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Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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"...Sounds familiar, but if Jenso went in depth about you, I must have missed it. A shame really, because it means I missed the opportunity to trust you." Alvios paused for several moments, before relaxing, dissipating his Ki and lowering his blade. "Then again, I'm a little strapped for options. May as well hear you out. You spoke to Bruce and Jenso? And this..." Alvios gestured with one hand at the endless wasteland surrounding them. "...Is a jail cell? Don't suppose you have a way to get each of us out?"
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by tex
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"I cannot help you in such ways," He said without delay, "There's only so much I can do, or say, really. Fortunately, the others are fine. Unfortunately, your options as a whole are limited. I can do something, however." Nexus looked around carefully, and then sat down in the dust, crossing his legs. "Regardless of whether you choose to trust my words, I would advise you not waste energy in here."
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios didn't sit, although he did lower his blade, sticking it into the ground to lean on it somewhat. "Wasting energy isn't going to matter if we're all dead. I'll decide whether to trust the rest of your words once you elaborate. Exactly how can you help, if you can't get us out of here?" He was still eyeing Nexus with skepticism, as well as curiosity about the tear on his mask. Was it torn in defiance, or punishment?
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by tex
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Nexus scratched his exposed cheek and nodded. "I'm going to tell you a story." He mumbled slightly, straining through some unseen force. "And then I'm going to let you speak with Jenso and Bruce, for as long as I can manage."
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios shrugged, and sat down, a mix of impatience and curiosity marking his features. Part of him wanted to pressure Nexus into moving along, but maybe he needed to cool down. Listening to whatever Nexus' tale would be seemed appropriate. "Very well then. I will stay awhile and listen, Nexus. Go ahead."
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by tex
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Nexus coughed into his fist, shaking off the unpleasant feeling as best he could. "A long time ago, there was a woman who marvelled at the possibilities that Arcane energy could bring. She pried into the mysteries that others deemed worthless, and surpassed her peers with nary a problem. Her eyes, a rare sort, made those like her jealous. Nobody could see the way she could. Well, most couldn't anyways." Nexus rose his hands and summoned a disk of blue energy, which depicted a woman's image from top to bottom. A lithe woman, wearing a blue lab coat. Blue eyes, and blue hair, tied back into a ponytail just below her shoulders. "She held answers for all, and would share them, albeit with a tinge of disdain and boredom. She couldn't stand it, at all. It was like her colleagues were puppies, looking for guidance at every turn. And so, she set off on her own, to investigate the mysteries of the universe, the energy between worlds, the darkness that wrapped everything together- The void." Nexus paused for a moment and blinked a couple times. "This girl was lost for meaning, despite her endless success. Even when she was able to touch the void itself, she was unsatisfied. She only wanted to know more, to know enough, in order to fill the void in her own soul. And she did, eventually, find meaning. But that meaning was stolen away from her." Nexus coughed. "Sadness, anger, joy... All of it wells endlessly. She seeks now, only to know herself." Nexus clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "What is life, if one has to live it without a name?" Nexus let out a hefty breath and grabbed his head with both hands.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios leaned forward some, having patiently listened thoughtfully so far. Nexus seemed to be growing worse for wear with every word though. He had a few questions, and the flashes of concern on his face betrayed his confusion and worry about Nexus' condition. Still, he believed Nexus would make his point soon enough, and refrained from interjecting. Mysteries of the universe, touching the void, disdain for others. Sounds a lot like a certain man in red. ...If this story ends up with Nexus telling me Yzeira used to be a blue-haired nameless woman, I'm gonna punch him.
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"Uhg, that should be enough," He muttered, "It should be all you need to figure out a way out of here. I can let you speak with Jenso and Bruce, whenever you wish." He paused again. "It may seem rushed, but I'm reaching a particular limit... Think..." He paused and grabbed his head with both hands.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios nodded, creasing his brow. "Thanks for the help, I'll see what I can do with that information. Get me in touch with them...but are you going to be alright? You seem like a valuable ally. I can see why you weren't brought up by Jenso when we were being briefed about our enemies. I'd rather not lose you here if possible."

He was trying to be polite, but he was clearly more focused on trying to decipher what that story had meant; if Nexus died helping them, well, better to die a hero than a victim. The story he told was obviously relevant; mysterious eyes, powerful, looking for power and knowledge without purpose. A predecessor of Yzeira? Someone who could defeat him? Or maybe a weak link in his empty emotions? Hopefully, Jenso or Bruce would have more details to piece together this puzzle with.
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"Don't worry about me. Rest your head on the ground. I will put you to sleep, and do the same for Jenso and Bruce." Nexus explained, standing up slowly. "Keep your mind on the rift in the sky."
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios gave Nexus the most Are you fucking serious? stare he had ever managed. Part of him wondered if this was all some kind of hyper-elaborate prank; Look, everyone! Those warriors, strong enough to challenge the lot of you? I convinced them to lay down and then brained them with a rock!

Alvios sighed, and laid down, letting his focus shift back to the rift. "Go ahead. I'm ready." It's not like he had anything else to do at this point.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by tex
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Nexus began to fade away as he stood over Alvios's body. "If you manage to escape this place, the next time we meet,
may be as enemies."
Nexus rose his palm over the man's head, and irradiated him in a blue mist that slowly lulled him to sleep. "If not, it was a pleasure."



~ End Of Chapter 188 ~
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~ Chapter 189 ~

Dream Of A Way


He was the first to arrive in the serene meadow. There were a few hills, trees from across the multiverse, and a stream that ran across it, to the edge of the new reality. The sky was a cascade of pastels, and the grass looked as if it would break apart and let Alvios fall through, like strands of cloudy thought. Moments later, Jenso appeared, several yards away. Only a minute after that, Bruce dropped in, next to the edge of the river.

In the center of the field, between the three heroes, Nexus levitated with his legs crossed, and his hands connected, in meditation. His body let off a blue glow, but his eyes were closed. It was clear, he was putting as much energy as he could manage into maintaining this meeting. It was a familiar setting for Jenso. He'd been here once before, in a dream.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Jensoman
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Jenso looked around himself, quickly recognising where he was. He'd spend a very long time in this place, after Yzeira had killed him and sent him to the Void. He had attempted to achieve the Peace power, but failed. He walked over to Nexus, stopping beside him at the center as he waited for Bruce and Alvios to come closer. "Hey guys!" He shouted. "Did Nexus tell you a story, too?...I think we should tell eachothers what he's shown and told us. I doubt that he just told us things randomly. He has to be cautious. He's linked to Yzeira in some way, so if he says things Yzeira doesn't want him too, he'll end up in great pain. He probably tried to work around that, by saying things in a pretty vague manner." Jenso said.
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Brucenorris007
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Bruce had been doing well in his meditation, by his own estimation, right up until he found himself in an entirely new setting.

Blinking a few times after noticing that Alvios, Jenso, and Nexus were present, he entertained the idea that he had fallen asleep. Upon trying and failing to conjure himself any booze, however, he was disillusioned. And slightly disappointed, but he kept that to himself.

"I'm all for figuring out how to break free of these dimensional prisons." Bruce said, joining Jenso and Nexus.

"I suppose going over what he told us would be a start," Bruce said, rubbing his chin. He went over what he believed the key points of Nexus' story had been. "The one called Alexis, it seemed, inadvertently saved Nexus from death with her research into Arki. Somehow, that helped him live to see today."

Bruce tapped his nose, thinking further.

"The most direct information I got from him was about the natures of void energy and pure Ki. Namely, that they can give birth to meta energy, which allows the transcendence of natural physical laws. He was very urgent in his stress of how important taking caution in such an endeavor would be." Bruce sighed and sat down. "He failed to end the story properly, but the rest was essentially how he came to work with Yzeira. He more or less confirmed what Vale said about all the members of the Order being somehow connected to him."
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Jensoman
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Jenso nodded at Bruce, listening to what he'd heard. "Yzeira and Nexus are part of a race of magically talented beings called Primeira. Three scientists, Nexus, Alexis...and Teshra, who is now known as Yzeira, worked together on the basis of a magic that could possibly tear a hole in the fabric of space time. A magic that Teshra excelled at. Teshra and Alexis worked together long before they met Nexus, and researched the possibilities of atoms, and arcane energy. Testing the limits of the only magic they could see, with their Primeirian eyes. Teshra tried to do an experiment with some kind of unstable magic, which failed horribly and lost them their reputation. They continued their studies in private, and Nexus joined and helped them after that, which allowed them to perfect their theories." Jenso stated, taking a deep breath in and out.

"Eventually, Teshra went off on his own after an argument. Without him, Alexis and Nexus were unable to proceed. After a year, Teshra came back and his attitude had completely changed, appearing more arrogant. He claimed that he'd succeeded, and had a tattoo similar to Zelriane's under his right eye. After another decade, The tower that he and Alexis first met had dissapeared, probably taken into the space between dimensions. After the tower had dissapeared, Alexis had taken her own life. Teshra came back when Nexus was 70. When he reappeared, Rajaka was with him. He was still wearing the Arcane lab coat that Alexis had given him, but it was stained blood-red."

"Nexus wanted to tell me something about the coat's purpose, but was unable too...then he stated that it wasn't the same coat and that Yzeira wasn't the same man. He was very firm on telling me that the likelihood of bringing back Teshra had entirely dissapeared."

"Oh, and...it does seem like Yzeira keeps his promise. He spared his own and Nexus's universe when Nexus joined the Order. But he hasn't seen his home universe in ten thousand years. And it looks like the tattoo's really are important, as Nexus wasn't allowed to tell me anything about them." Jenso stated. With that, he took a deep breath in and out and began to think.

"What I get out of this, so far, is that either meta energy or Arki could have been the magic that they were working on, and could be the key to open a rift so we can escape..?"
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Hatman1801
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Alvios listened intently to Jenso's extremely long and winded story about Yzeira's history in general, having enough time to adjust and get comfortable in the length of the speech. After it was finally over, rather than recite everything, he decided to try and focus on the key points of what he'd been told.

"Glad there's some names now. Seems like you two were given much more direct information than I was. Seems as though Nexus was giving me Alexis' history in particular; others she worked with were 'jealous' about her eyes? She set off on her own eventually to search the mysteries of the universe and the energy between worlds - the Void. She was lost for meaning despite her success... she touched the Void, but wanted more knowledge, to fill the void in herself. She apparently found meaning once, but it was stolen from her."

Alvios cleared his throat, quoting Nexus directly for the last portion. "Sadness, anger, joy... All of it wells endlessly. She seeks now, only to know herself. "What is life, if one has to live it without a name?"

Tapping his chin, he looked between Bruce and Jenso. "So all of our stories focus around Yzeira's history. Bruce learned about Nexus, Jenso learned about Yzeira himself, and I learned about Alexis in some off manner. I can't help but feel mine is the most obscure. Nexus said she was still 'seeking to know herself.' Not sure if that's supposed to be metaphorical or not anymore. More directly important though, is meta energy and it's relation to Ki and the void. Considering void is the energy between worlds, it might be possible to escape by tapping into that. Risks of insanity are a little obsolete in this situation. How we do that, though... damn. It'd be nice if Oswald was here."

Alvios paused, and turned to Jenso. "We'll need to think about this more. If I'm right though, and finding out how to tap into the void with our Ki to somehow manifest meta energy... Jenso, you aren't doing it. The risk of you losing your identity and sanity is probably exactly what Yzeira would want most right now."
Hidden 6 yrs ago Post by Brucenorris007
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Bruce nodded in agreement with Alvios' assessment of the pieces of Nexus' story and his decision to veto Jenso out of the risks involved in working with void.

"If possible, yes, Jenso should avoid such a risk. If we're intent on choosing an ideal candidate, in terms of the risks of insanity, I'd be best. My mind has its share of problems already."

Bruce repressed a sigh, not mentioning that he had been in the middle of addressing that issue in order to be more capable for his companions. If he brought that up, Jenso would be much harder to dissuade.
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Jenso began to think when the three stories came together for a moment. "But...how is Alexis seeking to know herself, when Nexus told me that she took her own life?" He questioned. "Wait...maybe she DID die, but Yzeira or Nexus managed to revive her? I also died, after all, and Nexus managed to bring me back with my Ki and his powers. So it's not impossible.." Jenso mumbled. "But perhaps, by the time they did that, the Void had already corrupted her Ki when it was there, which is what Nexus meant by 'Touching the Void'? I don't know.."

After that, Jenso thought about it some more. 'Seeking to know herself, looking to fill the void in her soul, was a scientist...who do we know who doesn't seem to have an identity or much of a personality?' He thought. That's when he remembered one of Blup's recordings. Namely, the one back when Bruce and Jeff faced Shaidra and Zelriane. "Bruce...according to Blup's recording, Shaidra sounded like a scientist at a certain point, right? Do you think that she was mimicing someone or acting really curious, as if she was 'Seeking to know Herself'? She certainly sounded really passionate and alive when she spoke like a scientist, though, far more then usual..." He muttered, looking at his friends. "Guys...do you think Alexis could be...Shaidra?"

With that statement made, Jenso looked at Alvios and shook his head. "If you're asking me to let you guys take a risk that could drive you two insane and possibly ruin your life and just stand by as it happens, you're asking for the impossible..." Jenso responded.
Hidden 6 yrs ago 6 yrs ago Post by Brucenorris007
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Bruce set his teeth.

The theory that Shaidra was once Alexis wasn't inconceivable. And Jenso had laid out pieces for the idea in such a way that was not only logical, but convincing.

"It's possible. It's not often, and maybe nothing she's said can prove it, but there are moments when she seems less like an animal and more... Alive."

Bruce sighed. He knew it would be difficult to persuade Jenso, but his tone made it obvious that the sooner they began working it out, the better.

"Jenso, this isn't the same as us asking you to sit out when one of us puts ourselves in danger for reckless or selfish reasons." Bruce said, fixing the golden fire-wielder with a resolute gaze.

"We're asking that you step up and bare the burden of being the hero in this story we're making. That means setting aside your characteristic ideal of never letting your allies do anything on their own. You are our greatest warrior with the best chance of delivering us from destruction. That means there are risks you have to be willing to let others take."

Bruce smiled a little- he seemed to be in situations that always led to him making speeches.

"Only one of us needs to do this for us to get out of these prisons and move forward. I volunteer myself because I'm already a possible hazard to our progress with my... Emotional conflicts. I'm somewhat accustomed to psychological duress. Perhaps that will prepare me somehow."

Bruce quieted after that, to allow the others to speak. Hopefully now they could focus on he actual how of the problem instead of who.
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