear end.' Nina sighed, passing the two on the way.

To her surprise, Phillip was sitting just outside the kitchen doors once Nina rounded the corner. "Phillip? What are you doing out here?" She craned her neck just enough to see Phillip had some tendrils still inside the kitchen. "We are leaving soon and you are far too loud and emotional now to be in there." Phillip said matter of factly. "W-What!? I'm not loud and emotional!" Nina shouted, to which through Phillip's silence she reconsidered. "F-Fine... But what are you still doing in there? We gotta go." Nina asked as she tried to peek through the gap in the door only for Miriam's Colours to come out as well.

All of them were whispering to each other, looking a little disappointed like they knew Phillip needed to go. The quality of Phillip's work was like equal to their's if perhaps under but it was clear that his insight into what people needed and the terror that was having an army in the kitchen would surely be missed. "The souffle is out. Last dishes are plated. Table 5 will need one of the brownie deserts by the time they're done. Don't deflate my souffle." Phillip commented, emphasizing the last part as he scuttled past Nina towards the exit. "Wait, Phillip? You did say goodbye to them right? It's not right just to leave them like that." to which Phillip paused, his tendrils shifting and churning before pivoting with a glint in his inner folds. "It was... enjoyable to cook with you all. I expect more when I return." He said before continuing to move towards the exit.

Although not the best farewell, Nina nodded acceptingly. It had been adequate and Nina couldn't complain that Phillip had at least tried. Taking a moment, she gave the Colours a hug, trying to get them all in as much as she could. "Alright you guys, play nice. Don't go mucking up things while I'm gone right?" Nina joked with a smile. "When I get back, we'll have a nice long chat about how to write a good, spicy romance, for those who want to obviously." She said before she too headed towards the door.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

Julia answered that question easily enough.

There was a lot on his mind right now but as the young woman attacked, 2 things quickly became his main focus:

1). Julia herself was most likely just another vessel for Kyuubey's schemes and the last thing he wanted was to try and "Save" one girl's life only for another's to be doomed right in front of him

2). Part of him Really wanted back at her for that stunt she pulled before when she stole the daggers.

Quickly dropping his original mission to defeat the "Monster", he dashed between Livia and the incoming hail as crimson energy flowed from his form.
He then attempted to "Cancel" out the projectile with one of his one, or rather several of them.
Shouting in exertion, he started to flood the skies above with raw ki energy, firing it out like a flak cannon as the orbs hung in the air.
Each time a shard of ice connected with one, it would explode violently in a display not unlike fireworks
The spear itself would be a bit harder to deal with but right as it was about to hit it's mark, he stood in its path as he attempted to strike it.
His slashing aura shined like a spotlight, even among the rest of the attacks lighting up the darkened sky, as he stuck it's tip with his fist.
A combination of the projectile's momentum and his own heavy straight allowed him to plow through the spear as it flew through the air.
From Livia's point of view, two walls of ice raced flanked her on both sides as Julia's attack was split vertically right down the middle, both massive halfs thundering across the landscape until they came to rest.

"Even now you hide behind your slaves to do your bidding for you. I was never a good man but at least I fought my own battles. Release Julia from your schemes. I will not ask again." He merely demanded as he stood between him and Livia.
"It's a stalemate. Your puppets can't kill me and as much as it pains me to say it, I can never kill enough of you. So surrender and leave this place. Their fate isn't yours to command, not anymore."

 

[BlackHarte]

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

The splintered ice spear crashed into the city behind Rugal, sending a wave of icy wind washing over all of Rome. Huge pillars of ice covered the area behind Rugal, their chaotic crystalline forms reached up toward the sky like swords. People and animals were locked inside of the frozen prison, the surprise on their faces held in place by the binding spell.

Snow started to fall from the sky.

Kyuubey swept his tail against the ground. He spoke through an emotionless face - red eyes in unbroken gaze and an unchanging cat's smile, "Do what you wish, Rugal Bernstein, it is clear to me that there is no reasoning with you. You do whatever you wish, without thought to the consequences, hoping that you can remedy your mistakes afterwards." Kyuubey turned around and padded away. "It is far more prudent not to be needlessly reckless."

Soon his small figure vanished amidst the snowfall.

Julia's body lay still some distance away, the fall from the temple roof had broken her neck and twisted her arm from its socket among other things. Blood trickled out of her open mouth as the tears on her face froze in the sorcerous winter. Her gem lay shattered on the floor collecting snow. The pieces of the jewel were a dull black, drained of any and all life.

Rugal felt a warmth from behind him. A ray of light had cut through BlackHarte's storm clouds and fell upon Livia and the stone vessel. It was daybreak. The sunlight cast away the darkness and set a warmth cascading over the mountains and plain, the buildings and streets, the crystal towers and the snow cover.

"Mater?"

Serra took a step outside of Rugal's body, her body materialized in the wake of both the sunlight and the energies spilling out of the stone vessel. Between the artifact in Livia's hands, the blades resonating in the sunlight, and Serra's return, the light grew to a brilliant intensity - casting it's golden dominion across all of Rome. And it grew stronger and stronger in strength the more the stone vessel faltered.

"You would know me though you have never seen my face?" Serra asked. Though her body was filled with light, her voice and demeanor were cold and distant. She held herself in a way that demonstrated her overwhelming confidence and inevitability, not unlike the brilliant star from which she had taken her epitaph.

Livia's gemstone was pure black - a pit of darkness in a world now otherwise overflowing with light.

"Such sentimentality is unnecessary." Serra bent down and picked up the stone knives, her knives and held them up to the sun. In an instant the sunlight was everywhere, radiating from every living thing. The heat from the light melted the stone and grew from each other, consuming each other over and over until there was nothing but a simple agonizing homogeneity. After gathering the energy of the land in the blades, she brought it down on the stone vessel. Rivers of light, thick as honey, flowed forth from the stone and encapsulated the vessel. The light filled the gaps from which it's prisoner was trying to break free. "Problem solved."

"Hardly." Came another voice. There was a dark figure taking shelter from the overbearing light in the shade of a fallen piece of crystal ice. The tall and ancient form could only belong to one person.

"Publius." Serra said matter-of-factly as she ignored Rugal and Livia and took several steps toward the old man.

"Puella Magi Serra," Publius answered, tucking his hands deep inside of his long black sleeves. "Or do you prefer the name that you were gifted?"

Serra swung with her dagger and a blade of wind fell from the sky, tearing apart the ice and stone where Publius was standing.

Publius stepped out from under the rubble of the temple opposite to Serra. "Gaea's Wrath, Helios' Lance, the White Witch..." Publius said each of Serra's epitaphs one-by-one as he side-stepped more of Serra's attacks. Her movements were mild, and reserved, a shift of her weight, a flick of her knives, but the windstorm she summoned with each motion tore what ground was left apart like putty.

"The Hero Princess of Rome..."

Serra's face twitched in anger, a relentless flurry of wind fell upon Publius like an artillery barrage. The impacts echoed in both the air and the earth, raining small bits of stone and earth down on Rugal and Livia.

"Serra, the Rising Dawn."

"Brave words coming from a nameless man who can only exist in the shadows." Serra sneered. "The night is over and my strength has returned to me. Your tricks are worthless. Now leave this place and never return."

Livia sat awestruck, hands holding the stone vessel so tight that her fingers and knuckles were white.

"Yes, yes, you are perfect, the most perfect. Infallible, really." Publius said. "It is our fortune that you have arrived to fix everything for everyone. The conflict is resolved through your incredible show of strength and prowess." Publius held up his hand sarcastically, "Really, we should leave everything to you, Serra, the most important, beautiful, and strongest of the Puella Magi. I am collapsed in the might of your presence, woe, allow me to worship the ground upon which you walk. Oh, I have an idea, let's make you our leader since you are so capable in your infinite wisdom. Yes, yes, you can lead all of Rome, nay all of humankind into a new golden age with that power of yours. After all, no one can challenge you when you are channeling the strength of the Sun."

Serra stopped attacking, but her steely gaze never left Publius as the man moved between the shadows.

"You are a venerable God, Serra. Because you always win. Even in defeat, even in death, you persevere. The very laws of our world must bend to suit your presence. Because you are so incredibly special." Publius shook his head, speaking honestly during the brief respite he had earned himself, "You always act like you're the hero of the story... You are so irresponsible. Look at your daughter, sitting there, this is the first time she's ever seen you, and you focus more on flexing your strength. And you call yourself a mother... you selfish, terrible child."

"How dare you insult me so casually!" Serra roared. She raised her blade into the air, collecting the gleam of sunlight...