The Grand Crossover RP - Pathway to Origin [IC/PG-13/Moved to NCM for Finale]

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Prologuous - Gemini's POV~

 

"Those with courage, step forth into the unknown and seize your destiny!"

 

Taking note of the fact that not once had he been noticeably acknowledged by anyone present, including Mr. Glow-in-the-Dark, without a word did Gemini dash forward immediately using Agility in chain to hit max speed before anyone else could get moving towards the now-open pathway. Once through, he turned around towards the swirling entrance behind him and said with a toothy grin while gathering energy within himself, his figure still visible through the portal's blackness, "You've made a mistake." The moment anyone made the slightest motion to approach the portal, Gemini raised both hands towards the entrance to fill it with both his own mix of dark-blue and blackish-red energy, further empowered by his presence within and forced connection to Origin.

 

Even the Avatar...correction, Archon, as his mind soon provided, may not be able to get another portal into this place open once more...speaking of which, he owed that a$$hole an asskicking somehow.

 

Soon after doing so, Gemini clapped his hands together as if dusting them off before turning towards the pathway ahead, towards the Hallway. "Time to see what this place is all about."

 

As he walked forward, the disconnected shard of soul found himself with a budding headache as random images began to flow through this head, the past, present and future beginning to flood his thoughts and making it harder for him to see ahead. It didn't take long before he fell to his knees and grabbed his head with both hands, closing his eyes as he did.

 

"Gods, my head," he said with a pained groan, gripping his hair and pulling out strands in the process as the images continued to flood him from all strands of existence. "Why can't...I...block these...out...?"

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

"You've made a mistake."

 

A still beat hung in the air as Archon remained silent, staring at the webbed up portal to beyond. Without even a single word, he collapsed the portal, and then just re-summoned it. To be honest Gemini's knee-jerk reaction made things incredibly awkward. Archon twiddled his thumbs for a spare second, before sighing loudly. "Well, that took the wind out of the sails, I will say that. I wonder if he even realized how pointless his actions were. Probably not, seeing as how he was doing everything out of spite" Archon remarked dryly, before remembering the others were here. "I'm not going to repeat my speech, so, feel free to move on."

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Prologuous - Gemini's POV~

"You, sir, are a mother-f*cking a$$hole."

The voice had come not from though the portal that the Archon had reopened, but from behind the rest of the group before the same figure appeared to have emerged through the many present, red eyes casting a vicious glare at the supposed Archon. "You're trying to get everyone to suicide themselves by entering that, ya diamond-studded jackass of an Avatar, Conflictious." Tilting his head a little as he kept his gaze on the large being, a sideways frown appeared on his face. "Before my double started fading after passing through that first portal, I netted some interesting visions from it regarding recent events."
 

At this point, he held up a single pale finger in front of himself.

 

"One: I think the only thing that's changed about you is your appearance. Which is the real you? The Avatar? The Archon? Or are they both two halves of the same corrupted coin? For someone that should be above the same virtues and vices that cause many to fall, to be the perfect judge of those worthy to make use of Origin...you're still the absolute Arceus-damned same. Like the Avatar, you still use combat as your only way to judge whom should be able to use Origin, even though you are technically unbeatable in straight-up combat and know full well that not everyone on these paths are capable of such or overall. In regards to these, your challenges are supposed to reflect those traveling through, which the Paths have done to the best of their abilities with so many traveling at once...but you haven't."

 

"Now." At this point, Gemini raised his hands above his head slightly. "I know I have abso-f*cking-lutely no room to speak on this, but why should we even trust someone that's actually fallen further than I have? Insanity's my excuse, so what the f*ck's yours?"

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

"Now, I know I have abso-f*cking-lutely no room to speak on this, but why should we even trust someone that's actually fallen further than I have? Insanity's my excuse, so what the f*ck's yours?"

 

Salty much? Archon's light wavered, but, with a loud sigh he descended to the ground, actual legs and feet forming for him to stand upon them. His wings folded gently, forming a sweeping cape of light and feathers. "I suppose, if I am to be honest with you, I will admit that, no, I am not perfect. Far from it. That was proven when I was corrupted and transformed into Avatar Conflictous by... the Master" Archon intoned gravely. "The Master was a vile and cruel being. After all, his existence alone was the reason the Shadow Realm exists at all. Those that came before me, those that constructed this place had planned to use Origin for their own ends. However, before they could, the Master invaded the Hallway of Origin, and attacked its creators, hoping to seize Origin's power for himself. I was created to combat him, but even my power was nothing against him. I fell to his taint, to his darkness. I was transformed from Archon the Resolute to Avatar Conflictous. I became the monstrous being you fought that repeatedly tried to murder you sheerly out of spite. In the end, my creators finally destroyed the horrible being, but at a grave cost. So many of them died, their work in ruins, and their guardian trying to destroy them. While they contained me as best they could, they built Prologuous to seal me awau. I was sealed within the tree you see before you, and from there, the Pathways were created as a means to protect Origin, and to test those who would deem themselves worthy of it. Once their work was done, my creators used Origin's power to leave this place with two things in hand: The Key of Origin, and the Orb. The Orb would be the means to locate the Key, and the Key would lead you to the Pathways. I will admit, had I been in my right mind -and not sealed in a tree- I would have advised against this action, but then, there were no right choices. If the Key were to be left here, those that braved the Pathways and my corrupted form could seize the Key without competition. The omniverse proved it would be much better at hiding the Key than the Pathways ever would. As you can see... that assumption was very much proven wrong by both the Counter Guardians, and Isamy Maximus. I am telling you all of this to prove a point, which is is that combat is all I truly know. I was created to fight the Master, and to fight all others. I was made with only one purpose: To bar all from Origin. To destroy with impunity all who were unworthy of Origin's power. And who are the unworthy? Simple; everyone is unworthy. No one, past, present, or future deserves to own the right to decide how all who live in this grand omniverse should live. Whether their intentions are good or evil, they are simply your intentions, what you think is best. There is no truly unbiased person alive, nor is there one who understands how best to cater to every single individual soul. No one could truly comprehend the needs and requirements of the infinite lives out there. My duty and my role is to test those who come here. That is the fanciful description. My true role is to destroy everyone who comes here, so that Origin and the omniverse may always be protected from itself. I am the Guardian of Prologuous, and of Origin. It is by my blade that I will fell those who threaten the omniverse with their intentions. And if I do fall, then I will finally become one with Origin, albeit with a heavy heart to know I failed in my role to protect every precious life in existence. But, I could at least hope that the victor is one who only has good intentions, no matter how misguided. As for Tenco, which I know you will bring up... she brought her end upon herself. She challenged me, and I cannot refuse a challenge. She did not know what she was getting herself into, and she paid the price for it" Archon remarked emphatically.

 

Slowly he paced across the rabble, his feet not even making a sound, for his steps were lighter than the daintiest ballerina. "But, you know something? One must beg the question. And that question is: Why should anyone believe you either?" the angelic being remarked. "You are nothing more than a construct of the Pathways gone rogue. You are just a glitch given sentience, believing yourself to be the true Gemini. How do I know this? Because the true Gemini Rivetter is sleeping soundly within his host's subconscious. You are nothing more than a shadow with an alarming amount of medium awareness. You call me out on not being a true test, when you yourself are deliberately ignoring your role in order to play your own selfish little games. In the eyes of Origin, you are an abomination, something that shouldn't even exist. Can you truly even stand there and call me out on not playing my part, when you refuse to play yours? If there is anything that should not be trusted, it is the delusions of a delusion. The sad mad ravings of a ghost."

[Reinforce]

Chandra

Pathway of Death: B10

 

As it turned out, the Archon was actually positively chatty, and well willing to talk about what would be coming ahead. Still, for all it's fancy words, all it really seemed to boil down to was that any who wanted to pass to the origin itself would have to first fight their way through him. Still, Chandra didn't have much time to think on that further as the other planeswalker seemed to be having another one of his damn breakdowns. Giving a harsh sigh in annoyance, Chandra stepped across so she was right in front of the other planeswalker, then punched him head on in the face. 

 

"Haven't we been over this sort of thing already. Do you really think that everyone you've met would be happier if they hadn't met you? And what about Ravnica, are you willing to consign the whole plane to destruction because you've just given up? You're supposed to be their guildpact aren't you, the thing keeping the guilds from fighting. If you're not there to stop them from fighting, might they not just ruin the whole plane in their arguments? For a supposed smart guy, you're quite an idiot at times."

 

---

 

Ayame

Pathway of Death: A10

 

"Hey...Ayame...I'm just curious, but...do you see the battle you just had earlier as having any specific meaning behind it? I honestly don't know what mine actually meant. It felt like it's trying to say something profound - reminding me of something important, but whatever it is, it missed me. Maybe asking you about it would shed some light on what would the main purpose of our battles earlier be."

 

"For me, mine was somewhat profound, though I'm not sure if it was supposed to be for everyone or not. From what my opponent mentioned to me, that was supposed to be us fighting against our ultimate enemy. I'm not sure how that worked with mine though, especially since I'd already killed them previously. My enemy was an entity that we encountered earlier in this war, the manifested and conscious remains of the shadow realm we traversed as the first battleground of this war, and something that tried to possess me until they were defeated inside my mind with some help. I later finished them off for good once in that mirror in the pathway of truth, so it was a surprise that they were able to fight against me again. I think they're permanently gone this time, but as I thought that last time too, I can't be sure of it. I'm not sure if that's helped or not, but that was what happened for me."

 

Ending Location: C12

 

---

 

Darcy

Prologious: G6

 

Floating down the pathway, Darcy arrived in the large area just in time to see this large being of light open a portal on, while saying it lead on to the next area. One of the people down there apparently decided to try and bar the portal off though, sealing it off after going through. With that one easily closed and another opened, some second copy of the same person was talking, arguing with that entity of light about what lies beyond the portal. While listening to the argument going on, Darcy simply flew on forward, approaching and entering the portal while everyone else still seemed to be standing around shocked.

 

Ending Location: Beyond the Portal

[Merci]

As our trials advance onwards, approaching the very beginning…

 

 

before we go on, let us resume our reminiscence

 

of̴ ͝a̵n e͢v͘e͡nt ̵th̸a̧t o͡c̢cur̷re̷d in an ex̧͞i͝s̛̛te̴͡n̶c̀͡e ͡f̡͢ar̵̨̀,̡ ̧͏f̵͢a͜r̀̕ ̴̀a͟͢͏̨́w̸̕͟͢͡a̧̡͟͞y̸̕.

 

Part 1

 

 

 

Pathway to Truth

 

 

Thankfully, Isamy was able to reach the mirror before the fairies got to her. It seemed to reflect her surroundings, but in a distorted, ruined way, and even her own appearance seemed far more dishevelled than it actually was, with worn-down clothes, extremely pale skin, frail body with traces of what may be dried blood, and far sadder, faded eyes staring off into the distance. It made her pause for about four seconds before she ultimately forced herself into it. After having completed Death, really, what could possibly be more terrifying than that?

 

~ Dreamer’s Dream ~

Then just like that, the image of the ruined world became a reality.

 

 

 

The beautiful cherry blossom that had been accompanying her for the whole journey had abruptly been inverted, transformed into dying, withering trees on a barren wasteland. The very atmosphere had gotten much thicker, the sky now grey with dark clouds everywhere, violent winds blowing heavily against her, and there was no traces of life or emotion anywhere. Nothing...except for complete, utter despair.

 

It was as though a fog of utter destruction had passed by in the split second it took for her to pass through the mirror – or as though a false veil had been lifted, revealing the true state of this worthless realm. Just by being here, she felt incredibly sick, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, a sharp pressure dropping through her head, making her senses spin and her throat gag. If her stomach hadn’t already been empty, she might’ve vomited on the spot. Everywhere she looked there was smoke, and the air itself was so polluted that she found herself coughing after trying to inhale just once.

 

This was no good. She could seriously die here if she stayed too long. And yet, if this was the reflection of the forest she’d just come out from, then the end may very well be beyond her reach, especially when she considered that there must’ve been about FOURTEEN KILOMETERS MORE of this hazard zone yet to be traversed!

 

Stop it. I can’t afford to think like that. Covering her nose and mouth with her free hand, clearing the immediate air around her with her psychic powers, Isamy tried her best to advance on despite the odds being against her. She had to squint with her eyes due to the amount of dust everywhere, and every step she took consumed effort, resisting the winds attempting to blow her off. It became especially difficult whenever one of the lower clouds were blown towards her, temporarily engulfing her position and making it impossible to breathe until she escaped out of it. Her vision was obscured, such that she couldn’t even be sure if she was heading straight or not. There weren’t any actual threats around for her to take down, but the world itself was like an impossible enemy that couldn’t be opposed in any way.

 

Don’t panic. You’ve been through far worse situations than this.

 

Come on, even without my powers, what’s some bad weather to the Herald of Chaos and Entropy?!

 

But just as she pumped strength into her legs, sprinting towards the end of yet another dust cloud, her instinct fired up suddenly in a panic – ah! – and forced her right foot from landing. This threw her body off-balance, making her stumble onto the ground rather hard.

 

Why did I...

 

There didn’t need to be an answer for that. As she got back up, the dust around her cleared, revealing what she’d very nearly stepped on.

 

...no.

 

That is, the corpse of one of the dead fairies she’d been talking to earlier, rotten and unsightly, without a trace of life within. Judging by the vague hint of blue, it must’ve been the one that resembled Delta. Instead of being in the air, freely flying about in the infinite sky, the fairy was slowly breaking apart in the dirt.

 

For a few minutes, Isamy was transfixed, watching it in absolute silence. She made no movement, save for the unconscious clenching of her fists. Anger began to channel through her. Sure, it had been annoying to her, asking all these blunt questions without a sense of privacy or anything, but so what? That didn’t mean anything. It had only been performing its role. It had still been a precious life to be saved, to be treasured! Even though she’d already witnessed so much death, it never ceased to affect her, and now of all times it was having an unusually strong impact.

 

Why? Was this place not only forcing her to tell the truth, but also forcing out her true feelings on matters like this? The chances were high enough that she couldn’t think of a reason why not.

 

She had began her journey assuming that Death would’ve been the hardest, but now that she thought about it, it would only be natural if the most troublesome were to actually be this one. If it turned out that her heart wasn’t as concrete as she thought it was, the Pathway to Truth could affect her thinking entirely, perhaps even making her change the mission. As much as she would like to believe in herself to persevere with her hopes and ideals intact, the mere possibility of it happening worried her. To become someone she wasn’t, quite frankly, scared her. That reflection in the previous section had claimed that she wasn’t the real Isamy, but what did the girl really mean by that? Had she already begun undergoing an irreversible transformation through this self-discovery?

 

As Isamy looked a little further ahead, she noticed the bodies of the other two fairies that had continually bugged her, resembling former allies of hers. In the distance, obscured by darkness and layers of dust, were what she could barely discern to be even more of them. There had been an entire swarm previously – if it was each and every one of them, then there was no way she could bear to make her way through. That much loss of life was...disgusting. Unbelievable.

 

AND SOMETHING WROUGHT ABOUT BY YOUR OWN TWO HANDS.

 

The strangest thought crossed her mind. Yet, she couldn’t find it in her to deny it.

 

Isamy Maximus, in her quest for peace, had at times made difficult decisions. Some of them resulted in the death of one person, sacrificed to save everyone else. Others resulted in the collapse of whole nations, which due to the vulnerability and lack of infrastructure would cause countless people to die pointlessly, be it out of illness, starvation, murder, suicide, or anything else, all of which added upon her conscious. Even though she had done her best to keep her hands free from shedding blood, it did not change the fact that she was familiar with death.

 

What actually happened to make this land such a hellhole anyway? Or...had this been its true form all along? Perhaps the fairies had never been alive to begin with, the cherry blossoms were a transparent projection, and the weather had been tampered with to create an illusion of peace. And now, the lifted veil showed how ugly reality could honestly be.

 

What if she wasn’t who she thought she was?

 

So be it. If it turns out I’m just a big liar to myself, I guess I’m not worthy of being a hero in the first place.

 

GOOD ANSWER, a voice echoed in response to that thought. She paused a bit, wondering where it came from, but quickly found herself doubting she had heard anything at all and decided to carry on.

 

But still, how? She would progress normally if there was no other choice, but aside from the moral issue of making her way through dead bodies, she was getting fainter and fainter due to the little oxygen making it into her lungs. The distance she had to cross was just far too vast and unrealistic to overcome at this rate.

 

It was getting obvious by then that Isamy would have to rely on her arsenal of Duel Monsters once more if she wanted to make it through this alive. If nothing else, she could afford to cut the journey's distance a little bit, easing her burden by the slightest bit. Her head was still throbbing a little from the last summoning, and the environment wasn't helping at all with her concentration. f she was to try and gauge its effects, she figured that she could only use her psychic prowess two or three more times before her mind overloaded itself.

 

“Damn it, Merciful! Seriously, what’s with all these stupid limitations?” She complained breathlessly, refer̢͙͇̗͇̬e̜̪̻̳̻ṉ͘c͈̱i̛͈̰̠͉̪̫n͖͇̟̹͕͘g̡̘͓͉ ͈͕͔̳̳̕a̧̼͕̜̠ h̛̫̤͇̮̮͖̖͙̟̲̤̠̣̬̀͟ͅy҉̩͕̻̳͇̗̱̩͎̺̘p̷̧̱̹̬̳̹̙͈̟͕̯̭͖̯ͅò̠̺̯͕̤̤̖̠͚̲̥͎̰͖̜̯͘t̴̡͙͉̙̰͖̳͎͉̦̯̖̘͘h̝̬̟̫̼̫͖̳̟͙̞̻̟̫͖̹͚̩͔̀͟͡͠e̴̷̕͏̸͍͉̣̣̮̥̳̣̙̗̫̼͉̞̮͇͎t͏̵̵͈̰̬̰̠̱̜͙͎͝í̴̬͈̣͓̮̠̗̤͎͚̱͚͈̮̙͍̹̺̟͜͢͡c͞͏̵̙̻̳͙̼̘̬͉͓̖͓̘̰̪̦ͅa̶҉̴̷̙̻̥̭͓̪̫̯͇̲̲͔͜l̶̦͖̪̫͇̯͖̫̫͈̞͖͎̟̥̳͡ ͏̩͙̗͎͓͉͕̤̹͠e̲̠̮̲̖͈͔̟̖̙̱̞̗̥͉̖̹̰͘͘n̢̜͔͍̙̝̕̕͡t҉҉͙̺̥̩̟̗͉̖̙̻̙̻̳̻͎̺̫ͅi̵̷̪̘̮̗̬̯͇̝̖̞̜͘͘t̜͎̱̦̥̻̟̣̗̙͖̳̺͍͈́͢ͅy̶̴̝̩̥̖̰͔͘͜͝

 

 

error

 

 

memory restoration in progress

 

 

for now, let the trials tick on

[Love of Ghibli]

Team Dorian: Prologous

 

It looked as if the all powerful boss of the boss battle was getting into a bout of self serving witticisms with one of the beings that helped take down its negative form earlier. Needless to say that all of the team had rolled their eyes. And to think that people would dare call them arrogant. But it did not matter. What did matter was that the massive creature then provided the group with a new choice. A pathway to what would be the end game. All of the insults that the group was thinking about using seemingly went away thanks to gratitude. 

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. From the depths of something and somewhere Gemini had returned to the field and with that he proceeded to explain how jumping down the mysterious rabbit hole would be synonymous with death. The team looked at each other and for a couple of seconds it seemed as if they were giving this matter some real thought. Before they could finish contemplating their decision this Archon character told them the backstory of his creation. The story had all of the proper tropes, twists and turns one would expect.  Once again the team looked at each other and to be fair the wasn't much of a decision to make. There is an option to go forward. What other choice is there?

 

All of the members of Team Dorian flew head first into the portal at the foot of the great tree.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Hmm..." Yukari sipped her tea as she listened to Archon's rant about Gemini. "So that's the problem that guy's having so far.

Well, I thought he'd be less petty than that but oh well."

 

She was still in the same position as before, and once she finished her tea, she returned the cup and its holder into a gap as she returned her attention towards the Archon. Earlier, as he ranted about his past and how he fell, for some reasons that still got missed by her, the speech came to her like a big wall of text, and she couldn't really be bothered enough to read or listen to them all. Though, she did catch the statement that the Archon was meant to destroy everyone that were there...which really just made him the exact same as the Avatar, albeit in a less insulting form.

 

"Anyway, why do you expect us to go through that portal-" She paused as she noticed her tea guests of earlier from the Divines had entered the portal the Avatar made, and sighed before she continued her sentence. "So, it's a bit silly.

 

You're here to destroy us all, saying no one is worthy of attaining Origin, to pass to the next part. Yet you just made a portal and allowed people to pass and "seize their destiny", as you said. Contradicting yourself is not really how you make people trust you...not that you seemed to care about it, anyway.

What am I going to do there anyway - the key's still in Protheus' hand after all.

 

Neither you nor Gemini is in any way trustworthy. Guess I'll just wait here now and wait and see the next big progression of this plot." The youkai sighed again, before taking a cookie jar from her gap, and started munching on it as she turned her attention to the door.

 

"It's getting boring, but for something like you, I doubt you can really feel it."

 

---

 

 

"For me, mine was somewhat profound, though I'm not sure if it was supposed to be for everyone or not. From what my opponent mentioned to me, that was supposed to be us fighting against our ultimate enemy. I'm not sure how that worked with mine though, especially since I'd already killed them previously. My enemy was an entity that we encountered earlier in this war, the manifested and conscious remains of the shadow realm we traversed as the first battleground of this war, and something that tried to possess me until they were defeated inside my mind with some help. I later finished them off for good once in that mirror in the pathway of truth, so it was a surprise that they were able to fight against me again. I think they're permanently gone this time, but as I thought that last time too, I can't be sure of it. I'm not sure if that's helped or not, but that was what happened for me."

 

"Ah...I see now.

Maybe we really just need time to have everything sink in, after all."

 

The two of them continued on their way, and soon, they passed the open streets of the pathway and entered the final area. In the meantime, Kazuya thought more about what Ayame just said and his own experiences, and decided to settle in on a conclusion. Something that perhaps would just let him continue to move on no matter what is his current condition.

 

‘Are you willing to embrace your fate’?

 

The question again. Sighing a bit before preparing an answer, his meeting with Naoya earlier flashed back at him, and he gritted his teeth in frustration. He did make him doubt Arturia as a leader, and the conclusion he had right now, was also partially due to him. The fact that he's still played like a fiddle by his brother just like that even here was annoying. He took a deep breath to calm himself, before continued with his answer.

 

"If I'm willing to do it, then I'd be long dead now. Whatever fate and destiny had in their hand, I'll create my own path instead. I'll fight for what I believe in, and protect what I want to protect. Even if there's no leads, I'll continue on a path. I shouldn't have been in this condition anyway...I'm really getting bad at this.

 

I'm sick of feeling useless. But, even if it's a fact, I can still change it. Even if I can't help Ayame earlier, or Kairi, or my friends that I had left behind to perish...I know that I can still do something in the future.

 

Whatever the future holds for me now, I'll shape it into the future that I can fight for. Even if I'm powerless now."

 

Saying all of that made Kazuya's chest less tight with his buried frustrations. It was the final resolve he needed. He turned around to Ayame, who hadn't answered the question, and smiled widely before he turned back and ran through the barrier. Returning to the White Room, he saw only one way left for him to go. And without hesitation, he walked through the only path left on the room.

 

---

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

"Neither you nor Gemini is in any way trustworthy. Guess I'll just wait here now and wait and see the next big progression of this plot. It's getting boring, but for something like you, I doubt you can really feel it."

 

Archon sighed loudly. "As I said, I am taking a gamble here; if you paid attention to my words you'd realize that" he remarked sharply. "I said no one was worthy of Origin. You cannot claim it without the Key, can you? No, you cannot. I am allowing you to move on as a failsafe against the possibility that Protheus wins. The battle will be most epic, and I doubt any of you would even survive the conflict. As it goes, I am putting my faith into you to be the last line of defence against him. I would do the most I could against him, but, if I were to fail, I will entrust his defeat to you. From there... I could only hope for the best."

[Phantom Roxas]

[Death A8] - Kairi vs. Sliske

 

The most Kairi could manage was blocking with her hands. The gauntlets she had received from Kokonoe and Kratos took the brunt of the blast from Sliske’s staff, but the force of the blow threw Kairi against a wall. The gauntlets had shattered, and the arms of Kairi’s Keyblade Armor had broken as well, revealing her red and bruised arms. Her face was covered in ash, and smoke simmered around her body.

 

”You survived,” Sliske said. ”If only barely. Oh well, if you first you don’t succeed, fry, fry again.”

 

”I’m not afraid of you,” Kairi said.

 

”And that’s where you’re wrong! You are afraid of me. It’s this staff you do not fear. Perhaps it didn’t kill you because you’ve never considered that it would bring you any harm? What you’re afraid of is it falling into the wrong hands. A power so great that it would be horrifying if abused by anyone else. Protheus stands to take control of the Door of Origin. Just imagine what he could do with that! Maybe you’d even see it for yourself, if you survive long enough.”

 

”There is no ‘if!’ I’ll get through this on my own.”

 

”All you can mutter is mere defiances. Tell me, Kairi, have you thought about how many have died before you? You arrived in the midst of the battle on the Sphere Forest. Imagine how many people died there. And that wasn’t the first battle the Counter Corps had with the Divine in this war. Surely many others died then as well. And when some wished to flee from this war, Arturia merely condemned them to oblivion. Countless universes beyond your comprehension have been sacrificed in this war. The Counter Corps chose heroes to represent their homes, putting the burden on their shoulders to save a reality. And they failed. They were their universe’s last hopes, and they failed. If they accomplished anything at all, it was entrusting that hope onto the rest of the Counter Corps.”

 

”If you can say that, then you should know why Sora is fighting for the staff. Why he’s looking for Itsu. He’s shouldering the burden that Zilyana and Kree’arra carry.”

 

”Only because it was his fault they were summoned in the first place!”

 

”Because they came here after you! Whatever you were to them on their world, you’re the one who brought them into this! You want me to feel like I’m nothing more than what Ophelia decided for me? Look at you! You became a meal for Xansvita, and even though you came after him, the people who came after you made it here! You were just the middleman, and you got cut out. Don’t lecture me on the ‘burden’ the Counter Corps carries. Even if I don’t know the people I’m avenging, I still have to do something. Not just to share that weight with Sora and everyone else, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

 

”How… vague. That won’t cut it. You’re still no different from the others. I imagine that those others fought because they felt it was ‘right”, and all that got them was death. That could be how you set yourself apart. You could survive.”

 

Kairi cursed under her breath in a very un-Disney-like manner, but Sliske kept laughing, all the while preparing to use his staff again. The torches’ flames began to extinguish one by one, draining the hall of what little light it had. Then, Kairi began to felt something gathering in her hand. In that instant, she realized that Ayame had recovered. Hoping that Ayame and Kazuya had made it through, Kairi called out one word as her Keyblade came back to her hand. ”Transcendence!”

 

Sliske fell over, the staff leaving his hand as his knees met the ground, his hands clawing against the floor before he was pulled back into the air by his ankles, his jaw meeting with the pavement before he was pulled further into the air. Sliske was upside-down, held within a purple sphere, gravity pulling all over his body.

 

Kairi approached the gravity field as her Keyblade was surrounded with the aura of an even larger sword, styling it within the Bladecharge. ”You’re trying to guide me towards something I haven’t figured out yet. I may not know about the people who’ve died for the Counter Corps. It would be… dishonest to say that I’m fighting for their sake. But Protheus threatens so many realities that I’m certain he never knew either. He probably doesn’t care to know. But that’s why I’m following with Sora. When we set off from that island, it was to find all kinds of worlds we didn’t know. Even after everything with Xehanort, Organization XIII, Zero, I kept learning just how small that island was. For so many people to sacrifice themselves… I can’t just believe it was all in vain. It’s not as simple as them dying. What’s important was that they fought at all. For heroes - champions of their universes to stand together, for every step that’s been made to ending this war, that has to mean something. Just thinking about all these different universes, we each seem so small by ourselves. But together, we become something bigger, and that’s what’s going to stop Protheus and set things right. So much has been lost, leaving us to be what’s… well, I guess it’d have to be that the Counter Corps and the Divine make up reality itself right now. Protheus is pushing against reality. We’re just building up, putting our hopes side by side so that reality can push back.”

 

The gravity field vanished, and Sliske landed on his back, while the staff landed by Kairi’s side. ”So it’s not just your love. It’s the whole team of the Counter Corps that you’re counting on.”

 

”Maybe even the Divine, too. At least the ones who want to help stop Protheus.”

 

”And what of those who don’t? You’re bound to fight them.”

 

”If it comes to that, then we’ll get through them too.”

 

Sliske laughed. ”Interesting. Here I thought that your death would come from you fading away from how indistinct you are. But you… you’re actually relying on how well you can blend in. No, more like… everything you share with another, that’s going to grant you your victory. Let us hope that you’re right.”

 

As Sliske began to fade away, Kairi didn’t care to look at his face. She kept her eyes on the staff, thinking about any clue that could help her find it. ”Hopefully Izumi doesn’t send us on a wild goose chase. We’ll need her help as much as anyone’s.” Taking a moment to guard herself in case any other surprises were waiting for her, Kairi decided that the coast was clear. However, she was in the very center of the hall, unable to tell where the entrance and exit were. Retracing her steps, Kairi found herself back near the entrance. Looking forward, Kairi ran as fast as she good, racing to the exit.

 

 

Ending Location: Between A9 and A10

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I would do the most I could against him, but, if I were to fail, I will entrust his defeat to you. From there... I could only hope for the best."I would do the most I could against him, but, if I were to fail, I will entrust his defeat to you. From there... I could only hope for the best."

 

"You have a fair point. Well then...

 

...Although, I guess I'll also bring Koishi with me." Yukari then called out to the satori girl, who was still messing around the shinigami and Reimu's friends out of boredom. Koishi heard her and soon approached the gap youkai, a questioning look was on her face. Yukari took a glance on the eye on her chest. It was slightly opened, which would mean that she'd be able to read her mind anyway, but she somewhat doubted Koishi'd be willing to do it now. Though, she decided to leave that thought aside, and just hoped that the decision she made would be for the best.

 

"So Koishi, I want to ask you to do something." "You might lose your body or worse if you do it, but I beg you, this is important. I'll try my best to cover you and provide assistance, but-"

"What is it, Yukari?" "Talking while also thinking about sentences you don't want to say is awkward, isn't it? But...I'm listening here. Even with that risk, I won't let you down for the sake of everyone!"

"Aah...well, yeah. So I've been talking with this person, and...well, let's just go through that portal over there as the Archon had offered to us. You heard about it earlier, right?" "Actually, go through the portal and let me hold your third eye while I do a fake-out so I can figure out the Archon's deal. You can control your body remotely, right?"

"Yep, of course! Let's go then, let's not waste more time, Yukari!" "Still not trusting him, huh? Too bad I can't confirm or deny his claims, but well, let's go with it since it's what you wished. Everyone's putting their hopes into us, and I'm going to put mine in yours. So let's do it!"

"...Thank you, Koishi." Koishi took up her offer easily, which made Yukari smile in relief as she did so. Yukari looked at the young silver-haired girl before her, who was still maintaining her upbeat self even in a situation like now, and without telling the girl first, the old youkai embraced the girl tightly. At first Koishi was surprised, but soon she returned the hug, feeling the woman's warmth as if she was her sister. As much trouble as the girl had caused so far, seeing her now-unwavering smile and determination was something that kept Yukari going. In retrospect, it's the biggest reason why she refused to leave her behind even when she went batshit against Gemini, and why she waited for her to catch up in the end. In the meantime, Koishi herself decided to not inquire about the reasoning of the sudden hug. As much as either of them was originally disliking being stuck with each other due to the circumstance, the bond the two of them now was closer than mere acquaintances. Koishi looked up towards Yukari as a big sister figure just like she viewed Satori, and Yukari viewed her as just like a child she would never have. Koishi knew that, after what Yukari had said and done, after how much she desperately tried to keep herself in the game, even by painfully pretending that she still had as much authority and power as she had before, Koishi knew she wouldn't disappoint her, and that's why she would stick with her wherever the old youkai go. Not long, her third eyes then slid through Yukari's sleeves as the two embraced. She was aware it's the main reason of why Yukari hugged her, but she was also aware of the authenticity of the emotion behind it so she didn't ask anything about it.

"Let's go now." Yukari soon let Koishi go, before the two started going towards the portal the Archon erected. Koishi, as enthusiastic as always, rushed past Yukari and left her behind as she soon disappeared through the portal, much to Yukari's amusement. She steadily walked towards the portal, and as she was in front of it, she took a deep breath, readying herself mentally. She then had herself summon a tear in space just in front of the portal. She had no ideas whether the Archon would notice her backing out at the last second, but being seen as cowardly was not something to worry about now.

"This is it then, no more delays now.." Saying that, Yukari took a step forward, and disappeared from sight as she was swallowed by the tear in space. Now inside of the confines of her gap world, she opened a slit on the air from inside of her world to look at the development of things.

"Your move, Archon. Let's see if you can read between the lines. Or whether you're even as genuine as you've claimed."

---

 

 

"U...uh...I passed out...wait, did I actually succeed?" Reimu opened her eyes to find herself on a floating platform inside of the other Yukari's gap, and the first thing she thought about is whether her purification ritual was a success or not. Without any slits to see through, she couldn't get her answer, and she was too dizzy to do much as of now. Channeling divine spirits like what she did still feel really uncomfortable, and now after the possession  was over, she felt like something was missing from her. She tried to stand up and walk around, and the feeling persisted. Separate from the headache she felt, she somehow felt that she was more detached from the world around her, physically. It's a weird sensation, but Reimu shrugged it off as a part of the aftereffect from her possession. The replacement arm she had didn't ache, at least, so that's one less thing to be concerned about.

 

"Huh...what is that thing?"

 

As she walked around the platform, she soon realized the existence of an object that was apparently right beside the position she woke up earlier. It was a golden Chinese one-handed sword, and some sort of aural light was emanated from its blade. Reimu couldn't shake off a certain feeling of familiarity about the weapon, but she couldn't really pinpoint its identity right now. Out of curiosity she decided to pick it up, and swung it around as if to play with it. A sensation of heat was felt when she held the sword, but it wasn't intense enough to be anything but a lingering warmth on  her palm. The sword was unusually light even for its type, and Reimu decided to dance around with it. Without any training of using swords or bladed weapons before, her movement was rough at best, but she had fun with the weapon so even if she used it like a baton or a gohei, she felt comfortable in wielding it. In he mind, if the weapon  could talk or think, then right now it was choosing her as its master and wielder.

 

"Hm, maybe when this is all over, I can use some lessons in using it with Youmu or someone else.

 

I'm sure it'll be fun."

 

---

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Prologuous - Gemini's POV~

 

"...welp, I guess they do not value their lives enough to continue existing." Gemini about-faced through the crowd, walking away from the Archon as he did before glancing back momentarily. "Enjoy your final moments everyone," he bellowed without amusement, "since you won't wait long enough for the Key to arrive before continuing. I have a question for you all."

 

At this point, he pointed towards the Archon. "If he could open the Door so easily to Origin, why is the Key to Origin needed at all?"

 

And with that, he disappeared from view.

 

~*~*~

 

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

 

"...have wanted done would be granted anyway, since I would no longer even exist to have even affected their lives."

 

Gemini severely resisted the urge to facepalm as well as the urge to slap the mindmage the rest of the way to the end of Death. "Hey, Michele," he started to whisper to himself as he glanced up towards the blackened sky. "How about actually playing him straight up there, or are you really gonna go through with the whole 'cloned Jace' theory, which is Tauros-crap," he muttered under his breath before walking up towards the group, catching sight of Chandra decking Jace and wanting to applaud her for it...

 

...and froze upon seeing himself with light-grey eyes, momentarily halting his original train of thought before crashing it. "Oh, now this is Tauros-sh!t! Get the f*ck out of here!" Oh, even if he had agreed with what was said about this whole pointless roleplay, it still pissed him off that it was said by someone wearing a facsimile of himself and not actually by him.

 

Ending Point: B10

 

 

~Counter Corps - Path of Death - Jace's POV~

 

"...because no one being could ever, EVER understand the thoughts and needs of an infinite number of sentient beings."

 

Oh, really? Jace thought to himself, fighting off the acidic smirk that tried to show on his face. That sounds exactly like what I've been having to do since the end of the Implicit Maze, though admittedly at a smaller scal---

 

And suddenly, his thoughts were broken by a fist, of all things, that sent him flying a few feet backwards and landing him flat onto his back.

 

"For a supposed smart guy, you're quite an idiot at times."

 

...welp, he admittedly earned that, considering the number of times he's lost his mind already in this damnable place. And...wait.

 

Great, he was stuck with a bloody nose now. Covering his face with his gloved hand before casting an illusion on his face to hide the smashed appearance for now, Jace gingerly got up onto his feet.

 

"For the record..." he stopped for the moment as his speech started to come out slurred due to the blood in his mouth, netting a groan before continuing to speak, this time in a telepathic manner. "It's not that I've given up, I am merely stating a fact. After waking up and being told of this place, the one thing I wanted was for the harm I've done to people in the past be undone. This is not the same as never being a part of their lives, however. The question up for debate is if I will be alive to see this through or not now. And from what little information I gathered before being tossed to the wolves here, just being here is already threatening the existance of my...home..."

 

"Oh, now this is Tauros-sh!t! Get the f*ck out of here!" Jace's thoughts were interrupted once more, this time by a familar voice that sounded none too happy at what he saw. And nor was Jace happy to see a pissed-off Gemini, this time with the right set of eyecolors, staring down the other duplicate with the grey eyes.

 

"...I think now would be a good time to blow this joint..."

 

As soon as Chandra would run, he would haul it too, and actually make a real effort to keep up with her this time...

 

Ending Point: B10

 

(I admittedly almost missed the punchout that Chandra did. ^^; )

[Merci]

Arturia Pendragon w/ Neos & Gemini
Pathway to Remembrance A3

“I see. So that’s how you feel.” Arturia responded to Gemini’s outburst. 'Antonio' must've been Neos's original name.
 
Her cold expression was unchanging as she gripped her hilt in preparation for a potential attack from the transforming demon. She did not feel the need to sympathize with his plight, but she could indeed understand him. The lack of a choice in being able to decide when to rise, the lack of freedom to do as they pleased. The thing about Counter Guardians was that they did not have the opportunity for leisure. After defeating their designated foe, their spirits would be returned to the record within the Throne of Heroes, and the next thing they knew, they would be summoned to the next battlefield. Fleeting moments of consciousness, awakening only for the sake of battle.

“Keep holding on, Neos. There is something I have been wishing to test,” once more she began to draw her blade, but this time it was glowing a bright crimson, "and it may well be what we need to put this specter out of his misery-” 

 

However, just as it was halfway out, she stopped herself. The raging aura emanating from her opponent had suddenly vanished, as though muffled by something even greater, and Gemini seemed to lose control over himself as he fell onto his side, with Neos’ attempts to wake him up again leading nowhere.

"I don't know what's happening to him," Neos confessed before looking up and towards Arturia, the concerned look still on his face. "But it must be something to have done this to him."

“Indeed.”

 

The kingly knight sheathed her blade once more, sensing that a kind of troubling disturbance was beginning to emanate from deep within Gemini’s body, spreading outwards like an uncontrollable sickness. Or like a possession. There was something about this that didn’t merely feel unusual, but wrong, as though something that didn’t belong on the Pathways was intruding. Yes, there had been a tiny hint of wrongness with Gemini as a sentient, possessed construct, but this was on a completely different level. She could sense that the energy of the environment around her was reacting badly to this, whatever it was.

It wasn’t long before Gemini appeared to have passed out, the arm he was laying on falling over and apparently bumping into something in the ground that became slightly uncovered of the snow over it...a crystalline flower that seemed to suddenly bloom upon his touch. 

 

And from the strange flower, an orb of energy floated above it slightly before spreading to surround the trio. The transparent vision of an almost-pitch black area emerged around them, though the Path of Remembrance itself could be seen through it.
 

In the vision, Gemini and a black dragon with silver leaf ears were floating in nothingness, Gemini shouting out various things towards a bodiless voice before the pair became surrounded by a pair of solidified darkness connected to each other by a seemingly thin cord.

“WEMMEGO WEMMEGO!!"

In a panic, the dragon had surrounded herself with electricity before trying to claw, slash and bite her way out of her sudden imprisonment. She never liked being in a cage, not being allowed to fly when she wanted to. “Wemme outta hewe, naow!” (“Lemme out of here, now!”)

Gemini could be seen stretching his arms out to either side before summoning a dark energy around himself in a sphere before trying to push outwards to give himself more room.

“Think it’s a good idea to tamper with the sphere? I don’t honestly. Wanna know a fun fact? The cord that connects the two spheres is a variant of my Vanity’s Emptiness. You know, the thing that caused you UNBELIEVABLE pain. Well, in this case it swaps pain. You won’t feel anything that happens to you, but the other will. Allow me to demonstrate,” the voice explained gleefully.

The orb that the dragon was in began to suddenly yet slowly shrink, causing it to freak out even more by the sudden imprisonment, yet oddly enough it wasn’t shrieking from pain.

Instead, as Gemini suddenly knelt down to one knee, a pained look showed on his face as if he was the one experiencing instead. Then, suddenly, a grin appeared on his face. “Thank you, Neos,” he muttered before stretching his hands out to either side of him, towards the sphere he was in, gritting his teeth as he focused on the shadows of the spheres themselves.

His hands began to glow once more as he felt a pain that wouldn’t be able to translate well through the Emptiness ripping through him, straining himself as he began to feel the shadows snapping out of place one area at a time. A high-pitched cry of pain escaped the little dragon as what pain did managed to get through reached her, sobbing in her voice as well.

Almost roaring as he did, Gemini pushed further out his particular sphere, feeling more and more of the shadows loosen their grips before, and not without great tax to himself, the sphere around him snapped, the other sphere disappearing in chain soon afterwards.

Not long afterwards did Gemini appear to pass out, however.

 

“...that...just happened…” Looking down, Neos glanced towards the bloom, which had began to consume the vision before closing up once more. “I should have expected a Time Flower to have shown up at some point.”

“I see that your split persona took from that technique you used for me to save himself. I do not recognize the dragon, but from what I can tell, it and Gemini must have ended up this way from, well, what must be the end of the Pathways.. That display doesn’t entirely confirm it, but I now have a suspicion about what’s going on here.” Arturia’s expression darkened. “ They engaged a powerful 'something' in battle at Prologuous, and that torture scene was the result. As for what that ‘something’ is...”

 

With it, she decided to fully draw her weapon. It wasn’t glowing anymore, but if ‘this’ was what she thought it was, then there was a high chance that she would have to resort to it. Her eyes scanned the surroundings - the forest of snow wasn’t too thick, but it should be able to provide some cover in the event that things worsened as she feared. There shouldn't normally be any way for this turn of events to come about, but the anomaly Gemini must have unintentionally provided a terminal for the limits of the Pathways to be crossed over. Well, if it was what the Origin decided was necessary, then so be it.

 

Turning her attention onto the comatose Gemini with blade in hand, she spoke out,

 

 “Avatar Conflictous, Guardian of Origin... You overstep your boundaries. What are you doing here?”

Neos was fast on his feet after seeing the blade, jumping back away once from the outcold ‘twin’ with a blue eyebrow raised at her. “Should I be expecting an “Oh, s***!”-in-progress event or something?”

“To put it bluntly, yes. Give it a moment or two."

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

Archon stared blankly at where Gemini had disappeared. "I did say "Hallway" of Origin, right?"

 

 

[[Pathway of Death: B10]]

 

"You really need to work out your anger issues" Archon said smugly to Gemini, before fading from existence.

 

 

[[Pathway of Remembrance: A3]]

 

"Heh. Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha! AH HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HAAAA!"

 

Gemini's body was cackling to itself as it rose, its eyes changing to black as it sneered at the pair. "Ah, Counter Guardian Arturia, and the one from which this failed construct arose. So good to have caught you, despite the fact that you're one to talk about overstepping boundaries Counter Guardian, as you shouldn't be here in the first place. You know as well as I do that the Throne of Heroes prohibits your entry into this most sacred of places. But unlike you, I am not overstepping my boundaries. The Pathways and Origin are my wards to keep, and it is only because I am of Prologuous that I cannot enter the Pathways normally. I am just glad this construct provided me with the means to inspect the Pathways, as to investigate certain incongruences making their way through here. Namely, him" the Avatar declared, nodding at Neos. "I do not know fully what nightmares exist in your head, but they must be incredibly potent for you to have broken the Pathways so utterly as to have created a terminal construct. Such a thing shouldn't exist in the first place, and yet, here it is, idly prostrating itself in Prologuous with the smug air worthy of Protheus himself, though arguably carrying much less refinement in regards or verbosity. However, it doesn't matter, because I am here on business of a different kind. I thought you might like to know that at this point in time, Protheus Maximus is situated in...-"

 

The Avatar stopped, looking oddly contemplative, before turning around on the spot, his back to the two. Taking a deep breath, light suddenly burst from his host's eyes and mouth, shining a bright and blinding light into the forest beyond. Once the ridiculous display ended, the host spun around again, this time carrying light-grey eyes, instead of black. "As I was saying, presently Protheus Maximus and the Key of Origin are in the Pathway Death, having completed the Pathway of Truth. The Pathway of Remembrance will be the last Pathway for him, and your own last chance to fight him for the Key" the figure explained.

[Dad]

Prologous

 

After a brief recovery session, counting heads, and assuring they weren't all totally going insane, Revy took it upon herself to round up the troops.  "Okay everybody, gather round," Revy said ordering her men to huddle.

 

"Revy, what are you doing?" Kratos asked immediately.

 

She nodded, with a coy smile on her face.  "Well, I'm so glad you asked, Kratos."  Letting her smile fade, she put on a serious look, tightening her boot straps and standing up straight, as Killua, Kenpachi, and Yachiru completed the circle.  "From here on out, we are one body, one mind.  We move as a unit.  We watch each other's backs, and we focus on the same goal.  We--"

 

"Isn't that what we've already been doing?" Killua interjected.

 

Revy gave the boy a nasty glare, that made him wince and shiver just a bit.  "As far as I'm concerned, it ain't what we been doin'.  But as of right now, I'm takin' charge.  From here on out, we are a squadron.  And in honor of my old friends, I hereby dub this team, the Black Lagoon Company."

 

Yachiru, who had grown excited by the sudden spark of camaraderie and encouragement, gave Revy a standing salute.  Playing along, Killua followed Yachiru, prompting a grin on her face.  Kenpachi shrugged, mimicking his other allies.  Finally, Kratos sighed, giving in to the newly formed squadron and its new commander.  "Men!  Move out!" Revy said with a smile on her face.

 

"Uh, sir?  Where exactly are we going?"

 

Revy stopped, and took a gander around.  Then, she spotted a new face, a new figure on the Prologous path.  She hadn't seen this one before, and so, it became a priority.  "We go, towards that dude!" she ordered.  "March!"

 

And upon approaching one Archon being, Yachiru was the first to tug on his leg.  "Excuse me civilian!" she said as seriously as possible.  Behind her, stifled laughs from Killua could be barely heard.  A quick elbow to the head and a resulting flying and skidding boy with white hair ended that matter quickly, thanks to Kenpachi.

 

"I am Yachiru Kusajishi of the Black Lagoon Company!  My commander has requested that we barter with you for information!  What can you tell us, and what would you like in exchange for this information!?" she said still in a saluting form.

 

And silently behind her, Killua came crawling back, barely standing up straight as he got back into position.

[Reinforce]

Ayame

Pathway of Death: C14

 

After listening to Kazuya explain why he didn't believe in fate, and promptly vanish through the stone at the end of the pathway, Ayame started to answer the question posed by the end of this path.

 

"Like Kazuya, I don't believe in fate. Nothing is set in stone, nothing is impossible to change. I refuse to embrace any fate that'll result in Naomi remaining dead and for that purpose, I'll access the door and bring about my own future."

 

With the barrier vanishing at that, Ayame strode forwards to touch the stone, finding herself in a new area with people from both sides standing around and looking at some brightly lit entity and a portal. Guessing at the portal being the next location they were supposed to go, she ran forwards, ignoring the rest of the people as she ran through the portal, to find herself on the other side.

 

Ending Location: Beyond the Portal

 

---

 

Chandra

Pathway of Death: B10

 

With a smirk on her own face, Chandra replied to the other planeswalker's monologue. 

 

"Well, considering I seemed to have been pulled from a point in the timeline in your future, I'd say chances are actually quite good for you surviving this. And since you weren't a crying wreak when that happened, your home and my existence are probably both intact as well."

 

With Jace having found something to get scared of, Chandra just started to run forward, racing straight towards the stairs at the end of the path, expecting Jace to just follow along this time.

 

Ending Location: C12

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

"I am Yachiru Kusajishi of the Black Lagoon Company!  My commander has requested that we barter with you for information!  What can you tell us, and what would you like in exchange for this information!?"

 

Okay, was... was she being serious right now? Had those lot not been paying attention to a SINGLE thing he had been saying this entire time? Really, the very thought of that made Archon want to facepalm. In fact, he did. He performed a celestial facepalm, his angelic fingers grasping at his formless face. Rubbing his featureless mug, he rolled his head at the demigami. "I know everything I need out of you, so, feel free to ask me anything, as I have however long until Protheus arrives here" he answered.

[Tesability Black]

~??? - Path of Death - Gemini's POV~

"You really need to work out your anger issues" Archon said smugly to Gemini, before fading from existence, to which Gemini simply growled at once he was gone.

"You need to stop giving me a reason to be pissed at ya," he shot back under his breath before looking ahead through the darkness of the path, seeing Chandra leave behind a near-literal streak of flame as she ran and Jace...

That boy really needed to exercise more often, this much was obvious to almost anyone at this point.

Seeing the increasing gap between the pair, Gemini shook his head and looking towards the starless sky, thinking to himself as he did.

"Somehow, me being temporarily nice to those that have already been through that kind of s***'s gonna eventually bite me in the ass. Just watch." And with that, and without any ceremony, did he zip forward.

"WHAT THE F*CK?! NOT AGAIN!" was the point-blank outburst he got when he effortlessly lifted Jace up into a bridal-style hold while running, zipping past Chandra like a blur towards the crystal at the end...

~Counter Corps - Path of Death - Jace's POV~

Even with the effort to run, he still wound up getting lost in Chandra's dust as she sped ahead of him, outpacing him with a speed he just didn't have. For as long as he could keep her in his sight in the darkness, even cheating a slight bit by having just enough of a mental presence in her head to be able to continue sensing where she was, he doubled over while remaining standing, his palms on his knees as he breathed in heavy.

"How do people have so much energ---WHAT THE F*CK?! NOT AGAIN!"

He found himself being carried in a bridal-style by someone in an instant, swooped up without any real chance to respond.

"If you do not wish for the lift, I can drop you over the edge."

Jace gulped before trying to make himself seem invisible to the naked eye, hiding his face in the hood of his cloak to also shield it from the wind that was slicing past them from his carrier's dash.

Not long after being suddenly picked up was he soon dropped upon his ass, which he rubbed gingerly before getting up to his feet. Looking up, he saw a very-similar crystal to the one he had seen at the end of Truth before looking back towards the one that had carried him in an unfortunately-familiar manner.

Gemini, though his back was turned towards the mindmage, hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Why are you being so nice to me, all of a sudden," Jace asked of him, cautiously curious at the sudden change of behavior being displayed.

He saw Gemini lean his head forward, possibly in thought, before he heard in a slightly-cryptic tone, "You're not the only one that bears scars. Mine are just harder to see."

And with that, he faded from view for the time being.

[Reinforce]

Chandra

Pathway of Death: C14

 

It was strange, one minute she was running ahead of Jace towards the end of the pathway, and the next he went flying past her carried in Gemini's arms. Narrowing her eyes, Chandra just ran faster, pushing herself to get to the stairs and up them, so he wouldn't manage to entirely leave her behind. And she managed to, arriving just as Gemini vanished from view, and Jace stood in front of the stone tablet that seemed to represent the end of this pathway.

 

‘Are you willing to embrace your fate’?

 

Chandra saw more than heard the words that appeared in her mind, realising that like in the pathway of truth, this would be a question that needed to be answered before advancing the final distance through the pathway. Frowning as she thought about it, and just what it would probably mean by fate, Chandra started to speak up in answer to the question.

 

"I refuse to embrace any sort of fate that's laid down in front of me like an absolute path. While some things may be likely to happen, I refuse to believe that the future is unchangeable and fated to happen in a certain way. My freedom is my own, and no predetermined fate is going to bind me."

 

Though she didn't test it, Chandra knew that the barrier stopping her from advancing had vanished. Still, she didn't advance just yet, waiting to see Jace's response to the question as well before she went on.

[Dad]

Black Lagoon Company

 

 "I know everything I need out of you, so, feel free to ask me anything, as I have however long until Protheus arrives here" he answered.

 

Yachiru nodded in affirmation, as she proceeded with questioning the 'civilian'.  "Very good, sir!  We would like to know--wait, what do we wanna know again?  Captain!" she said turning around.

 

Revy approached, relieving Yachiru of her duties.  "At ease soldier.  You're dismissed.  I'll take it from here."

 

"Thank you sir!" she said running excitedly back to Kenpachi's side, as she hurriedly whispered, "How'd I do Kenny?"

 

He grinned, messing her hair.  "You did great, little lady."

 

Revy began her questioning of Archon, firstly by introducing herself, despite Archon knowing who she was.  "I'm Captain Revy Twohands, of the Black Lagoon company.  One of my men has said that you're willing to cooperate with us, and I'd like you to know we appreciate your participation.  First and foremost, you said something about Protheus.

 

If I may, I'd like to confirm two things:  who you're working with, and why.  Afterwards, if you could kindly give my company and I detailed instructions on how to proceed to ambush Protheus, we would be very grateful."

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

Okay, they weren't listening at all. What was the point of grandiose speeches if no one even pays attention to them. However, for the sake of all things Archon contained himself. "I work with no one, as I serve Origin and Origin alone. As for Protheus, I am going to face him alone here, while the rest of you proceed through the portal to the Hallway of Origin, so for when I fail, you will be there to ambush an injured Protheus at Origin itself" Archon explained simply.

 

Mortals could be so tedious sometimes. Ah yes, speaking of mortality, the Resolute's attention shifted to the now-abandoned table, where all that remained of Tesability Black lay amongst the mess and clutter. With a quick warp the pristine jewel was floating in his hand; so pretty, so pristine. To think the dragon's life could be ended by clenching his fist.

 

 

 

 

|_)Sorceress Supreme, Avalon Lydia(_|

 

"You've been quiet... and immobile, sorceress."

 

"So?"

 

"You're staring at a lake."

 

"And?"

 

"And why are you doing that?"

 

"Eh, looking at the water is relaxing, and it's probably best that I do. If we're going to wait here for Protheus, I need to steel myself for the fight with like, the strongest person ever."

 

"It will be invigorating and exciting."

 

"We'll most likely die."

 

"There is glory in death as well as victory."

 

"There is no glory when no one would remember you."

 

"Origin remembers."

 

"Doors don't think."

 

"Foolish child."

[Love of Ghibli]

Team Dorian: The Portal To the End

 

And we're traveling and we're traveling and we're traveling. Thought Dorian as they traveled closer and closer to the endgame. Meanwhile another member of Team Dorian was in deep thought. Rhadamanthys had taken this time to flash back on his "lives" as a spectre. Doing the same thing over and over again to the point that it was all he knew. 

I am one of Lord Hades' swords that is all, but why now do I feel so...incomplete. Actually it has been traveling with these two that I feel even more alive then I have with all of the wars against Athena. But why is that? My whole purpose for being is supposed to be the sword for Hades against all that would do him wrong. Now however I feel so unsatisfied. I feel empty. I see so this is what living for yourself means. I will take advantage of these new plans and proceed to find my own destiny after this ordeal has completed. Lord Hades' be patient one of your Three Judges shall make sure history will not repeat itself like the last time. 

The flying spectre looked around and flew with a more driven purpose than before. 

[The Warden]

[[Another Time, Another Place: Prologuous]]

 

Yes... such a precious life, contained within a stone. So precious, so... fragile. Archon chuckled to himself as he regarded Revy, his head tilted as if he were sneering. "How much do you care about the lives of those who entered the portal?" he inquired of her and the others, and then laughed loudly.

 

Checkmate!

 

"Actually, don't answer that. Ultimately... whatever you have to say is irrelevant" Archon(?) declared as he held his hand out to the "portal". "DESPERATE SPACE!"

 

The portal, or at least what those who entered thought was a portal, collapsed in on itself with the force of a black hole. Unless a contingency was met, all those who went inside were now One With Origin after being crushed by the sheer force of the void. "Ah ha ha ha! AH HA HA HA! AH HA! AH HA HA HAAAAAA!" the wretched Guardian laughed loudly.

 

As if out of a nightmare, the righteous appearance of Archon melted, all light giving way to cold empty void. His feathers fell from his wings like leaves from a tree in autumn, each one a grim reminder of the cruel winter approaching. His sainted white robes were bathed in night, going from white to black as the angelic being twisted itself into the form of a grim spectre. Draped in a sweeping black robe, Avatar Conflictous flexed his ten bony wings, they creaked loudly from the strain, like the floorboards of an ancient house. A hood covered his blank head, a pair of glowing white eyes peering out from beneath the folds, alongside a creepy crescent smile as he held aloft Tesability Black's crystal. "This was all too perfect, truly, it was. You fell for my ruse hook, line, and sinker. Truly is shows how little you compared to me at all; especially you, you sleeping dragon. You cannot hear my words, but the world will hear this... goodbye, Tesability Black. The Pain, of Non-Existence!" AC declared.

 

The citrine coloured gem dulled into an empty grey, before fading away into dust carried on the breeze.

 

Tesability Black has returned to Origin

Darcy has returned to Origin(?)

Rhadamanthys has returned to Origin(?)

Butlerok has returned to Origin(?)

Dorian has returned to Origin(?)

Yukari has returned to Origin(?)

Koishi has returned to Origin(?)

[Love of Ghibli]

Team Dorian: Insta-Death Portal Closing

Flying at the speed of hope Butlerok and the team thought they had literally made the right decision. This was pretty much clean breeze...that was until the entrance closed. The team's eyes widened as they knew that this was bad. Clearly everything was about to go south and they probably had only a moment to spare. Butlerok turned around and unleashed all of his power. Kishin aura and the Ill Thamen all poured into the Mad Blood and extended it out towards all of the residents inside the portal. As he proceeded to engulf everyone with his blood he was able to use some magic to delay the immense crushing. Still not much time before they all die or whatever this trap was set to do. He then sensed something in the distance. Not distance as much space. A piece of him somewhere not within their current space. Butlerok realized exactly what he had to do...
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Prologous:

 

"This was all too perfect, truly, it was. You fell for my ruse hook, line, and sinker. Truly is shows how little you compared to me at all; especially you, you sleeping dragon. You cannot hear my words, but the world will hear this... goodbye, Tesability Black. The Pain, of Non-Existence!"

 

Surely a well deserved proclamation of victory...until a tingling inside its inner space. A small insignificant tingling that grew and grew until from inside the Avatar shot out another portal seemingly opened and from it thousands and thousands of Rukh shot out like a plague of locust and formed a series of clusters in the sky. Once the Rukh dispersed the people who were trapped inside the portal were floating in individual borgs that protected them from "origination." Butlerok was seen floating on his own without a Borg making a heavy sigh. I will say, I have not had to work that hard since we've started, but thank you for keeping a little piece of Mad Blood within you. I used it as a marker for  my exit point when I made my custom dimension. Hate to say it...BUT YOU DONE MESSED UP NOW!! Ragnarok interrupted as he was surely livid. Butlerok looked on as his teammates were coming to, which was good. He was going to need some reinforcements to back up his new plan.

Dorian and Rhadamanthys looked at each other regained their composure. So I guess we're back to punching again. Some foes are more stubborn than others.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Well...I can't say I'm surprised. Should I be surprised?

 

It's still a really big pity perhaps, but we can't really do anything about it." Yukari sighed as Koishi signaled that her remote-controlled body had been annihilated after it entered the portal, while she herself was still keeping her eyes on the Avatar as it revealed its true color. For once her paranoia served her well.

 

"...That hurts..." Hanging on her arm was Koishi, reduced into her third-eye state, letting out a pained sigh. Her appendages circled around Yukari's right arm, while the eye itself stared at Yukari. The grip then suddenly became tighter and tighter, and the ones that didn't grip started to move in an erratic way. Yukari could then also feel a tingly sensation on her back, probably from yet another of Koishi's tentacles.

 

“This is an apology from me for using your body in such way, Koishi. I’ll go find a way to get you a new one soon. Just hangs in there for now, alright?” Yukari’s attempt to calm down the satori was seemingly successful with how Koishi seemingly loosening her(?) grip on Yukari. She still felt a bit guilty about using Koishi like that, but Yukari knew Koishi realized how necessary it was. The tingling feeling on her back remained however, but Yukari didn’t pay it much mind for now as her focus returned at the creature down below. From the slit in space, Yukari watched the thing attacked the group that included Reimu’s friend. She had a desire to try helping them by taking them inside of her gap, however she chickened out at the last second. Yukari couldn’t afford revealing her presence now, since it would mean she could’ve inadvertently gave the Avatar access to her personal world – and this would be doubly worrying with Reimu still incapacitated inside of it.

 

“You’re waiting for others to move first…” Koishi had calmed, going by the mental voice Yukari heard. However, it seemed that her voice had an exasperated tone with it.

 

“Yes. Yes I am, Koishi. I’m being cowardly again, yes. No need to be able to read minds to know what you have in mind now with that stare. Lynch me for this later once this battle is over.

 

Now with that said and settled, let’s continue the observation.”

 

---