Tales From a Misfit
Updates every Sunday.
Found on wallhere. made by "wallup"
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Found on wallhere. made by "wallup"
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“Hmm?” Lydria pushed her feet on the edge of the table. Tilting the chair to grab a rolled up paper emerging from the portal in the back wall of interrogation room 2. She read as her chair dropped back into place, and set it face down on the table. “Alright, you can go.”
“What?” Jared asked. “After an hour of nothing, that’s it? I can just go.” “55 minutes of me asking questions, and you not speaking isn’t nothing.” Lydria replied, getting up. “It’s a commonplace tactic, and it works. Besides that, anything we can accuse would just end in us throwing back into where you can from. Anything else is either too cruel, or poses too many problems.” “We’ve been gone for a long time.” Jared replied. “You’ll only raise questions about your goals.” Lydria picked her bag as Jared spoke, and then put it back down. She leaned over the table, and met him at eye level. “I have been raising questions about my goals for longer than you’ve been alive. And like you, I’ve stopped caring about them.” “I have not ignore—” Jared began. “Oh, you haven’t ignored them, no. You don’t even hear them.” Lydria said. “You could sit in that chair for another 3 hours, and claim you didn’t hear anyone begging you to leave them here. Didn’t hear anyone say they were happier here. No, you didn’t hear anyone say a word about the struggle they didn’t wanna go back to. Wouldn’t matter how many papers I bring out, or have many people I could bring. You sit right there, look me in the face, and say you didn’t hear a single word.” Lydria paused. “And I’d believe you. You haven’t ignored anything. You’ve dismissed it.” Lydria picked her bag again, and threw it over her shoulder. “I’ve ignored you, because you haven’t said anything new.” With that she walked out of the room. “Now, can you go home, so I can find something better to do than guard you?” Sofia asked, sitting on the roof overlooking Aaron. “What if no one comes?” Aaron asked. “What if you keep waiting, but they all decide to stay.” Sofia shrugged. “Game night is always gonna be game night. If the only thing that changes is better internet, well, better internet.” “You’ll have to relearn magic.” Aaron said. “You are about to not have magic.” Sofia replied in a pseudo-smug voice. “I am about to embark on the epic adventure,” She yawned. “of taking a nap.” “Was it worth it?” Aaron said, looking out toward the horizon. Sofia laid down on the roof with her legs hanging off the edge “You’re repeating yourself!” “I didn’t get an answer.” Aaron replied. “I actively chose not to talk until you said. ‘Wonder where she is, right now?’” Sofia said. “Because that was the only good question you posed.” “a set up for a cheap joke.” Aaron said, looking back. “Correct.” Sofia replied. “Now are you going or what?” “Oh, they're letting me leave without an escort now?” Sofia hopped down. “They're giving me a simple first job, and hoping that gets you to leave.” Aaron looked out to the horizon once more. “Okay, what if— ah! Hey, hey, okay!” “You’re a horrible liar.” Was Sofia last replied as dragged by the collar she just grabbed up to his one way ticket home.
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“You sure that’s the only reason?” Meisa questioned as she threw Ozzy skyward.
“It doesn’t matter, if it is.” Aaron replied. “We made our choice.” “Always so simple minded.” Meisa replied. “What makes you think Talmo won’t answer questions, hmm?” “Whether or not he cares about those gems breaking.” Jared said. “He would rarely be able to focus in the middle of a fight.” “There was more to those gems than we will ever know.” Talmo replied. “I think at least, but I don't even know anymore.” Ozzy fell to the ground larger than anyone there once again, and caught the rock Aaron threw at it. “Why help us at all? Why let us stay.” A sharp wind blew straight towards both as it sliced through the rock in Ozzy’s hands. Jared tried blasting it with a ball of light. A loud whistle grew softer and softer as both clided and fizzled out. “It is still, I gather. Not that simple.” “Well, I guess it is.” Meisa admitted. “But forcing you through a portal isn’t easy. Certainly not when we had trouble catching you to begin with.” Ozzy punched the wall of ice Jared seemed to spring up from the ground. “Interesting that the flower was wrong on both accounts this time.” “Meisa and I grabbed one as well.” Lydria said. “ We saw you two picking Talmo though, so not like it’ll help much… sometimes I wonder if that thing even really works, or if it’s powder is just that worth picking up.” “It does say a possible future.” Sofia replied. “Never which one.” Ozzy ran toward Aaron who shoves both arms forward in response. Meisa swung her telescope forward as well making a fierce storm fighting among itself. “First off, you never even like those things.” Meisa replied, chanting and drawing a circle with her telescope as Ozzy stood ready to grab the light infused rock that Aaron threw the moment it emerged from the ground. The wind Meisa still had going doing a good amount of work to to slow down, but Ozzy still had trouble grabbing it. “Nor did you like them.” “That one’s a bit rude.” Sofia replied. “Sure, I didn’t like them, but I never said I wanted them dead.” “Would you have left people in that fog?” Jared asked. “I did once,” Sofia replied. “Never saw them again. Though I’m told that's because that party tried to eat two of the Ecchi Flower raw, which I wouldn’t put past them, I suppose.” “I didn’t think it was two.” Meisa replied while weaving a telescope through the air. Ozzy charging forward and punching Jared a few times. I— ow! Doubt they ate two on the smell alone.” Jared replied, swinging a hand forward forming a shield as Ozzy punched a third time. “Does it smell that bad?” Lydria asked. “I’ve never noticed either.” “I do keep hearing that.” Sofia replied as Ozzy steadied himself against. “I’ve always smelt cherries, myself.” “You always did sound confident.” Jared stated as he blasted a beam of light at Ozzy as he extended one hand. Meisa took a deep breath as she forced her left arm up. Ozzy standing up again. “Yet here you two are, still trying to change a world that never wanted it.” “What it wanted was never important!” Aaron screamed as raised both arms throwing several meteors at Ozzy. “What it needs is.” Ozzy punched through many of them, but ultimately the bear fell. A small stuffed animal laying down on the open ground. “No!” Tears ran down Meisa’s eyes as Jared fired a beam of light directly toward the lone, defenseless, stuffed bear. Sofia warped in front of the stuffed bear. The purple mist behind her slowly fading as she held the beam of light she caught. With her final bit of strength she threw it off course. “Bastard.” She panted out, exhausted, and on her knees in front of Ozzy. “Liberation is rarely appreciated, at first.” Jared replied. “You weren’t back then.” Sofia replied. “That much I’ll give you.” She struggled to look at Aaron, directly. “You age poorly.” she said as he walked passed. “Thank you.” Meisa replied, gripping Ozzy tight with her right arm, and helping Sofia with her left. Wiping the tears from her cheeks once Sofia was stable. “He would’ve done the same.” Sofia replied with a tired smile as the Soul Gem cracked. “No one is worth losing over something as petty as this. Summon or otherwise.” The Soul gem shattered marking the end of a long, fruitless journey. The instability of the shard colliding into the stable ground. Symbolizing the victories of each party in fading sparks of light. “All I’m saying is that we’ve seen Meisa fight, and haven’t seen Talmo fight.” Aaron said. “So even if it is a trick, picking Meisa might still give us an edge.”
“Cain.” Jared began. “Has seen Meisa fight once. We have little to no information on either of them, or they’ll fight on their own.” “Shouldn’t we still pick Meisa then?” Aaron questioned. Lydria groaned as she slid down the wall she was leaning against. “I knew this was gonna take forever.” “Seriously flip a coin or something.” Meisa replied. “You’ve been going over the same 3 points for an hour.” “It’s Earth and Soul, or Wind and Soul. Probably strength or strategy, and Aaron is able to counter either.” Sofia said. “If I just break this myself will ye lads go home?” Talmo asked. “Is this a human plan of some kind?” “It’s not right?” Meisa said. “Because I don’t know if I even want to counter this.” “It’s an unintentional side effect.” Sofia replied. “Usually, at least.” “So that’s why you left.” Lydira said, earning a few chuckles. “Didn’t we request some privacy?” Jared asked. “You’ve had it, but what else could you even debate?” Sofia said. “What else do you know? What other questions could you even have?” “I’ll answer them.” Meisa raised her hand. “It would be more interesting than whatever this is.” “What happens after we beat your weird panda?” Aaron asked. “I don’t know what a panda is, but I don’t have another defense besides Ozzy the hyld bear.” Meisa replied, holding up her stuffed panda bear. “He is very important to me, so if there’s too much danger we run.” “What about Talmo’s bird?” Jared continued. “A golem falls all the time.” Talmo replied. “A summon ain’t pure magic. He is more for scouting anyways. Just a small bird.” “So either 2 on 2 or 2 on 1.” Aaron said. “What?” Meisa replied. “I suppose, if you want to look at it that way.” Lydria began. “It’s not exactly wrong. Some summorers do put themselves on the field. Meisa couldn’t fight to save her life though.” “I’ve seen Talmo use his bird while fighting.” Sofia replied. “Obviously it doesn’t provide as much support as Meisa is able to. Either way, it’s more effective to focus on one target.” “No one is planning to jump in?” Jared looked around. “Were you not paying attention?” Meisa said. “Go home right now, if you want to. The Gems were never gonna last forever.” “Jumping in would be pointless. This thing has been breaking down portals anyways.” Talmo added. “True.” Lydria replied as Sofia yawned and nodded. “A lot of plans are expected to run smoother after this giant thing is gone.” “Where did they come from anyways?” Cain asked. “They always seemed like the most natural thing here.” “Various theories were proposed, but none of them are provable, or rather yet provable.” Meisa said. “Magic has to flow naturally first.” Aaron replied. “Yet another reason this has to be broken.” “It didn’t have to be.” Meisa began. “This was just the cycle that those guarding the Gems had had enough. Rumors of that are already everywhere.” “Just. Pick.” Lydria said. “We can answer the why later.” Both Jared and Aaron looked at each other and nodded. “We’ll fight Meisa.” Aaron answered. “We still want answers.” “Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.” Lydria twirled, bow with her arm open wide behind her. “The most infamous and beloved room of several universes.” She stood straight as she spoke. “The Portal Tower.”
“Often referred to as our Research and Development section, as well.” Meisa added. “A lot of the paperwork is about all the new species walking and how souls from different places seem to be adjusting.” “The parts Meisa reads anyways.” One boy replied. “Not like she is the only one, Charlie.” a girl said walking passed Charlie. “I’m aware! Renee.” Charlie replied. “Anyway” Lydria said, prompting both to continue down their respective hallways. “That one is yours.” She pointed to the left most open portal. “We were still charting the two the right, and then… well you showed up.” “You’re charting two new worlds?” Aaron asked. “I thought we were the only world shuffled in.” “You were.” Meisa replied. “I had to do an emergency shut down for my group, single-handedly, because there were too many people really and willing to leave hours before there was supposed to be a second Far Seeker.” “It was actually rather impressive.” Talmo replied. “Never been in and out of a portal so fast.” “Then we had to pull our location team just as they found another new world.” Lydria recalled. “Of course too dangerous to be diving in when people like yourselves are roaming around causing who knows what, but we understand enough about this sort of travel to have the magi-tech to keep a few doors open.” “Was our door open before you came?” Aaron asked. “Won’t people notice?” “Well right now it’s more a window than a door, I suppose. We can vaguely see it, but lack the ability to affect anything. Some doors are a lot more one way than others, as well.” Lydria replied. “One way?” Jared asked. “Was passing through our door more difficult?” “Quite the opposite, oddly.” Meisa admitted. “I was surprised we needed to hold anything until I saw just how many there were.” “Aye. I remember a door holding for well past a few hundred people at one point.” Talmo replied. “We’ve never seen one of that capacity before.” “Probably why that one I found was still there.” Jared replied. “You easily forgot if no one was careful” “We’re all quite sure how you got yours.” Meisa replied. “Making those things isn’t easy, ya know?! And neither is—” “Things that I doubt you care about.” Lydria finished. “Given you turned it on. Almost exactly to protocol as well.” “It was simple enough.” Jared replied. “Even if I wasn’t expecting it to take us to a place like this. Now if we are done with the games. We are here to break that, correct?” The Soul Gem floated in the center of the room surrounded by archways. Each had a stack of more archways above it. The Portal Tower made a fitting name for the room. Even empty it looked as though it held the secrets of places long forgotten, and yet discovered alike. “Isn’t that running this place?” Cain asked. “It does always look like it.” Lydria admitted. “But no, this place runs on a lot of different types of magic. Though the most important is Soul magic.” “Light plays a part too.” Talmo replied. “Earth doesn’t handle this sort of thing alone.” “Just… who are we fighting?” Aaron asked. “Well, we have an answer to that.” Meisa explained. “See so many of us passby and observe this gem everyday. And no one ever makes it this far, so we just never bother picking.” “Now of course, We’re making our own changes, but we were all a little curious. So.” Lydria gestured to Talmo. “You can fight me or Meisa.” Talmo replied. “The choice is yours.” “Well, I’ll be an owlet outside of the barn nest.” Talmo remarked as Jared approached. “Was starting to think not even you’d show up.”
“What did you do to them?” Jared asked. “We are finally near the end, and now they don’t want to come?” “The place does tend to do that.” Talmo said. “Part of the reason we do a second wave at all. Them Farseekers a lot more behind than they bargained for. Ah, but they sweep it up fast enough.” “Then this world does corrupt!” Jared said. “As I suspect the moment those portals caused all this.” “Didn’t suspect it enough not to take one, though did ye?” Talmo replied, pushing away from the wall he was leaning on. “You know how much work getting those to work in your world was?” “Do you know how much damage those machines do to our world?” Jared said. “I’m not sure how your lot would tell. Given how damaged your world already was.” Talmo said. “We’re careful with our land, and it makes more of itself. You got a limited supply, and you’ve been throwing it in the trash.” “Boys, Boys.” Sofia chimed in. “No need to fight over me. It’s not much of a contest anyways.” “You.” Jared said, pointing at Sofia as he turned around. “ Do you know how much—” “Work piled up?” Sofia asked. “I have a pretty good idea. Regardless of whatever improvements your stats have made.” “You picking people up?” Talmo asked. “Greeting those that our coming.” Sofia replied. “I mostly got ‘I’ll think about it’ but I know a few are likely to come.” “And the co-workers that don’t?” Jared asked. “The friends that don’t?” “I miss them, okay?” Sofia said. “I do, but I know where I'm happier. And I know when something is working, and when something is bound to collapse. “We could still make it through.” Jared replied. “With you, and with everyone else.” “I always thought you’d make a bad liar.” Sofia answered. “For whatever that’s worth.” “You’re hardly blameless.” Aaron responded, as he and Cain walked toward the trio. “Not like you are either, mate.” Cain replied. “Nor am I, but we tried, at least. Only so many times a few can shout.” “You too, then?” Sofia said. “I’m here to report.” Cain said. “I wanna redo on the whole body thing anyways.” “Do you now?” Lydria replied. “ I can’t promise that that will be up right away, and ready.” “Then i’m here to make an appointment.” Cain said. “Look through the catalog, or whatever else.” “A fellow observer or not.” Meisa said joining the others. “No one is going easy on you.” “I know.” Cain said. “...Observers like us wouldn’t have it any other way.” Burp. Sofia walked up behind Aaron, and leaned on the same balony he was looking over.
“Gonna gloat without your voice?” Aaron asked, looking over. “Not much to gloat about. Voice or no voice.” Sofia replied. “Honestly, it got boring pretty fast. I was hoping to explore more when I first got here.” “Well, you can now.” Aaron said. “Not sure why you’d hang around here.” “Always so simple to you isn't it?” Sofia said, “Yeah just go travel the world while it’s in chaos and I have no idea how my magic works anymore. Sounds like a great plan.” “Even if you get me to break the Soul Gem, that could be years.” Aaron said. “Well, I have hundreds of those now.” Sofia stretched. “Seems at least a few old friends might be stopping by too.” “No...um” Aaron stared at Sofia. “They’ve known for a while now.” Sofia replied. “Might actually be more used to this image than me since we’re mostly online.” “Well, hope they have fun, but I'm going home.” Aaron said. “ Soon as I figure out how.” “The far seekers still have the portal open.” Lydria replied. “We weren’t actually done with the first wave, but we usually send more people out for the second anyways.” “You were going to come back a second time?” Aaron asked. Lydria nodded. “For the people we somehow missed, like Jen. And for those that would come over after people like Sofia do.” “And how many more people will you be taking?” Aaron asked, turning around. “It varies, but with a world like yours usually we end up shuffling a majority of people in. Thankfully the world still expands when we do. That wasn’t something we were looking forward to working out if we were wrong.” Lydria stated. “Is that really something worth messing with?” Aaron replied. “It was almost impossible.” Lydria explained. “It has always been a natural effect of this world, and we’ve known the Gems were an unnatural artifact for a while now. The stranger thing was finding them at all.” “Deep underground in some sort of temple?” Aaron replied. “Plenty of those around.” “Yes, and they were quite a pain to build.” Sofia answered. “I’m not even sure the stones in those rooms were made from here.” “There not.” Lydira said. “There is record of the type of stone, but nothing about building a temple for magic conductors. Or what magic was like before, unfortunately, but apparently they were to be cared for…” Sofia tilted her head as Aaron asked. “There was nothing about that.” “There was a dead language. Along with arguments on how too. Seems they were an experiment themselves, but why still isn’t clear. May never be with how stange their lettering is.” Lydria explained. “Okay… So why would I break this last gem, if it benefits this world?” Aaron asked. Lydria looked to Sofia about to ask the same thing, but she answered first. “No say it was going to be you.” Sofia said. “Certainly doesn’t have to be, but I have a gut feeling you’ll join him.” “Jared.” Aaron answered. “He was more set on doing this than anyone.” “Talmo said Cain was going in as well.” Sofia added. “He just wanted to reach out to his brother and now he has.” “Jen is staying, but she was supposed to come in the first wave.” Lydria summarized. “Cindy was ejected after her episode… Which just leaves Anna and yourself.” She said looking at Aaron. “She was ready to go home long before I was.” Aaron said. “And last I checked in, she was starting to like it here.” “Really?” Lydria asked. “Well, I guess we’ll see who shows up for a big finale, and why soon enough.” “I don’t know what you think they’re gonna tell.” Talmo said as Aaron tried, repeatedly, to get answers from a disgruntled group of patients. “Better not to waste what little voice they are getting back.”
“Well, I would leave if they would tell me something.” Aaron turned to face Talmo. “If you would tell me something.” “Even if I knew something to tell, I wouldn’t give you the answer.” Talmo replied. “Could shout up to the mountains, and it’s still not likely to get in your head.” “You’re the POLICE.” Aaron said. “You care about all these people. This level of suffering should concern you.” “You think it doesn’t?” Talmo’s armor clanked as he stood a little taller as he spoke. “You think I’ve gotten a lick of rest wondering if one night you get to all these Gems, and my home crumbles. You think it’s been easy?” There was a pause as Talmo took 2 steps forward. “Letting all these foreigners, old and new, change everything I’ve known?” Most of the room looked down. Some gripping one of their arms. “Then why let them? Why allow all them to cause all this just to run from their own—” “Because they lacked a home!” Talmo roared, peaking the interest of the makeshift hospital building. “Because I can’t imagine the pain someone must be in to leave everything behind, and I doubt I have that kind of courage. But I have the power to defend it, and the strength to let things change. I know the values I fight for, and I remain proud of them .” “You’re proud of letting a bunch of foreigners lose?” Aaron asked. “Willing to fight for a plan you know nothing about. Willing to let them hurt people you care about?” Two clops on a hoof on wood as Sofia leaned on the doorframe. Tilting her head at Aaron as he and Talmo looked over. “You did that to yourself.” Aaron replied to a mute Sofia. “Took her own voice, did she?” Talmo asked. “Drained all her own power?” “Well, she had a choice.” Aaron said. Sofia pointed to him in response. “Me?” he asked. Sofia nodded. “Ya got all the way there. Found who you were looking for.” Talmo said. “Then attacked it.” “I thought I had an ally… still do” Aaron replied. “What does that even—?” Talmo stopped for a moment as Sofia rolled her eyes, and motioned not to bother. “I suppose I should thank you.” He continued still looking at Aaron. “Thank?” Aaron replied, confused as Sofia was. “It was a concern of ours.” Talmo admitted. “Why so many left? How did they adapt so fast? But it becomes rather obvious after watching both of you. Some worlds are in dark times. Others meet their end soon after. Our world certainly it’s going to hold all this much longer without some reworking.” Sofia nodded proudly as Talmo stared wide eyed after finishing his thought. “The old rules weren’t going to work.” Lydria replied walking in. “A far seeker was supposed to guard a gem this year to see if they could somehow help. Personally I think the new data will show they were more than an anchor's worth of hindrance, but that's just a hypothesis.” “But why were we supposed to break them, then?” Aaron asked. “That was supposed to convince people to come home.” “It wasn’t going to convince anyone. Had you done it fast enough, it probably would have thrown even people like her back in.” Lydria replied. “Extremely annoying for Talmo, I'm sure, but us far seekers had its location on stand-by long before you came in… Jan...nee..tio?” “Ugh.. the prep we had to do for that I was about ready to throw one of you into a wall.” Talmo replied. “At least it’ll be a lot less work now.” “Pff. Were not letting them in.” Lydria said. “Well unless they wanna leave, but that was a split vote.” “Wait, but if it would’ve worked then, it should work now.” Aaron said. “January can’t have been that long ago.” “Adjusting to a foreign world is… what the word?... Temporal? Most worlds attempt to drag you back for a time, but it’s not gravity. Nothing prevents you from leaving, and after a while the new world holds you down more than the old one pulls.” “I know the Gems slow them down a lot, but I don’t see how breaking them would send anyone back.” Talmo said. “That,” Lydria began. Reaching out as a way off asking for paper. “Would be part of the reason it hasn’t.” She drew a circle with 8 chains around it. “See normally when you leave there a small shockwave. Sometimes, manifesting as the ‘largethic step’” “Why getting back in takes a minute longer than anything else.” Talmo replied. “Mhmm.” Lydria nodded. “The Gems, being what cycle magic through our world until now block the energy once you’re IN our world, not between worlds.” “Block?” Talmo stated. “Not slow?” “Well, slow isn’t the wrong word. Some energy does leak to the host, as it’s not always made of magic. But, mostly, block.” “Like if you block a rolling stone.” Aaron said dejectedly. “Move the block and stone will just keep going with just as much force.” Lydria replied. “For a time. Which since we haven’t grabbed anyone after we confirmed you were going to break the chains is on its way to expiring.” “So doing it this way…” Talmo replied. “We basically won before we started.” Lydria confirmed. “Some side effects included, of course.” “Show yourself!” Jared shouted, throwing a large slash of light forward. Cutting Sofia in half as she burst into smoke again.
“What are you talking about?” Another Sofia said from behind him tilting her head. “I’m right here.” She giggled, side-stepping a stone as it blasted out of the ground. “Shouldn’t you be using Dark Magic?” Aaron questioned as he launched another rock. “Is that the only question you have?” Sofia replied as she slashed through the stone with a downward streak of her arm, and dark double-edged bladed following her moment. “Or the only one you actually care about?” “No, I just don’t expect an honest answer.” Aaron said as he pulled back his arm as though there was a bow in hand, and ready arrows made of wind. Tripping up as a Sofia leaned over his shoulder. “You can not like the answer all you want, but that doesn’t make me a liar.” a Sofia replied over Aaron’s shoulder while the other he was aiming for looked at him. “What I wondering is why neither have gone for the Dark Gem. It’s right there, you know?” “Like it’s unguarded!” Aaron shouted over an earth hammer as it came out of the ground and down on the Sofia behind him. “Aww. Someone is mad.” Sofia playfully pouted, “Does lying hurt the big boy’s feelings?” “If you hate home that much just finish it…” Aaron replied. “Not my home, and I don’t hate it.” Sofia replied. “I want to. I would love for it to be that simple. But no one thinks that way, not even you.” “What are you talking about?” Jared replied. “We have never—” “You’ve never liked it, but that’s not the same.” Sofia interrupted. “From the moment you came here, you’ve been wondering the same thing everything else does.” Stood up straight standing in from the Dark Gem once again. “How did so many get taken, and why did all of them stay?” “But you didn’t stay! You won’t even defend a pillar of your world.” Jared replied. “I dunno what this is.” Sofia admitted, as the Dark Gem shines a bright purple. “So far as I know, no one even knows what it’s doing. But it’s not a pillar of this place, actually like the people it’s protecting, it’s not even native to this world.” “What are you doing?...” Aaron asked as dark orbs floated into Sofia’s body. Her light crimson skin fading to purple. “You wanted a fight with Dark Magic, didn’t you?” Sofia replied as her brown fur turned black in turn with her, now purple, skin. “You have no idea what that level of magic will do to you!” Jared shouted, both arms waving outward as he formed a flash of light. “On the contrary, hun- argh” Sofia replied, hoof stomping into the ground as she took a step back blinded. “I know exactly what this does.” The earth trembled as her hoof stomped into the ground. Once the light cleared she stood over 4 times her normal height at 26 feet tall. “You a villain? A monster? From where you’re standing I think I fit the part!” Jared and Aaron rolled out of the way as Sofia stomped with her left hoof then her right. Then left again. “You’re enjoying this a little too much.” Aaron replied. “What can I say?” Sofia replied. “I had a few secrets in the days of old.” Doing a twirl as she planted her left hoof on the ground again, and centered herself with the right hoof. “I should’ve guessed your secret would be as dirty as you.” Jared said as shot light into her right leg. “Ow. Ah. Ow. ow.” Sofia stumbled and brought her left leg back to steady herself. “You didn’t have to be rude while you shot…” She replied. “A kindness you’ve definitely shown us.” Aaron grumbled. “I can hear you.” Sofia replied, kicking with her uninjured leg. “And I’m not the one trying to wreck other people's homes!” Aaron grazed past the giant leg as it swept right past him. “You. came. here. And it’s been chaos and destruction ever since, which you would know if you were paying attention!” Her voice echoed throughout the room. “Enough!” Aaron asserted. “We! are! all! going! Home!” Sofia braced as Aaron swung his arms together. Only to hear the cracking of the Dark Gem. Like all the others, the pieces scattered across the area. Unlike all the others, the guardian, Sofia’s, body collapsed covering the room in a thick purple smoke. For a brief moment Aaron saw Sofia limp away, but as soon as he could chase after her she was gone. A human male who he had once thought of as a friend. Now a beastly woman who considers him an enemy. Countless unanswered questions raced through his mind. But as it stood now, he was much too tired to think about any of them. Aaron screamed as he threw a chair through a table. He had hoped this method would be more effective, but the noises continued to distract them in various ways. The thumps continued, and breaking sounds slowly built up into the shuffle of random noise.
“It has to— be here,” Jared spoke with a raised voice. “If she is going through this much.” “Get in the kitchen!” Aaron shouted as he ran toward the doors himself. Noise racketed up in the much smaller room filled with scattered pans, and broken bottles. Aaron’s head cracked back, and he felt a pan fly into the left side of his face, but he managed to swing the cellar doors open. Jared slowly followed him as he tumbled down. “You alright?” Jared asked. “Sorry, I—” “It’s fine.” Aaron said, getting up. “I remember a lot of safety stuff.” “The noise stopped, at least.” Jared replied. What gave it away? Sofia’s voice echoed. As did her giggle when both jumped backward. We're not done yet boys~ “The entrance had to be somewhere inside,” Aaron said. “That was the one place we never saw.” Clever. Sofia replied. So you coming or what? The purple dirt forming a long hallway seemed fitting to Aaron. “Like a final boss, a reminder that we're almost home.” You could’ve gone home at literally any time. Sofia’s voice continued to echo You simply chose not too “Why do you even care?!” Aaron replied. WHY DO YOU? Sofia echoed back. You have been avoiding the public eye, as best you can, for months. Fought people who were never human to begin with, and stomped over way through a world you want no part of. Go home. “You must’ve realized by now we can’t do that.” Jared replied. “We cannot let such a large chunk of us just leave. The entire planet will have to shift its way of life.” “They left in October.” Sofia replied. “You came in like January? The world has been doing fine.” The long hallways finally widen into a circular room. The walls extended up into blackness reaching higher than the ground above them should’ve been. Sofia stood in front of the Dark Gem above 3/4th deep into the room from it’s only exit. “The adjustments are expected to take years.” Jared replied. “Don’t act like we will do them.” Sofia replied. “We never have, and we never did.” “What right do you have to make that statement?!” Jared shouted. “Wait… how do you even know what October is?” Aaron asked. “Why are you sure we came here in January?” “I’m not sure.” Sofia replied. “Time feels like it works the same, but it’s not like I know. So based on things people said it was January. You’ve caused a lot of black outs by the way. You remember how we were all using electricity to keep in touch? Well, I guess it’s not really electricity here.” “Who? What are you?” Aaron asked. “What WAS I.” Sofia corrected. “The answer you’re looking for is that at one point I was human. Now something more of my own design. It’s not the first time you’ve-- Sofia slid backwards as Jared threw an arrow of light into her shoulder. “Enough.” He said with his open hand still out. “Enough of the games. Enough of you lies. Enough of…” “Ray?” Aaron asked, as a masculine cough coming from where Sofia just stood. “Ow.” Ray said, grabbing the arrow and ripping out his shoulder. “Wasn’t expecting that to—” more coughs came, each a little more feminine as Ray shifted back again. “Interesting, so that's what it does now.” Sofia replied. “Not really a truth, in my humble opinion, but I guess it's an answer.” “All this time… why didn’t you say anything?” Aaron asked. “Don’t act like you'd believe it.” Sofia replied. “You still think I took over or something. It’s all over your face. As I was saying, however, it’s not the first time you’ve seen such a dramatic shift. Though it might be the first time you’ve seen this kind of shift. None of the other 7 did this kind of a swap.” Sofia twirled as she finished talking. “We can fix that back home.” Jared replied. “There are ways to help you.” “You still don’t understand.” Sofia replied as the Gem behind her swirled to life. “You can’t make me a dark mystic. You can't drag millions of people to a place they never want to be again. And we can’t talk this out!” “Because we made our choice…” Aaron replied. “And I made mine.” Sofia nodded. “Then why did that flower point us to all this?” Jared asked. “You know, I’ve been wondering that myself.” Sofia admitted. “So seems we’re about to find out, together.” A crowd surrounded the bar as Aaron and Jared approached on a wagon. “We’re not here to fight any of you,” Aaron said as jumped off the wagon.
“You are, actually,” Meisa said as she steps forward. “With the exception of myself and 4 other realm breakers, you’ve been fighting against all of these people and then some.” “What are you talking about?” Jared asked. “We’re from Earth. Your Earth.” One girl replied. “All of us.” Another man added. “That’s not possible,” Aaron said. “You’d be more spread out.” “World trade isn’t limited to the top!” A dwarf yell. “We can travel all over now, and live a life and then some.” “You could live your lives with your families!” Jared said. “At home!” “Don’t talk like you know about my ‘home’” The same girl responded. “Because you’d never drag me back there if you did.” “You go back there if it’s so great!” the same dwarf yelled, and shouts of agreement followed behind him. “So is this suppose to get us to turn back?” Aaron replied. “How do we even prove the people were humans?” “They're lives,” Meisa said. “Lives that are happier here. Lives you’ve been trying to drag somewhere they don’t wanna go!” “Lives that are fine with leaving people in a worse world than they came from,” Jared said. “You think we didn’t try? Those of us that could.” Another girl replied. “What else were we suppose to do?” A boy next to her said. “Run from law enforcement until we could tell a story the news would barely cover?” “It would’ve been better than leaving!” Aaron shouted. “Would it have, now?” Talmo asked as he approached from behind. “I’ve greeted many a kind in my expansive lifetime, and I’ve begun to wonder just how young your lot is.” “So certain were a young species?” Jared asked. Talmo pointed to Meisa. “Filing to gather a protest I understand. Defending what ya got for as long and it holds.” He said after pointing to himself. “I’ve done. Disowning the traitors? Disgusting, but some merit. Chasing them down, and dragging them home.” holding his arm open wide. “Like they’ll be willing to work with ya, after!” He allowed the crowd’s roar to subside before he finished. “That’s a mistake from ancient days. Probably longer than you wee pups even walked your soil.” “A protest is it?” Aaron looked around. The crowd still glaring at him, but none willing to step forward. “She said not to… And believe me, it wasn’t easy to tell them that,” Meisa replied. “But from what she has told me this her fight more than anyone else’s, so if you still want to go—” “We do.” Aaron interrupted. “We intend to do what is right.” “Mcanegiv,” Meisa muttered as she walked away, and had the other clear the path. “What does that even mean?” Jared asked. “Heartless,” Talmo answered. “No, why would it be more her fight than any of the others?” Jared questioned. “Go in, and find out,” Talmo replied. “Some of us got actual good to do.” With the crowd slumping away dejected. Aaron and Jared walked back into the tavern where it all started. When they first found the tavern there was never a dull moment. People were always walking in and out. Some to drink, some to pick up a mission, and some just needed something to eat on the road. Now it was lifeless, a desert of barren tables and chairs scattered throughout. Misplaced pan hanging, if they were hung at all. “They left in quite the hurry…” Jared said, looking around. “I know we took the fastest way back, but it was still a week-long trip,” Aaron replied. “News travels pretty fast around here, so they must’ve had a few days at least.” “What was the purpose of messing this place up?” Jared asked. “Seems likely it could highlight the entrance to—” Both turned around as a thump quietly echoed out behind them. Aaron tried to grab a chair as wood sliding on wood sounded out to his right. But as he reached out, all he grabbed was air. No chairs were even close to him. “Nothing?” “No,” Jared replied as pans clanged in the kitchen. “Two elements each. Her are Dark and Shadow.” “How would that hide the entrance?” Aaron asked. A feminine chuckle filled the room as pans clang loudly again. “Who’s knows?” Sofia’s disembodied voice took the place of her laughter. The sound of wood sliding against wood covered the floor after. “I’m sure you can find it no problem in this mess.” “We can simply search everywhere,” Jared replied. “This only delaying our battle.” He turned again at sound wood heading right for him. The clang of a pan echoing in his ear moments after he saw nothing behind him. “Maybe,” Sofia said. “If you somehow manage to keep track of everything. Doesn’t make it any less fun~” |