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

[Dad]

Like Father, Like Stranger, Like Son

 

The flash of light that warmed Kratos also left a sinking feeling in his gut.  He knew the result of Gon's last, desperate attack before it was even complete.  Kratos raised his head to see Gon's light dimming, and his headless corpse falling out of the air.  He never got the chance to complete the attack.  

 

Finite returned to the ground, clutching Gon's smiling, dripping head with its own filthy, stained hands.  Even in death, Gon's smile did not fade.  The shadow world returned to darkness, and Finite merely tossed Gon's head to Kratos' feet.  "Will you flee?" Finite spoke, directing its question to Kratos.  

 

Kratos readied his weapon.  The fury that burned within him had never burned hotter than now.  "And die with my back turned?  I am a proud Spartan, Kenpachi.  I am no coward."

 

Finite faced Kratos.  "That man.  That name.  They are both dead."

 

"And soon, you will be as well," Kratos responded.

 

Finite stepped slowly, casually towards Kratos.  Its weapon was raised over one shoulder by its left hand.  "You may be a god slayer, but the queen... she has ensured that I transcend even beyond those titles," Finite proclaimed.

 

"Gods.  Men.  Demons.  Immortals.  I do not care what name or power you possess," Kratos said as a blue flame enveloped him.  "You have turned your back on your allies.  You have turned your back on me!  You have turned your back on the girl!"  Kratos roared.  "You were her friend, her father, and her only hope!  You have tarnished her good name!"

 

"Do not speak of her to me!  You failed your entire family, Kratos!  And you killed the rest!  You're a failure!" Finite snapped back.

 

Kratos' flames grew brighter, turning from blue to white as he stepped forward.  "I atoned for my mistakes, Kenpachi!  But I never was, and never will be, a traitor!"

 

Finite and Kratos both blinked, and their blades met.

[Phantom Roxas]

[spoiler=Reunion for the Subjects of the Phantom]In the Hallway of Origin, Team Eria advanced.

 

To whatever lay beyond the painting of the strange woman, which Chardonnay had disappeared into.

 

It was impossible to say what awaited these characters who were oh so far from home, and yet, they had long since foregone the opportunity to turn back. When they first resolved themselves to battle in this conflict. When they entered the White Room for the first time. When they completed all three of their Pathways. When they took up arms against Protheus. And now, the leaders of the Divine and of the Counter Corps - Arturia Pendragon and Protheus Maximus - were both dead. The team of warriors made their way to the end. Or rather, to the beginning.

 

Whether they’d been brought into the Origin War by a Counter Guardian, by an Omni, or any other phenomena, it was by their own will that they fought now. They could sense their Remembrance, their Truth, and their Death on their backs as they pass through the portal to the finale. There was only them, and the long-awaited end of this hellhole.

 

Upon entering the painting, one would feel enveloped in an grand darkness depriving them of all of their senses; touch, taste, scent, sight, and hearing. Just like that, all their talents and all their experiences seemed utterly worthless. There was only the barest sensation that they were being transported to their destination. In the midst of transit, the countless characters were essentially being propelled by a greater force across an ocean of pure black. The primal darkness, the void that existed before the beginning, an infinite nothingness in which time and space did not exist. They were not moving through space, but rather, through the fabric of existence itself.

 

The true pathway to Origin, one might say－－－

 

...

 

Time and space were abstract concepts, flicking by in a series of bright lights. There was only the faintest hint that they ‘were’, at all. Their past, their present, their future, each were rendered pointless in the face of this endless existence. With that thought, and that knowledge, they held onto their very identities with determination. In that absence of anything, in that suffocation of everything, one thought kept them going: ‘I know why I came here.’

 

Things were lost, and things were gained, but there was certainly a point to all of it. To prepare them for the end. To ensure that, when they finally reached that crucial finale, they would know who they were and what they would do.

 

And so, the end approached.

 

tick tock tick tock

tick tock

tick

 

A point of light had appeared over the horizon, mercilessly tearing into the void to project an entrance to the grand finale. Everyone’s senses returned to them as their bodies accelerated through the void, fast incoming－－－

 

 

---

 

---

 

---

 

 

At last, all but two have arrived. Having reached their destination, the remaining Counter Corps were jettisoned out of a vortex, spread across the realm at random. Gravity had pulled them to the ground.

 

Before them was a land reminiscent to both the Inner Periphery and the White Rooms, in that it was a bright, blank world. Devoid of any detail. Only a white floor amongst an empty expanse, stretching out over the white horizon, towards eternity. Considering how far they had come, how much they had fought and how hard they struggled to get to this point, it may have actually felt anticlimactic to be met with such an empty sight. And yet it only made sense. The description of detail exists only to the observer, while this was a realm never intended to be observed by anyone, let alone an army of resolved individuals. Of course nothing would meet them. In the beginning, there was nothing. Nothing but…

 

 

The Door of Origin

 

 

Remembrance. Truth. Death.

 

Having completed the three Pathways, the warriors had finally reached the Door of Origin... And yet, it seemed not quite ready yet. Where it ought to have been, in all its magnificence, there was instead a ring of white. Off in the distance, this ring was superbly gigantic in nature, although the lack of other objects to compare it to made it immensely difficult to discern just how far or large it actually was. Whether it was closer to the size of a building or an planet, none could tell.

 

The only thing was certain was that its true form had yet to materialize. Still, as inexplicable as it was, the sight of that ring alone oddly invoked the feeling of ‘home’ in them. It was impossible to put aside the feeling that they had finally come home after a long, wearisome journey. This shouldn’t be a surprise. As the connection to Origin itself, every single one of them had originated from whatever lay beyond.

 

Somehow, the three great Pathways had led to a ‘nothing’ that wasn’t even brilliant; it was a rundown excuse of a finale. The otherwise-blank realm was damaged by cuts and tears in space, black spots permeating wherever the warriors looked, giving their surroundings the impression of a deteriorated old film. The atmosphere was tense and stale. They couldn’t help but sense that this wasn’t how things were supposed to go - it was the some sort of sense that had let them remember how things should’ve been for their own worlds. There should have been warm light, leading them to that ‘something’ capable of rewriting all of reality, that so many dedicated their entire lifespans to pursue. They should have been met with the sight of a circular, breathtakingly glorious Door of Origin, welcoming their entry. Not a blank circle.

 

But more worrying than that,

 

where

was

everyone?

 

As if to answer…

 

A voice, young and gentle, spoke in their minds.

"You certainly took your time, Servants of the Phantom… Still, thank you for coming.”

 

 

The figure of the woman was exactly how it was in the painting, as elegant as it was empty, and as beautiful as it was bereaved. Rather than a living being, she was much more like a spirit of nature. Her eyes were faded. Her skin was a dazzling pearl white. Her body was mostly exposed, with naught but a white cloth around her hips and an unusual headdress to cover her; to her, there was no trace of shame. Roses were tattooed along the shoulder of her right arm, appearing to grow bit by bit. As whole, there was something about her that seemed to contrast with the other characters, being hyper-realistic, extradimensional, if one could put it that way. But at the same time, the sight of her made her feel oddly like family.

 

“I guess that creature already told you guys what’s going on, huh? I don’t like him messing with my precious cast, but it’s fine. It’s totally fine. You’re all here… And that’s all that matters.” Her face twitched, ever so slightly, as her eyes touched upon the giant cast of characters before her. Checking out the expressions on their faces, and the feelings within their hearts. “Thankfully, I’ve had some practice with introductions! Yep, surprise surprise, it’s me! Isamy Maximus! Not the one you’re familiar with, but the other one. Just like you lot, I completed the Pathway to Origin and reached the Door we all stand at now.... Oh. None of you look surprised about that either. So you knew that too, huh. That’s crazy. Well… it still might help to see things firsthand.”

 

Although her words were so vibrant, full of personality and quite familiar to those who’d heard her voice before, it directly contrasted with the blank, corpse-like look on her face and the utter absence of body language. It was comparable to the divide between someone’s online persona and their real persona, between the text on a computer and the person behind it. But that wouldn’t stop them from loving her, of course.

 

As the woman spoke informally yet passionately, her right hand was turning darker, taking on a more spatial tone. Psychic energy seemed to be being charged within it, a certain segment of her memories and knowledge being condensed into a short passage. She snapped her fingers, abruptly releasing all of that energy. and a vision entered the minds of Team Eria.

 

A vision, a recent memory that showed the rest of the Counter Corps and Divine all arriving at the Door of Origin. During that crucial Reunion, she had revealed her her belief in a ‘happily ever after’, her memories, and her reasoning to them... ceasing just after she made her offer.

 

The huge amount of information released by Isamy flowed through the teams, but it was only flowing naturally. This could be blocked out or only touched upon in small bits. Nonetheless, those who watched it emerged from that multitude of answers incarnate, feeling as though they had awoken from a long, century-long dream.

 

Only to be faced with reality. After giving her background a minute to sink in, the enigma continued, further broadcasting her telepathy.

 

"Exactly eleven months have passed since then... Wait, no, fifteen? Huh. Anyway, I was impatient for your arrival, but at the same time, I understand that you guys had reasons to hang around in Remembrance for so long. It may be bad to say, but it was really exciting to watch, you know? I was rooting for you guys all along, just so you know! You showed him who’s boss! Even though you were all so puny, you kept pushing on and pushing on, and did all those awesome things! I’m kinda iffy about you guys destroying Pure Edge after all the effort I undertook to steal it, but that doesn’t matter now. Gosh was I pumped when you all combined and did that thing with the Lake! ‘Aetos’ is so cool! You’re all so cool!” Her voice filled with joy, she showered the team in encouragement and praise as she rambled. Her thoughts disorganized, her presence overwhelming. “I was really terrified when he nearly screwed everything up for me, but that turned out to be convenient in the end! He used up his one use of his true form there, and with that, you guys had your chance! Between replacing my other self and trying to bypass the Pathways, that man’s been a real pain in the ass. I can’t believe I spent so much of my life looking for such an jabroni. Well, I got my closure with him back during my own Remembrance visit, so... It doesn’t really matter. One way or another, he’s gone, and that’s that. Come to think of it, I wonder if your victory is what caused me to be born? Damn, these time paradoxes are scarily complex, aren’t they? Anyway, things would’ve gone terribly if he managed to make it here, so thank you!”

 

Even though she was the Herald of Chaos and Entropy, she held nothing against them. Contrary to it in fact. it seemed like she was genuinely relieved at what they’d accomplished. The enigma was grateful for their efforts, congratulating them without any animosity. She was a little weird, sure, but it was nothing on the scale of her father. Everything they’d been told was being contradicted right here. When they thought about it, they never really got the opportunity to chat with her personally. The ‘Isamy’ on the Pathway was a fake based on their impressions, after all. Even Arthur and MirageGaogamon only caught glimpses of her other self, and if they reflected on it, that other Isamy seemed more misguided than anything really evil. It could just be that everything they’d heard about her - from the Counter Guardians and from that mysterious being - were biased against her. Perhaps she wasn’t such a bad person.

 

“Right now I have the Key of Origin. All of existence in is my hands, and the Door of Origin has the power to do anything, to affect existence on a narrative scale. I don’t wanna do anything as bad as distort reality, and I don’t wanna end any lives. My goal’s pretty simple, as I’m sure you’ve all heard. It’s to enter the Door, and write down just one simple line for the omniverse-”

 

’and everyone lived happily ever after’

 

Having said that, she gazed at her subjects. Even with her corpselike appearance, her voice was so full of determination and hope that they couldn’t help but be amazed. All this time she’d been fighting for them, all along she’d been fighting for them. Those discrepancies would do nothing to deter them from the fact they knew in their hearts, that she couldn’t be their enemy.

 

“We all seek happiness, but at the same time, it’s in our nature to crush each other’s happiness. The Door of Origin can change all of that. Our unanswered pains, our endless hardships, the tragedies we face with no reward... Surely it can’t be that bad to want to alleviate it? To give everyone a light at the end of the tunnel?”

 

Her beliefs were a little extreme, sure, but she seemed reasonable. Not evil at all. Just some misguided girl who’d gone through countless tragedies, and in that way, she was no different from any of them. In their own way, they could all relate to her efforts. Having tried so hard to reach this point, it was actually relieving to know that they could converse normally with this person. There was no need for fighting. If they just reached out to her, then this could all be over.

 

Even then, she had a point. What she proposed was reasonable, even realistically accomplishable. The Door could do anything after all. They’d been chasing after their own goals all the while thinking she’d be there to oppose them, but, as they listened to her, they realized that this didn’t have to be the case.

 

“Please, join me. Not just as a member of the Divine, but literally join me. Become one with me.” Isamy declared, her voice gentle and sweet. ”I offer the chance the fuse with my soul and become a Herald of Order. We shall enter the Door of Origin together, as one. You shall hold influence over the final result of the omniverse, free to finetune your own happy ending as you see fit.”

 

This was perfect. The remaining warriors of the Counter Corps could only stand there in awe. Although unsure, they couldn’t help but be impressed at the thoughtfulness of the goddess they’d just met. This was exactly what they wanted. Just because she was an Omni, or Protheus’s successor, or the creator of the Divine, didn’t mean she had to be evil. It didn’t necessarily mean that she was someone they should fight. It was somewhat different from what they originally intended, but if they agreed to her kind request, then they’d all accomplish what they were aiming for, even if it was indirect. But could they trust her?

 

Isamy smiled. And just like that, they all felt horrible for feeling this way. What was wrong with them? Why were they doubting her, when she hadn’t done anything to them? She’d been so kind and considerate just to give them all this information to take in, all this time to think, even though they were supposed to be enemies. She had the Key of Origin and she was a kind person. If they wanted to accomplish what they came here to do, they would have to either engage her in combat, which seemed unnecessarily cruel… Or to just become one with her and become ‘Divine’. The answer was obvious.

 

But then again… Wasn’t there something wrong with this line of thinking, that didn’t necessarily line up with their own minds? Wasn’t she still their greatest enemy? Wasn’t she still responsible for this whole Origin War?

 

“No, I understand… I’ve done a lot of pretty bad things for the sake of my goal. I’m sure I hurt you all. And I’m technically his daughter after all. But, just, hear me out? Alright guys?” The Herald pleaded, and with the gentle sound of her beauty, heavy guilt weighed within them. She’d seen right through their doubts, right through their ugly thoughts. They ought to feel terrible for ever doubting her.

 

Isamy turned to the warriors directly. Her mind conveyed her pleas via telepathy pleas, reaching out to them. In their minds, her voice was oddly soothing as she addressed them by their names－offering each and every one an invitation, to a happily ever after.

 

With a welcoming gesture, the Herald beckoned to everyone at once:

”Sora. Captain of the Royal Knights. It’s an honour to finally meet you, the real you. This must sound so strange coming from someone you’ve never met, but I really admire you, you know? I don’t think anyone else realizes just how amazing you are. Travelling from world to world, getting along with everyone, emerging victorious and keeping the peace every time. There’s no Keyblade Master like you, no stronger heart than yours. I’ve loyally followed your alternate selves in an attempt to understand them, and well, I just can’t wrap my mind around how you do it. Even you, whose dimension was rife with insane anomalies and a hyperactive Organization XIII, managed to bring peace. Sora, you’re everything I aspire to be. When you became the Witch’s Familiar, Xansvita, and joined the Divine, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been overjoyed－you may deny it, but I’m certain some part of that decision, unconsciously, was yours. I’m sure you’ve recognized just how unstable, how fragile your universe really is, even without my interference. If you’re like me at all, if you’ve seen the tragedies I’ve seen, then you’ll know there’s only one solution. A Door. It’s one that even your Key can’t open, one that can change everything. Sora, will you help me open it?“

 

”Kairi. Vice-Captain of the Royal Knights, and Sora’s loyal second-in-command. You were never meant to be a participant in the Origin War, brought in only to be a disposable pawn, to weaken the fallen Xansvita, and yet you defied fate. Even though you were thrust from the madness of one battlefield directly into the madness of another, you grasped the situation in an instant, fighting alongside the Counter Corps. You’re an incredible warrior. More than that, you’re incredibly kind. As a Keyblade Master, you must see me, and the Divine, as evil, but please listen. I’m sorry you had to be caught in the crossfire. I wish things were so simple, but I’m trying as hard as everyone else, and when it comes down to it I want exactly the same thing you do. To fix everything, to bring peace to the many worlds. I know your worries. We can save your universe with the Door’s power, it’s definitely achievable. However, you have to trust me. I need your help. Keyblade Master, can we just help one another out?“

 

”Gagagigo. The Risen, freed from the control of a mad scientist… It looks like I owe you some thanks, for smashing your way into the Communion. In your madness, you ultimately let me exist in two places at once. You practically opened the path for the Origin War to happen in the first place. For that, I’m grateful.” She frowned, confused for a moment. “But it doesn’t look like you have an application of your own. Your past is a blur. Still, from Eria and Kozaky’s pasts, might I take a guess? The Water Charmer raised you, and in return, you wanted to protect her with everything you had. You needed power, and every adventure you two went on made you understand just how powerless you really were. You trained, and trained, and soon enough you pushed her away in pursuit of ultimate power. Eventually, you were unstoppable, but in exchange you turned into a mindless destroyer, unable to do anything but hurt others. A miracle brought you back from the edge. Did I hurt the mark? ...Regardless, it feels very much like you’ve been seeking atonement lately. I bet your quest for power disillusioned you. It must’ve been hard. I know what that’s like, Gagagigo. It’s okay. I know what it’s like to chase after power, and I know what it’s like to be driven mad by it. But trust me, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, for these are the sacrifices we must make to defend the ones we love. You know by now what the Door can do, don’t you? You know the limitless potential it holds. Your wildest dream, once thought impossible, rests just beyond. The time has finally come. Will you take this ultimate power?”

 

”Eria. The Water Charmer. As crazy as it seems, it seems like you really are the fusion of two separate Erias - Warrior of Light, Soldier of Dark. I don’t quite understand how that was accomplished, but I do see why. To defeat that man, you had to sacrifice your individual natures, huh. That’s amazing. And no matter the reality - you’re both still Eria, aren’t you? There was once a time when you saw reality as black and white, and wanted to learn magic for the sake of justice. It was taboo in your village, but still, you dared to dream. And just like that, your dream came true. Doriado chose you, and suddenly, you had the freedom to speak openly about it all, you had beloved friends to trust in, and you could be the person you’d always wanted to be… Things must’ve been good.” A pause. ”But soon enough, you learned the same things I did. That reality isn’t so black and white. Your best friend Gagagigo abandoned you, and whether it was due to the Distortions or due to the War of Darkness, your world slowly broke apart. Both of you have seen that tragedy, haven’t you－the loss of your friends, your family, your village－and have been seeking the Door ever since. There have been those who tried to demean you as a simple trading card, but you refused to be defined like that at every turn. The very fact that you stand so close to Arthur Ancyl, and that you two Erias have fused, shows that you’ve since opened your mind to see the bigger picture. You’ve realized there’s more to it than good and evil, heroes and villains.” It may have been her imagination, but it almost looked like the Herald was smiling. ”Congratulations. Your efforts have brought you to the end. Rest easy now. If you can understand me, and forgive me, like you did Arthur all that time ago…then let’s go. Let’s wipe away those tragedies together, shall we?”

 

”MirageGaogamon. Once a mere Strabimon, now the Golden Wolf’s greatest comrade. The Swift Blue Wolf. I admit. I don’t really get you. But I know this much. All your life you fought in that boy’s name, even when others doubted you. You were faithful to your master, to the point of sacrificing yourself just for his sake. However, in the end, it was your decision to leave the Divine. His decision to follow. He sees you as the real hero, you know. Everything he’s done since arriving in the Digital World, all those years, it’s obvious to me that all he was doing was following in your footsteps! In turn, all you’ve been doing is following your morals, trying to protect him as much as you can, trying to let him be the hero he always dreamed of being… It must be such an honour for you, to protect someone who values you so much,” Her eyes darkened. ”Knowing all that, I wonder. How much did it hurt when you failed? When Ogudomon took everything away, and you couldn’t even do something as simple as protect your most precious human. You sacrificed yourself, and even that wasn’t enough. If I hadn’t shown up, you’d both be in the dirt, digital remnants consumed by the oncoming shadows. The truth is, that’s the cruelty of the reality we live in. You can’t protect him, or anyone, the way you are. There’s only one way to atone for your miserable failure. Come, Blue Wolf. Will you merge with me, and protect them all?”

 

”Arthur Ancyl. The Golden Wolf, a Son of Apollo. I know those eyes of yours. Let me take a guess. Growing up－I bet you really wanted everyone to see you as a hero, huh? But somewhere along the lines, you found yourself trapped. As a child you were a thrillseeker, but more than that, you wanted others to acknowledge you. You made friends with everyone, but kept your distance and buried your many flaws, hiding your status as a foster child among other things. The Digital World must’ve been a dream come true. Your real Infinite Tsukuyomi, the greatest thing that ever happened. Freed from responsibility, surrounded by the kindness and trust of Digimon you were given a chance to live out your dreams, to be a great hero without repercussions. When you returned to reality and found out you were a demigod, you must’ve thought you could be a hero there too. But instead… Reality hurt you. Badly. You lost your family, you found out your life was worthless－and suddenly, everything was so real. When you were in Camp Half-Blood thanks to the blood of your parents, how could you possibly enjoy it? Life had become a nightmare. So you ran. Turning your back on all responsibility, you ran back to your ideal world, to the best friend that awaited you, and assumed the persona of the ‘Golden Wolf’. Only for reality to hurt you again. You wanted so badly to be a hero, not understanding that to be a hero meant to carry everyone’s suffering upon your shoulders...not until the very end.”

 

As though prompted by a outside force, the boy’s mind flashed back to an event in his past. The slow degradation of the Digital World he had grown to know and love, the advancing of Ogudomon, the sacrifice by his best friend that led to absolutely nothing. Ultimately, his own dying self, lying powerlessly on that cold ground, consumed by frustration.

 

“I wouldn’t have found you if your mind hadn’t been screaming out in anguish. Desperately willing reality to change, with every inch of your soul. You were weak, yeah. But I saw your potential as a Divine. You understood like I did just how cruel reality could be, and saw a perfect solution to your impossible dilemma. All this time you’ve been refusing to be strung along by greater powers, pursuing the truth and only the truth, and for that, I applaud you. You’ve surpassed my every expectation. Really, it’s no wonder you became the Bane of the Madara. No wonder you overcame Infinite Tsukuyomi so easily. After all, your wildest fantasies were already realized and shattered. Doing it again couldn’t have been a big deal. I’m sure if it weren’t for that stubborn partner of yours, you never would’ve left us. It was that determination alone that led you and your comrades into taking down the Herald of Darkness, when no one else could. You and I are exactly alike, you know. Struggling against fate, focused on overcoming impossible scenarios using the most practical methods. And somehow, you’ve reached the Door to your new reality. Gods, Digimon, humans, you’ll be showered with their praise soon enough. Now then... Shall we unite these worlds with our dreams, young boy?”

 

It was over. At last, Isamy let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.

 

They listened to her every word, their minds gradually melting.

 

Arthur, MirageGaogamon, Sora, Kairi, Gagagigo, and Eria ought to all start walking forward in unison, filled with a sense of satisfaction, of relief, of love. Their newfound goddess was truly merciful, without flaw, without mistake. The logic of Isamy Maximus was impeccable. Why would they ever oppose her? How did they not see it before? Now that they’d actually had an opportunity to talk things out, they would all understand that they’d been so foolish chasing after the desires they’d chosen. They should give up now and join her. She wanted the exact same thing they did, after all. There was no doubt in their minds, for they knew what they wanted now.

 

ACCEPT.

 

They knew they must accept.

 

ACCEPT.

 

They absolutely must accept, no matter what.

 

ACCEPT.

 

They must accept

they must accept

they must accept

they must accept

THEY MUST ACCEPT-

 

“Isamy.” Arthur answered at last.. “I never told you this that day, but… thank you. I know that if you weren’t there, MirageGaogamon and I would have died. But this? What you’re offering me is no different from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It’s a shortcut to something I still don’t think I’ve earned. For all I know, your wish is so vague that as soon as you write it, I’ll find myself on my deathbed. Maybe I’ll have some memories telling me I lived a good life, and that it’s time for me to rest, but I’m not ready for that. Not when I still have to figure out how I want to keep living. When I joined you, it was because I thought you were right. Reality is cruel, but if I could change it, how could I resist? But all I did was enslave Eria’s friends, obsess over the power I could have, and if I stayed that way any longer, I don’t think even MirageGaogamon would have wanted to stood by me anymore.”

 

Arthur grit his teeth, trying to take a deep breath, but it wasn’t at all relaxing. He gripped Hopeless Black. Somehow, he could feel it pushing back against the words that Isamy was feeding into his mind. It reminded him of standing at the edge of a cliff, feeling the temptation to simply jump. It would be suicide, of course, but even acknowledging the possibility was a habit of morbid curiosity. For now, Hopeless Black felt like a tether keeping him hanging from the edge instead of giving in to that urge.

 

“MirageGaogamon wasn’t the one being stubborn. It was me. All me. Even with everything I’ve seen here, I can’t believe that reality is just cruel by nature. It’s people who can be cruel to each other, and I wasn’t any different. And yet, I know that there’s still just as many- no, there are countless more people who know how be kind, to trust us even if we don’t deserve it. To wake us up from wallowing in our misery. You’re right, I wanted to be a hero, but I just ended up becoming the villain. I was no better than the Demon Lords. I gave up on trying to be a hero ever since I went to Camp Half-Blood. I didn’t think I was going to protect people there the same way I did in the Digital World, because I didn’t want to! I lost one family, and was just suddenly thrown in with a bunch of strangers and basically told ‘Sorry you lost your parents, kid, but at least you’ve got a backup family now!’”

 

Arthur let out a slight chuckle. He was angry with Isamy, to be sure. Nothing she had said changed anything about what he came here to do. But if nothing else, Arthur needed Isamy to understand him. “I don’t remember the names of any of my brothers or sisters back at camp. Not like I spared any headspace for the Pathway to Remembrance to pick up on. They deserve better than that. They deserve a better brother than some coward who ran away from them. I just felt like some kid at school that sits alone during lunch. Now all I want is for everyone to forgive me.”

 

“Except…” Arthur drew both his Keyblade and Hopeless Black. His eyes glowed crimson and gold as they met Isamy’s gaze. “I only plan to use the Door to let everyone decide for themselves if I deserve that. I’ve picked your side once already. Not this time.”

 

Eria put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “Don’t you get it, Isamy? I forgave Arthur because of the kind of man he is now.” She tightened her grip, but Arthur kept glaring at Isamy. “So I can’t just forgive you, Isamy. Not because you’re asking nicely. I wanted to learn magic because I needed to know, why me? How was I able to be Gagagigo’s friend? We made a connection, just like Arthur and MirageGaogamon have. Doriado said that if the two of us worked together, we could be destined for something greater. Even when Gagagigo disappeared, I was afraid that we wouldn’t be able to do whatever Doriado saw in us. Part of me gave up on that completely after… after the War of Darkness.”

 

Eria let go of Arthur as her hand started burning again. “We haven’t sacrificed our individuality. Forgiving Gagagigo was terrifying to me, and yet it’s also everything I could ever want. What you showed me - Isabella, Ameliorer, whoever you really are - I get that. You and I, we’re both fusions. I shouldn’t understand that, but I do. But I don’t see the world as black and white like you. Between the two people I’ve been - that I can still be - it feels like I’m seeing shades of gray. Nothing can be some perfect fantasy that I dreamed of. It was never going to be like the fairy tales my mom read to me, but it doesn’t have to be as terrible as Megiddo or your father or even you have made it all out to be. I’m standing beside Arthur, Gagagigo, and even myself, because I don’t care if I have to walk through Hell itself. As long as we can still find our way back, that’s what matters in the end. So, I sympathize with you, Isamy. I can’t say I’m not tempted to just wish Megiddo did. Kill him, and all of his allies, with a simple wish. That’s the happy ending you would expect from me, right?”

 

Eria’s Keyblade appeared in her hand. Even just holding it, she could feel the pain from the brand suppressed by the Keyblade’s own magic. “But I’ve seen what power like that does to people. It’s what led Arthur and Gagagigo down their own dark paths, after all. And Lady Doriado. Or Arturia. Your father. And now you. I don’t see how you’re much different from him. I know you want us to sympathize with you, but that’s what’s so scary. We already understand. You’re too much like us. Gods, we even tried to take the Omni Principle for ourselves! We tried to replace you! I would have never joined you when all this started, and if you and your father have shown me anything, it’s that I made the right choice.”

 

Gagagigo nodded. “Regardless of what Arturia had done, I’m glad we all ended up on the Counter Corps.” Gagagigo kept himself calm. In spite of everything Isamy had told him, he refused to act until the others were ready. “I don’t want your thanks, Isamy. I know that I have as much blame for the Origin War as you and your father. I may not understand your time travel, but even if I tell myself that this was all meant to be, no matter what I did, it doesn’t excuse that when I nearly killed Eria, that still pales in comparison to unleashing you on the multiverse. A miracle may have brought me back to my senses, but I don’t think that’s something that was ‘meant to be.’ So of course I’m going to be ashamed of what I did. Seeing Erebos so easily captured by Solasiro… it makes me realize how small I still am. From what I heard from the other Eria, what good would my sacrifice be if I’m the monster that she has to fight? If I joined you to let you do whatever you please with the Door, then that miracle would have all been for nothing. I’d rather be damned again before I let you win.”

 

“You shouldn’t have to worry about that,” MirageGaogamon assured him. “Look at us. We’ve stood by each other. You and Kairi may have only joined us during the Sphere Forest, but Eria and Sora still fought for you both.” He glared at Isamy. “But then there’s you. You’ve been alone all these years. You look at us, and created your own ideas of who we are. You were accurate, up to a point. The problem is that you convinced yourself that we’d agree with you. You may have saved us from Ogudomon, but it was us who defeated Apocrypha, all while your father killed you. If anything can be said for the Sphere Forest, it’s that it made one thing perfectly clear: We don’t need you. We have our victory. The only thing left is to put the multiverse back the way it was. We can all pick up our lives back from where we left off. There is nothing that you can offer me.”

 

“I may have shown up late,” Kairi said, “But I had just as much to do as the rest of you. Sora fighting for me is exactly why I wasn’t ‘disposable’. Saying that I defied fate sounds like more than I deserve. I know that Ophelia worked for your father, so I can’t blame you for everything she did. I know you didn’t mean for me to be caught in the crossfire, but if I wasn’t brought into this war… what then? I probably would have just died with the rest of my universe. And that much, I can blame you for. You don’t want peace. You’ve been killing the universe, but you treat it like it’s some broken toy that you can sweep under the rug and then move on with your life. How do you expect me to trust you? I don’t want to kill you. You might deserve some mercy, in spite of everything you and your father have done. But like everyone else here, I can’t trust you with the Door. And if stopping you from using it means I have to fight you, then I’ll do what it takes.”

 

Sora stood at the front of the line. Even though he had only given Arthur the Keyblade not too long ago, Arthur was still wielding it as though it were an extension of his body. Seeing Arthur and the others take their stand against Isamy, Sora had to lead the charge. “I’m not sure if I should be flattered,” Sora answered Isamy wistfully. “It feels… strange, thinking about how silly it was hanging out with the Organization. Even going through Remembrance, I’m not sure how many of the memories I shared with them are still with me. There’s barely anything left from back then that I can cherish. Especially now, when all I have left is… this. Fighting you. Fighting everyone that’s come between us and getting here. Right now, I’d rather just go home. I guess what I’m saying is… I don’t care. I don’t care about what happened to you. Not if you’re going to drag down the whole multiverse with you. It’s no different from LERNA trying to overwhelm everybody with her despair. I could tell you that you’re wrong about Xansvita, as if I’d let myself get taken over by him, but… even then, so what if I did? It doesn’t matter what I saw back then. You can pile on despair after despair, but it’s not going to mean anything! I’m here now because Kairi saved me. It was never about whether my universe, or anyone else’s is fragile. It’s about how people like you think that as long as you get a simple answer, it doesn’t matter who else has to die along the way. The answer’s no, Isamy.”

 

Isamy stared at the group in disbelief.

 

 

“Ha… Haha… This is… This has to be a joke, right?”

 

The Herald of Chaos and Entropy asked this, her gaze beginning to drift off to somewhere much, much further away. As though attempting to process just what she’d heard.

 

Among them were not one, not two, not even three, but four former members of the Divine. Four and a half, counting the Charmer. And Ophelia’s pawn. They may think of themselves as Counter Corps, but at some point, all of these people had been given opportunities to understand her prior to this moment. It should have been straightforward. It should have been… so simple.

 

She turned to Arthur, “That’s… That’s it? That’s all you desire now? Arthur Ancyl, you’ll give up on all this and keep your failures set in stone? And actually face all that head on? Who… Are you insane?”

 

 

She turned to Eria, “Why the hell are you settling for less? Perfect fantasies aren’t possible?! The Door’s right there! It’s in our reach! You can take the fight to everyone who hurt you. If we’re so similar, then why is this choice of yours so… so stupid?!”

 

 

She turned to Gagagigo, “You, more than anyone else here, should be wanting a happy end… In alternate universes, you don’t get that! You wouldn’t have gotten it here if I didn’t happen to pick up Kozaky, and you know that! Are you really that opposed to the very idea of my wish? I don’t GET it!”

 

 

She turned to MirageGaogamon, “And you. You. How dare you… That’s not a CHOICE you can MAKE!”

 

 

Then turned to Kairi, “And you! You’re wrong, blatantly wrong! Peace is all I want! Peace in the multiverse is all I’ve ever wanted, and this- See, HARD DECISIONS need to be made. It can’t be helped! If you can’t understand that, then so be it!”

 

 

And finally, to Sora. “Keyblade Master, you really don’t care? You really don’t see the point? You’d happily just keep everything as it was and go home?”

 

Isamy looked exhausted.

 

“...”

 

For a moment, the world surrounding them seemed to malfunction. Crackles of static permeated the air, and promptly disappeared.

 

“...this was… s͟u͞p̡po͟s̷ed to͡ ̡be so ҉sim̸p̡le. You, you, you, you, you, you, an̕d ̨all̀ t̛he͞ ͜o̢thers͠ ̕th̨a̴t ͘came̴ ̷b̀e̶fo͠r̢e. Your answers were ridiculous. Believe it or not, their answers were just as ridiculous. I really don’t get it. I really don’t. Years of planning, years of understanding, years of DREAMING amounted to THIS? I thought… Wasn’t this what you wanted?”

 

Losing all strength in her body, her head hung low. There was something very, very not right with the current situation.

 

 

“Who are you people?”

 

Cracks formed on her face, right below those empty eyes. Almost like tears.

 

 

“Why is Temperance so far? Why is she so far?” It was too much. “What… what̀ ̡w҉as ̧e͞ven ̛the͞ p̛o̸̡̥ͅi͏͎̣̯̩̹͓ͅn̢̛̖̘͈͉̻̪͞ͅt̛̛̻̦̯͢?̴͍̲̗̳͖̫̰̥”

 

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Then, the false image of the ‘Door of Origin’ cracked,

 

And shattered,

 

And before they knew it,

 

“A̴͜h̴̕. ̕S̢he'͞s ̴̧hèr҉é͟.͞”

 

The warriors were falling into oblivion.

 

[Merci]

[spoiler=in the Throne of Heroes]

 

Far away...

...there is a conversation.
 

 

THE THRONE OF HEROES

It doesn’t matter what they are.

Or whether they are aware of it.

All lifeforms subconsciously possess a singular, united trait.

We call it the will to live.

It is this will, shared by endless universes, which has powered the creation of a system ensuring that the omniverse will never fall. Very few know of its existence. Fewer still are granted the tremendous honour of meeting one of its chosen warriors. After all, an encounter with a single Counter Guardian can only mean that countless universes face certain doom. Should an an uncontrollable threat ever arise, an invincible force, an existential crisis, the power of the Throne of Heroes will act to counter it at once.

And yet, in the midst of this Origin War... Not one but two of their finest heroes have failed at their duties. Two heroes shouldered responsibility for all existence, and yet they dared to fall.

First their primary unit, the Counter Guardian of Wrought Iron. EMIYA had been directly exposed to the Shadow Realm’s corruption during combat with a Maximus. Although he resisted at first, it appears that he fell in the battle against the Witch of Infinite Possibilities. Trusting his iron perseverance was a mistake.

Then their secondary unit, the Counter Guardian of War. Mysterious interference had somehow cut off PENDRAGON from the Throne. Although she’d still remained a capable fighter, it appears that she has since fallen upon entering the Pathway. Her spirit is now irrecoverable. Trusting her fiery determination was a mistake.

The Origin War has escalated to such an extent that Protheus Maximus and his Divine have successfully brought the Key into the Pathway to Origin, a realm that exists outside of reality, residing beyond even their reach. Evidence suggests that Isamy may not be gone either. The weakened PENDRAGON led her forces into that same realm, but now that she is dead, there is only one certainty to be determined from this: That the opening of the Door by a Maximus, and the destruction of reality, is imminent.



The spirits of the Throne of Heroes are coalescing around one another, at a loss for this improbability, this repeated failure, this unprecedented situation. Their chaotic, neutral, and lawful energies meld together to create what may only be described as a conceptual alignment of the greatest warriors.

Much of their resources are being expended solely on containing the endless incidents triggered by the distortions left by Isamy. The only convenience they have is that the distortions have mysteriously stopped spreading, and even that is not a comforting fact considering the heavy universal casualties they face. The Throne remains incapable of sending any further units into the area. The future’s status is beyond prediction. Although there were once those who believed destroying the Key was the simple and straightforward solution to this dilemma, the best course of action is no longer obvious.

At the very center of this maelstrom, a man walks out. He captures the attention of every Counter Guardian currently present, of all the stars in the sky. Why would he not? For all they are concerned, he is the one responsible for all this.



“...”

EMIYA says nothing at first.

To greet him, another man drops out of the sky. Wielding the Kingdom Key in one hand, and the Kingdom Key D in the other, he is none other than the Counter Guardian of Hearts. “Hey man… Uh, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but if you’re gonna try and explain yourself, that’s not a very good idea. You failed. Nobody here’s going to listen to an apology.”

“Why hello, Sora.” The man greets back, responding playfully. “I appreciate the concern, I suppose? Thankfully, I haven’t shown myself just to do something ridiculous like that. I just couldn’t help but notice that everyone seems a little more on edge than usual. Decided to pay a visit. Find out what’s making all these great warriors of justice so upset.”

SORA crosses his arms. “You look relaxed. Isn’t any of this worrying you?”

“Not really.”

EMIYA simply shrugs.

His response instantly causes the manifestation of the Throne around him to stir. Endless wisps shimmer, with more and more of the nexus of heroic spirits beginning to notice this warrior at the center. He, who was originally tasked with maintaining the Origin War, is that calm in the face of inevitable disaster?

HOLMES chimes in, his face forming from the surrounding crimson clouds. The Counter Guardian of Investigation is known for many feats, but holding back on his opinions is not one of them. “Shirou Emiya. Looking at all the existing facts of this case, this was preventable. Painfully preventable. You should have been far more aggressive with your actions. The Throne granted you the power to traverse the distortions as you pleased. You could have used it to track down the Key of Origin quickly and efficiently, but instead, you used it to recruit random warriors. Looking at the events of the three worlds you visited, the ‘Counter Corps’ contingency you presented has proven to be a precious waste of time and resources!”

“Are you sure about that? We haven’t seen the results just yet. Even with the anomalies like LERNA and Protheus’s interjection into this timeline, I’d say it’s been a remarkable success so far.” EMIYA responded, calmly. If anything, he was amused at how unusual it was to see the normally-composed HOLMES so agitated. “You should have some more faith in your companions, you know.”

More voices begin to enter the stratosphere, as though invited by his words.

“Pendragon found a way, but by nature, us Counter Guardians are incapable of entering the Pathway to Origin. This is no laughing matter. We aren’t simply talking on a scale of universal clusters anymore. At any given moment, all of existence could be wiped out.”

“Don’t tell me you actually trust in that contingency squad? They’re too weak to deal with a situation on this scale! Even the vast potential Lydia Armstrong and Arthur Ancyl possess is simply that. Potential, requiring time and practice to hone. That means little against the Hero Killer Protheus. It wouldn't be the first time he's dispatched of promising candidates.”

“We trusted your ideology, Emiya. In return, you have forced the Throne of Heroes into an impossible position. Thanks to the unprecedented failures from you and your old friend, we have been locked into a state we are unused to. Powerlessness. What the hell?”

“I’m not sure what kind of idle, fantasy world you lived in, but this is the reality of the situation. Pendragon lost against an Omni despite having territorial advantage. You were outclassed by the same Omni twice. Are you expecting some strangers to do any better?”

“Let’s say they do win. The issue of using the Key of Origin remains. Since the Pathway to Origin awakens an individual’s innermost desires, dozens of these ‘awakened’ warriors will be at the Door. Any one of them would be capable of realising their own foolish, selfish dreams, at the cost of reality. And with those Divine in the mix, it's practically guaranteed!”

“Considering the psychological profiles of many of the members, and the nature in which Pendragon was terminated, the evidence is pointing towards the fact that everyone turned on her. That they actually betrayed their own leader. Much of their members have gone through extreme hardships over the last week, and thus, we simply cannot rely on our original evaluations of them to predict what they’ll do now. I sympathize with their plights, but they're naught but children right now, led by their emotions!”

Despite the barrage of criticism from his contemporaries, Emiya remains unphased.

If anything, he feels a little amused that he’s attracting so much attention from a near-infinite amount of other Guardians.

“And you wouldn’t have? We opted for efficiency over honesty, lying to the Counter Corps about our actions and our intentions. I understand it; if any one of them had refused our initial offer, we would have sacrificed their world to the distortions for nothing. Regardless, our solution was not the best available solution. They knew that. You all knew that too.” Emiya makes no attempt to hide his distaste. “I know why I was summoned. Because I'm similar to Isamy, aren't I? Because I was once a lot like her. Because I can understand her. The idea was that I might be able to reach out to her, reason with her. If not, then she might hesitate long enough to let me kill her. We had one contingency established beyond that point: Destroying the Key. You all know I hated it, and you all know that’s why we established the second contingency. The Counter Corps. The belief that another solution would emerge if we put together a group of remarkable people... who fulfilled certain conditions.”

He stares up at the galactic sky. “To have the mental fortitude to adapt to the Origin War. Most of them wouldn't have known alternate worlds even existed, and just like that, their thinking needed to be flexible enough to adapt to the multiverse and its ever-changing scenarios in an instant, to endure tragedy, to charge into alien fields of combat without fear."

The surrounding stars stare back. “To have talents that could be useful against Isamy Maximus. If they ever came across the Omni, then if nothing else, they would have a chance. Pooled together, perhaps they could perform what a Counter Guardian alone cannot."

Had such a major event ever happened in the Throne of Heroes before? “And finally, to be trustworthy enough to wield the Key of Origin. Should it ever come to that worst-case scenario, should the responsible Counter Guardian ever be incapacitated inside the Pathway to Origin, we would still have a path to victory. We all agreed on that idea. That perhaps, together, a team of strong souls and good hearts could accomplish a miracle. But looks like I’m the only one who still thinks it’s a good idea, eh?”

Hearing this, Sora comes forth. The Keyblade Master's brown hair flutters in the wind, revealing the scar over his left eye. Many more cover his arms under those baggy sleeves. The Counter Guardian of Hearts is more than familiar with this idealistic way of thinking, and in his own path to Guardinship, he has suffered for it.

“We allowed the team, but don’t forget－that third condition was yours alone. It sounds just as silly now as it did back then. We never intended on letting this plot escalate to the point of reaching the Pathway to Origin. Now reality's in danger. And everything's a mess. What are you trying to imply by telling us this? Why have you stepped out to converse with us? I believe in the power of hearts and never giving up just as much as anyone, but this sort of thinking... You're being naive. It's just way too naive for a Counter Guardian. This isn't a storybook, Emiya. Are you seriously... Seriously hoping to place the HOPE OF ALL REALITY in the hands of UNQUALIFIED WARRIORS?!"

"Oh? Seems like I upset Sir Voice of Reason himself.” Emiya’s eyebrow raise, making no attempt to hide his own smug smile.

"Well, you’re certainly not wrong. That’s exactly what I’m doing. I believe in the Counter Corps. In fact, I’m also willing to believe the Divine will rise to the occasion, to support them.” The Throne stirs ever more. Surely he wasn’t serious. "I'm trusting my sense of judgment, and I'm trusting them to do their job. That’s all."

Yet, he walks forward with a confident smile.

“You heroes worry too much, you know. Maybe it’s time to let you all in on a little secret.”

The former leader of the Counter Corps knows he can rest assured. He tells them why.

”The thing is, even if they should fail…



...we still have her.”
 

 

 

 

 

 

---

---

The Illusive Sky

Amongst the dreamlike Illusive Sky, with its rainbow clouds and strange properties, Nobody Isamy was proving to be extremely difficult to engage in direct combat.

The warriors－Lydia, Hapshiel, Dorian, Jace, Chandra, Nero, Reimu, Alexander, Alister, Red, Bayonetta, Jeanne, and Ratchet－all fought hard, although their enemy was a cunning one. The Nobody gradually appeared to be gaining intelligence over time. Its Void Inclusion transformations improved, until it was apparent that it was invoking both the skills and the personalities of their loved ones, as well as their own past selves, evading their attacks at every turn. Separating the characters, engaging them one at a time, it was essentially playing mind games with them all...

It was a mentally exhausting battle, and despite the damage and wounds they kept succeeding in inflicting upon it, there appeared to be no end in sight. However, as it progressed, the warriors may have noticed that time was beginning to slow down. Everyone’s movements, attacks, even speech were growing duller, gradually deaccelerating in intensity.

"Oh.”

When Nobody Isamy itself appeared to realise this, it suddenly ceased combat, returning into its original form. With a hint of understanding in that one eye, its calm gaze moved up, towards the heavens.

"I’m sorry… I have done what I can, but it looks like this must come to an end.” The being looked sad, but also resigned to its fate. "Salvation… At last, salvation has arrived.”

---

The Shadow Cavern

Amongst the unforgiving Shadow Cavern, with its bloodstained earth and nightmarish design, Heartless Isamy was proving to be extremely brutal towards all who opposed her.

The warriors－Butler-Ragnarok, Rhadamanthys, Darcy, Bel, Koishi, Satori, the short-haired Tenshi, Atsuko, Gabriel, and even Kyros－had to be constantly on edge due to the aggressive approach their enemy was taking. The Heartless did not shy away with her Void Inclusion, choosing the strongest targets to invoke the powers of, and abusing them as much as she wanted...

The problem was only worsened by the presence of the last remaining Herald of Order, Finite. The man once known as Kenpachi. With both Killua and Gon murdered in a tragic turn of events, it was taking Kratos everything he had to hold the godlike Finite back - and if that Herald started backing the Heartless, then there’d be no hope for the others.

It was a physically gruelling battle, and despite the damage and wounds they kept succeeding in inflicting upon it, there appeared to be no end in sight. However, as it progressed, the warriors may have noticed that space was beginning to warp. Everyone’s movements, attacks, even speech were taking far more effort, as though an invisible pressure were pressing back, harder and harder.

“Ha… Haha…”

When Heartless Isamy herself finally noticed this, her dracolich form momentarily paused the onslaught. With a hint of acknowledgment in that one eye, its piercing glare moved up towards the ceiling.

“Finally. Finally. Finally she comes! Come over, Finite! Come, watch!” For the first time, the creature was delighted. She beckoned her servant to join her. “Our Happily Ever After! With this, it can all… It can all finally be… over...”

---

Then, all of a sudden,

it was almost like someone had picked up a divine sledgehammer, and slammed it into both worlds.

Countless cracks in the fabric of reality, of time and space, formed abruptly, and proceeded to flooded everything within an instant. Physical distortion that ought to be avoided at all costs, high in the skies, below in the cavern, there was nowhere to run. Cracks were forming, growing everywhere, and they couldn’t be stopped as they spread further and further, widening into ‘nothingness’, threatening to consume anything and everything in their path. Gravity was fading away, and the very laws of physics were failing.

There was nowhere to run, no exit to retreat into, and no way to resist. For all their power, surviving something like this would be utterly impossible. Those who’d been there in the Inner Periphery knew all too well what this horrific occurrence was－the dreaded feeling that one had when the very realm they existed in was about to break apart.

Within that destruction, a few may glimpse of that otherworldly phenomenon, that Anomaly, tearing into the reality from outside.



And just like that,

both the Illusive Sky and the Shadow Cavern shattered.

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. _____________NOTHINGNESS_____________

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oh.

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how unexpected.

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someone is still here?

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why did you come? you’ll find nothing on this page...

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on this domain.

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on this pathway.

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was it a message? a notification? you must be mistaken.

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I’m exhausted

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so exhausted

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so very exhausted

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This is it, you know. “The End.”

Everything ends. This should come as no surprise. This sort of ending, abrupt as it may feel, occurs everywhere. All the time. Sometimes, it just takes a bit longer, and the only thing that can be done is to meet the end with acceptance.

The Counter Guardians could do so: Emiya Shirou and Arthur Pendragon, in their final moments, gave into their inevitable fates with bittersweet smile.

The Omnis could not: Protheus Maximus spent millennia running away from his fate, only to finally meet his end screaming. Isamy Maximus clung onto every shred of her own life, and has since lost all sight of what she originally set out to do.

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Right now...

The best course of action you can take is forget about all the time you spent on this little thread, and click away.

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Why...

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Ｗｈｙ ａｒｅ ｙｏｕ ｓｔｉｌｌ ｈｅｒｅ？

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All this time and effort dedicated solely to reaching ‘THE END’, where is it really going?

I tell myself ‘it’s so close’,
and advance onwards.
And advance onwards.
And advance onwards.
And advance onwards.
And like a fool, advance onwards and onwards－

I keep telling myself ‘it’s so close’, again, and, again, and again and again and again and again. How many times has that been? But instead of reaching the end, the hours and days and weeks and months and years have only passed. And in that passing of time… My feelings changed. My ideals changed. I changed. So much has happened that it feels unreal I’m still here.

Wasn’t it supposed to be close?

The further I go, the more my time is consumed. And in turn, I see others falter and fall, and disappear, and know for a fact that that’ll be me someday. I have lost so much pursuing this nonexistent ideal. Besides. In this state of rust, having lost all these people already, isn’t the perfect fulfilment we once dreamed of impossible now? My motivation, my reasons, my sense of fulfilment… It’s all slowly fading to dust. I can’t quite remember why I first started, and I’m not really sure why I’m still here. Maybe it’s because I feel a sense of duty. Maybe it’s because I would’ve felt some degree of dissatisfaction if I left it here. Or maybe I already quit long ago, having lost whatever fire there was to drive me.

There’s no doubt about it－I grew up. Yet still, here I am, unable to make that final step.

Every rational thought tells me I should move on.
‘I want to give up.’
‘I want this to be over.’
‘I just want to MOVE ON ALREADY.’
No one would blame me for it, just like no one blamed the others. This has been dragging on years ago, after all. Especially when every last drop of time we can afford in our lives is too precious to be used on something as miniscule as this, I need to move on, and you need to move on, and we all need to move on as soon as possible.

Yet, because I kept telling myself ‘we’re so close’,
I kept advancing onward.

Yet here I am.

Just like that, there’s no doubt－－－

I’m a complete idiot.

.

.

.


.

.

.

.

.

.

But, for reading this far, for sticking with me this long…

Could it be, are you an idiot too?

...

If that’s the case. Then I just can’t give up yet.

Thank you all for keeping me company on this insane, insane, insane journey. The fact that you’re still here, that very fact that you’re still humouring me with this worthless narrative, adding to this worthless narrative with your own colourful, multi-layered, complex plots and characters and lives, has made me feel so eternally grateful. By all means this story should have crashed and burned, but thanks to each and every one of you, we’re here.

I have no right to ask this. It all probably sounds so pretentious, I’m sure. But, if it’s alright with you, I’m going to take one last gamble here.

May I ask for your help, just once more?

One last time.

One last spark.

One last attempt to do this right.

Shall we invite these old characters of ours... to dance to the Grand Crossover RP?

.

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.


 

---

---

---

The many warriors of the multiverse started to awaken, finding themselves surrounded by absolute darkness.

What had just happened? Only moments prior they’d been fighting for their lives, facing either the Nobody or the Heartless Isamy. However, after time started slowing down, and the realms shattered, everything after that was a blank. Even the memory of their conflict with the two Isamys were faint, wrecked, missing pieces. And now, with seemingly no solution, the warriors were drifting equally across oblivion.

It was almost as though they were dreaming. They were powerless, barely conscious. Unable to move, unable to think, lacking the strength to defy their fates. Merely existing. Drifting. As the emptiness and nothingness dragged on, there was some innate understanding in each and every one of them that they were fading away. That this was how they were going to perish.

Still. In the far-off distance, the voice of some young, British-accented male could be heard, resonating across this empty, desolate space.

His words were faint, strange, and may not have made sense to any of them even if they could discern what he was saying. Eventually, it seemed as though he had reached a point and concluded his statements with a positive, hopeful request. Surely this wasn’t aimed at them. ‘Years’? ‘Narrative’? ‘Grand Crossover RP’? Was any of that supposed to mean anything?

.

.

.

Then,

When it was all supposed to be over, the oblivion was overcome by a bright light, a beautifully warm energy. A new sound emerged. An almighty sound, filled to the brim with an unparalleled radiance. The holy voice of an unusually-frustrated goddess－
 

Dammit Merci!

You had one job. ONE job.

All I wanted was to watch a good victory, and pass on peacefully… But how exactly am I supposed to have a nice rest when everything’s been left in ruins like this? Seriously, where’s Dan when you need him? Who’s gonna stop Isamy now, huh? Who’s gonna save these people from oblivion, HUH??!?!?

This... This is cruel.

It should’ve just been a squabble between me and that man. Isamy and her Divine, the Counter Guardians and their Corps－this wasn’t supposed to be their battle, their war. But they were forced out of their own lives, dragged and enticed into this mess, and now they have to pay the price. Is there really no one left? Thy really don’t have anyone else?

So, it’s just like Emiya said.

Fine. Fine... I GET IT, FINE!!!

Then I guess I’ll just have to
DO IT MYSELF!!!!!!!!

 

With that declaration, golden light effortlessly pierced through the emptiness of this oblivion－and in an instant, they were all swept away.

---

---

---

Epiloguous

Only moments afterwards, the warriors of the multiverse found themselves floating...in space? Breathable space?
 

When they looked around, they would see that all the other survivors of the Illusive Sky/Shadow Cavern were with them. That, and curiously enough, Team Eria. Wherever that lot came from, they seemed like they’d just come from a huge battle of their own. It seemed like everyone was here, then.

The warriors would feel as light as a feather, capable of moving about just by thinking about it. A colourful, rainbow nebula surrounded them, and although the stars looked so close that they could reach out and grab one, those stars were indeed light years away. It was a bizarre, yet majestic sight.

Still, it must’ve been hard to tell what exactly just happened. For all they knew - particularly those who’d never heard that voice before - this was just the work of another enemy.

That is, until a being materialised at the center of this galactic realm.
 

~ La Roux - Bulletproof ~

There was no intense pressure radiating from her. No world-ending energy like there was with Isamy. Just this random, out-of-place lady. Her hair was a vibrant crimson, her eyes were heterochromatic, and she garbed in a kimono elaborate with gold and red designs mimicking flames that, with each movement, made them resemble a burning fire. Despite this relatively mundane stature, the being didn’t seem in the least intimidated by the massive assortment of seasoned warriors surrounding her. If anything, she was oddly calm for the situation.

“Well, let’s on with it, shall we?” The woman said casually, smiling as she twirled her umbrella at the center of all these warriors.
 

“Hi! I’m Itsu Fudo.
Blessed Mother of Hearth, Divine Sovereign of the Ryuusei Cluster, and your friendly neighborhood Sun Goddess. If this is your first time meeting me, it’s a pleasure.”

Itsu Fudo.

The divine woman, involved in the Origin War since the very beginning.

For those who’d previously fought by her side, there had always been a sense that she knew far more about the war than anyone else - even the Counter Guardians. Yet, despite her vast array of knowledge and her personal connection to Protheus and Isamy, not once did she give away the answers. Then, when they entered the Pathway to Origin, she vanished just like that. Leaving her friends, her daughter, and everyone else. Just like that, she’d disappeared.

“Of course, most of you probably already know me. I was a member of the Counter Corps from the start. My physical form went through a lot of changes though, so I don’t know what you’d remember me as - so I became this familiar, then got split in two, then got mashed together in this unstable form. That last one wasn’t stable though, ended up breaking apart in the Pathway to Remembrance. Kinda died. Embarrassing. Well, looks like I’m back for one last go…or at least I think I’m back.”

The lady paused, a little confused about what to say next, but then proceeded to gesture towards her surroundings.

“When I fell, my divine essence found its way here. The place calls itself Epiloguous. It’s a bit weird, kinda like a observatory. Some sort of secret location in the Pathway to Origin. I’ve got a bit of a link to Isamy, so maybe, maybe that’s why.” Glossing over that fact, she moved her hand, and screen materialized around her - they showed chunks of ice, and cherry blossoms, stone monoliths, all floating in darkness. The remains of the Pathways. “Basically. I’ve been watching you guys all this time. So no need to introduce yourselves or get me up to date. It’s been one hell of a time, huh? Your journeys, your fights, everything that’s been going on… I was powerless from here, but dear me, there are so many things that frustrate me... Those Counter Guardians especially! Damn I wish I could’ve decked that Arturia in the face myself, the hell was up with that?!” Snapping all of a sudden, she felt the need to punch the air, before calming down. “Anyway…”

Itsu waved the screens away. With a sigh, she proceeded to start spinning, and her eyes started to go over the many warriors. Observing them, one by one, in a moment of silence.

You’ve all had it really rough, huh?“ She said, gently.

To Atsuko, she gave her daughter a smile. To Eria, Arthur, and their friends, she gave them a small, sad nod. To Nero, a thumbs up, telling him not to feel guilty over what happened. To Butler-Ragnarok and Darcy, a shrug, as if to say ‘guess you’re here too, oh well’. To Kratos… a silent look of apology. To Alister, Dorian, and Nanashi, her eyebrow raised with a certain level of intrigue at what they were. And towards Gabriel and all the others, a simple look of encouragement. Although she said nothing, it felt a bit like Reunion when they’d each been singled out and analysed. However, this time, there was a clear difference.

“Hey. It’s okay. Between all that tension, all that adrenalin, it’s okay to relax for a little while. Give me a second.”

This lady just genuinely wanted to make sure they were all okay.

Raising out her arms, she chanted a small spell. A wave of high-level magic healing followed, proceeding to wash over the warriors of the multiverse. Their wounds, and their exhaustion, were refreshed.

“It’s really easy to lose track of time in the Pathway, but at the end of the day, you’ve all been at it for seven hours now. Seven hours! Seven hours of travelling, personal introspection, and battling titans. Aren’t you guys exhausted?” Itsu pointed out the most the obvious fact in the world. ”Whether it’s been three days or several years, a war is a war. It couldn’t have been easy. I’m sure you lost many allies, and I’m sure there’s a lot for you all to process too.”

Sure, there may have been warriors here and there with incredible amounts of stamina, with self-sustaining powers, with a degree of immortality. But the vast majority of them probably weren’t like that - they were normal, living people who just happened to know how to fight. Thus, without even noticing, they might’ve stretched themselves to their limits. They might’ve even strained themselves far beyond that.

“Epiloguous is disconnected from the Door’s timestream, so as far as Isamy is concerned, time has frozen. We can’t chill here forever, obviously… But for a while, I’d say there’s no harm in one last break, you know?”

However, as much as taking a break was a pleasant thought, there was an important duty to attend to.

All of reality was at stake. Their greatest enemy had the Key of Origin in her possession, and without anyone to stop her, it was all but guaranteed that she’d rush to open the Door of Origin the instant she had that opportunity. They could relax for now, and yet, taking it easy was absolutely not an option.

“Hey. Isamy needs to be defeated, that’s for sure. But I’ll be honest, considering what was about to happen out there… When you return to the battlefield, the very act of defeating her could be difficult.” Itsu stated bluntly. “Before you entered oblivion, did you see ‘that’? It’s an Anomaly made of distortions that entered Origin a little ago, and has since wrecked all the Pathways on its way here. I think... I think somehow, that’s the other part of Isamy. That is what’s left of Isabella, who led the Divine. That she followed us all here. It’s the only thing that would make sense.”

The original Isamy had two components - Ameliorer and Isabella. Ameliorer split herself into the Nobody and Heartless in an attempt to hold everyone back, but ultimately, they were both still Ameliorer. As for Isabella, all the distortions she’d spread everywhere may have wrecked her very existence, but ultimately, she was still Isabella.

“If I’m right and both components have met, your final enemy may very well be the complete, original Isamy Maximus. I struggle to imagine to imagine anything more dangerous than that.” From the beginning of the Origin War, right up to this final battle, the warriors had only ever had to face one half of Isamy. But now, “We’re talking about a Herald who surpassed Protheus long ago. She thinks of herself as a hero, but even before the Origin War, the Neighborhood Watch knew her as one thing and one thing only － an unstoppable catastrophe. I’m afraid she’ll be far tougher than any enemy, any monster you guys have ever faced in the war so far. With reality at stake, I can’t afford to be cheap about this. I’m sorry but… I’m not sure if it’ll even be possible to beat her. There’s a real chance you guys will lose in your current states.”

Then,

after a heavy, tense silence…

“Of course… that’s just in your current states, anyway!” Itsu grinned, and clicked her fingers. Prepared to give them the opportunity of a lifetime.

At first, nothing happened.

“You know. I’m willing to bet there’s not a single person here who didn’t get some power-up since joining the war. Each of you have learned, and grown, and probably gotten a lot stronger too. But! Even if it feels like years, the Shadow Realm was only three days ago. The Desert Seth was two days ago. The Sphere Forest was yesterday. And again, despite its many trials and hijinks, we’ve only been on the Pathway to Origin for seven hours!” When she pointed it, it really felt ridiculous. Everything must’ve felt so long ago to the characters. “There’s only so much anyone can change in such a short, insignificant amount of time. The fact you all came so far in just three days in incredible.”

Then, as if on cue, a single, shining star left the galactic sea around them, and it started to approach the group of warriors. Then another followed. And then another. They were like tiny wisps, leaving behind trails of light. Star-wisps.

“If that’s the case, then imagine if you had months to hone your abilities? Years? A lifetime, even? You win the war, and live out the rest of your life, growing stronger and growing stronger - imagine you could skip all that time, and make that potential of yours real?” She said, raising out her arms. “Alternatively, I’m aware some of you are like me - people who were once gods, who have grown weaker - in which case, imagine if you could regain that former glory? Recover a level of strength lost to time?”

The goddess proceeded to hold her umbrella up into the air, as if beckoning the star-wisps forward.

“The power of the future, and the power of the past. It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but I can at least do this much for you guys.” Itsu offered, before proceeding to explain. “I’m linked to Isamy due to...complicated circumstances that happened in the past. Thanks to that direct link to the Key of Origin, I can access its power to open miniscule holes within the Door—you probably know a bit about the power of ‘Void Inclusion’ she kept abusing throughout her battles. Well, that was her taking advantage of those gaps, invoking other people’s Origins. However, she doesn’t comprehend its true potential. I don’t think she ever will.”

In moments, there must have been about forty of them wantonly zipping about, filling the air above the cast with hopes and dreams. For each character, one specific wisp seemed to be especially drawn towards them.

“If you embrace it, you’ll tap into your Origin, and perform your very own Void Inclusion. Might feel funny, but you’ll momentarily transcend time and space. You can reach into your future and retrieve the power of your prime future self. Gain abilities that you have yet to hone, weapons that you have yet to obtain, a level of experience that you have yet to earn. You won’t have their memories, but everything will be yours to command. Or, if you want… you can reach into the past instead, and regain the power your past self once had. Whichever suits you better.”

All of the star-wisps proceeded to fly down, at which point it was clear that there was one for every single character present. Each wisp stopped directly before their correspondent user.

“Considering the amount of potential you guys have, and considering how strong I know so many of you already are, I can only imagine the differences it’d make. Of course, if you get weaker, don’t blame me!” She continued cheerily. “I know it must sound pretty scary. To change. To become someone different. Well, you know yourself more than anyone. I have no idea what your pasts were like, or what your futures are gonna be. At the end of the day, this is all totally up to you.”

The stage was set, and an opportunity to level the playing field had been given. There was a good chance their enemy would be the original Isamy Maximus. The Isabella version alone had brought the multiverse to a standstill by spreading her distortions, and the cast had experienced plenty of the trouble that came with the Ameliorer, as a psychic ghost, Hollow, as well as Heartless and Nobody.

One could only imagine how their experiences would combine, and what sort of terrifying force that would create. The mere thought of it was worrisome. Thankfully, at least, the majority of the cast could rest assured that they weren’t immediately launched into that battle after consecutively facing Isamy’s multiple forms.

After some time, Itsu spoke again, now seeming drained as she clutched tightly onto her umbrella. “For now, time has been frozen. If any of you have any lingering questions, now is your final chance to ask. Questions about Protheus and Isamy, the history behind the Origin, and more are welcome too. I’ve been, well, quiet. About a lot of things. And you guys, you’ve suffered more than enough that you deserve this transparency. I won’t be cryptic. I promise I’ll answer everything to the best of my ability.”

If anyone was paying particular attention to her form, then they might have noticed a certain that, from the feet up, it almost looked like Itsu was beginning to fade away. It was only natural. She hadn’t merely been offering some help, but actually used up what remained of her own power to make the smallest of differences, for the sake of the multiverse. Without drawing attention to it, she continued.

“Once everyone’s ready... you’ll be returned to the Door of Origin. My essence can’t exist outside anywhere else, so ‘fraid I won’t be able to help much more than this. ” Itsu said sadly. “Whatever happens from here on out, let me just say this—”

Finally, she took a step back, giving the warriors of the multiverse their own well-deserved space.

“Only through change are we going to win this. Good luck.”

This was Epiloguous—their last chance. Between the potential for power and the potential for answers, it was clear that this was it. The endgame. The place where they would determine the finale of the Origin War.

The characters had no idea whether they would survive the final battle. Accessing their own futures may be possible, but the nature of time didn’t apply to the Pathways. And even if they did survive, they had no idea what would happen next, and whether they would ever see one another again. There was no telling what would happen. Hence, if there was anything they had left to say, anything they had to resolve, then it was clear this would be the final opportunity to do so.

The characters may have any lingering questions, or may want any further information to prepare for the final battle. A lot of otherworldly phenomena had happened during the Origin War. Confusing plots, inexplicable events, and in just three days, a lot of things had happened to keep track of. Even when there’d been a supposed ‘guide of Origin’ in Byakuya, all his answers were mysterious and unclear. Hence, with Itsu Fudo making herself readily available, the goddess was in the best possible position to give those difficult answers.

Finally, the characters had an opportunity before them. A star-wisp hovered by each individual, following them wherever they went. There was something about the star-wisp itself that was simply—beautiful. Captivating. Magical. To the point of eliminating all doubts. Something in their minds stirred, as though this were a part of them they never knew they had, and there was something so utterly amazing about it that drew anyone in. If they embraced it, they could attain the Power of the Future, or the Power of the Past.



Yet, that was ultimately their own choice. They could go for it immediately, they could take their time and maybe talk with the others, or they could refuse altogether. That was the beauty of the freedom of choice.

Warriors.

It’s time to act.


[spoiler=upon Embracing the Power of the Future /// Power of the Past]

 

Should they embrace the star-wisp,

they would find themselves enraptured by ultimate purity, and enter a corridor of time.

On the outside, it would look as though they had disappeared completely.

Their whole life would flash before their eyes, laid bare in the corridor, as they stood in a nexus outside of the confines of existence. A clear vision into the past before the war. Glimpses into a future after the war.

A brimming future was beyond them, filled with unlimited potential.
A long-lost past was behind them, filled with what once was.

This individual had the potential to reach out their hands in either direction, grasp hold of either their former self or the self that they have yet to be—

—and then,
become one with them.

.

.

.
 
A pillar of light would form, letting the warrior descend back down into Epiloguous.

Overwhelmed with a sense of power, one that was entirely theirs, there would be something different about them upon their return. Rather, everything. Their appearance, their abilities, the very atmosphere around them. It was an incredible crossover between two time periods possible only due to the power of Origin. In this unique, impossible instance, even if it was only temporary, they had reached the pinnacle of their potential. The realisation of their dreams. One might even call this their Grand Form.

For once in this Origin War, filled with tragedies and bittersweet victories, it finally felt as though they had a chance.

For once...

...it finally felt like they were the heroes of the multiverse.

 

[Love of Ghibli]

Dorian: Final Chapter Redux

It's been an exhausting time. Fighting boss battles and fighting more boss battles and after that fighting more boss battles. It was definitely a stretch and it was getting daunting to say the least. But it seemed someone somewhere in Dues es Machina land had smiled upon him and the team and decided that it would be best if there was one last power upgrade and give it to everyone. Dorian woke up and saw nothing but white. The stereo typical white room. It seemed a little anticlimatic but Dorian was getting used to such at this moment. 

"Soooo this is where my story ends I see? A little disappointing. I had such grander plans. I guess." Dorian said in the vast void of nothingness. 

"Well let's not say that now." A mysterious voice said as the white room turned into the vast emptiness of space. Dorian looked confused as it seemed a bunch of people in robes seemed to just appear out of nowhere. 

"Now this is weird. I could've sworn the whole multiverse was gone thanks to our shenanigans. What pray tell is this?" Dorian asked to his mysterious new friends.

"Oh lower life forms...you do not want to get into the scemenatics about ethereal concepts and 10th dimensional beings etcetera etcetera." One of these beings spoke. Dorian raised his eyebrows and nodded in approval. 

"How can I help you all? It doesn't seem like we're about to do combat so what are we here for?" Dorian said at this council of higher beings.

"It seems you've been given infinite time to master the infinite wealth spring that is Cosmos and we feel like it would be better if just cut all the noise and and talk about what will happen after that." The council surrounded him and then they chuckled. 

"Ohhhh I can definitely subscribe to this. I can definitely subscribe to this." Dorian replied.
 

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

Rhadamanthys: Final Chapter Redux
 

Rhadamanthys had a somewhat different experience and it seemed like he was back in the underworld surrounded by Thanatos and Hypnos. He rolled his eyes and he was thinking that this was yet again another trap set by the final nuisance. However once he turned around he would see the original visage of his Master. The Original Hades. As Rhadamanthys turned around and looked in shock he immediately took the knee. 

"What reason would a God have to bow?" Hades said as he looked down upon Rhadamanthys. Non-verbally telling him to rise. As Rhadamanthys stood he couldn't figure out what was happening. "My Lord, for what reason could you even have for being."

"I have no real idea...but it seems you are not as strong as you should be. And we need to fix that. There is no reason for you to be having as much trouble as you are if you have realized your divinity. So let us make sure you are the best Lord of the Underworld you can be."

Rhadamanthys smirked as this definitely meant going toe to toe with Thanatos and Hypnos for a while. This was a good thing and it looked like it was going to be fruitful.
 

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

Butlerok: Final Chapter Redux
 

Butler and Ragnarok were seemingly floating in an endless void of Black Blood. This was definitely different. 

Genryuusai, Hades and Gyoukuen all looked at the pair and the two did not know what to say. 

"So you've grabbed your future form huh?" Gyoukuen said snickering. "Well I guess we are going to give you your future form."

Genryuusai held up what looked to be a random ragdoll. "Instead of using someone else's power we will show you the future of your own."

Hades seemed to be exuding an even more powerful aura and his chains were transforming. "Let's customize this Mad Blood of yours I gotta pretty cool idea I was thinking we can talk about in the future."