Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"All to quick to forget the obvious, are we?" I say, "I'm sure you might even succeed in breaking me if you tried, not that it would matter. I've ties with that watch, and my times are set. While it leaves me absent from it's knowledge, I can at least prepare a few branches."

Artemis disappears in a blue flash.

"I feared you shouldn't of underestimated me." I say, cracking a wry smile.

Another version of me appears above Ihra, pointing Shadow Katana downwards. I don't seem hesitant in shifting the timelines.

"Her fate may be sealed, but the time of her fate is variable. Choose your next steps wisely; some decisions may be worse than others."

 

"Well, I guess we should get moving, then?"

She looks bitter, then drops her weapons.
All of them.
"You win. Please... don't finish her..."

 

"Conflict will not be beneficial for any here."

I reach out with my gauntlet away from me, and pull my fingers into a fist. As I do, space seems to contort around my gauntlet, as if I were tugging at the world like a bedsheet. It compresses into a dagger, the pair to the one I gave 13.

"It doesn't matter which way either of you bend time, for nothing escapes my sight."

I throw the dagger, and it spins, so fast that it appears as a glowing disk. My eyes glow, and my pupils dilate. The disk doesn't follow a straight path, it seems to wobble slightly. It aims straight for the Aj above Ihra's crystal.

 

The weapons disappear in a blue flash, as does myself from a more grim timeline; It almost looked as if I was bringing down Shadow Katana as I disappeared.

The weapons reappear behind me with Artemis.

"So, what's with the cloak and dagger act? Have you been noticing strange things happening around me and figured I was the cause?" I say with a serious tone.

 

"The more I show myself, the riskier things get. Also, I felt Ihra go dark, and you were near."

 

I appear behind Vei, my previous version disappearing in a blue flash a moment later.

"Well I can assure you I mean no harm. Unnecessary battles are at the bottom of the priority list. That, and cheating time." I say.

"Whilst the events leading up to Ihra's condition I shall rightfully claim ownership over, I can say with certainty that they were not intentional. A mistake." I say, "Which I feel a large amount of guilt for."

"We wouldn't mind helping you out with whatever you're facing. What's the risk of visibility?" Artemis asks sweetly.

 

"Ah, good. I'm quite glad we could all settle that peacefully. Rips in spacetime are just so hard to patch. Speaking of which..."
I turn to Vei.
"Your brawl around Kliktok was patched up, in case you're curious. Quite a stir you caused back there, or so I hear."

 

"Less actually getting seen, more getting caught off guard. The risk is death, as always."
She looks at her weapons.
"I used to only use one blade. Times have changed..."

 

"I guess you angered the wrong people," I say, "I'll keep an eye out for you."

Artemis returns your weapons, "Quite the selection." She comments.

 

"More like the opposition scaled up. Nyre wasn't always as bad as he is now. He still loved gambling, but we weren't exactly enemies. It was fairly recent that his group was corrupted; there was another threat that has since gone unchecked."

 

"Ugh, not Nyre," I say, "I'd derive extreme pleasure from smashing that idiots face on a rock." I say with an annoyed tone.

"Agreed. I'd love to feel the sensation of his skull cracking open beneath my foot." Artemis concurs.

We share evil smiles for a moment, "So what's the unchecked threat?" I ask.

 

"Something we've forgotten about for generations. It's the same thing that busted up our deities and created the Fragments. Only problem is, IT'S STILL ALIVE."

 

I unsheate Shadow Katana, "Well, it looks like we have a murder to commit. Artemis, will you join me for this dance of homicide?" I ask.

"Certainly, let the blood spill!" Artemis replies, nocking an arrow.

"So where's this thing and what's its weak spot?" I say confidently.

 

"It's thankfully not here yet and it's weak spot is... Well... I don't think it has one."
Vei looks at the two of you like you're Ihra after doing/saying something stupid.

 

Artemis and I notice, we smile at each other.

"Well, if not the dance of homicide, how about a regular dance?" I ask Artemis.

"It is acceptable, good sir." She replies.

Artemis and I begin dancing together like a pair of lunatics.

 

She rolls her eyes, weapons returning to her hands (in case of twin-blades) or wherever they were previously.

"Forgive me, I've limited space for sheathes. It's easier to just carry these at this point... I don't intend to engage... or watch."
She eyes the crystal in vain, then starts levitating as the tomes behind her spin and form a glowing ring.
Her eyes are closed, and a blue aura slowly pulsates around her.

 

"Uh, Aj?" Artemis asks whilst dancing, "What is it, my dear?" I reply.

"I think something's happening." She says, turning me to Vei.

I eye the scene suspiciously, "What are you doing?" I ask.

 

"Watching my daughter, because you currently aren't."

 

I consider my options...

And continue to dance with Artemis.

"If only we had an audience, I'm sure they'd applaud us." She says with a sadness to her voice.

"The only audience we need are ourselves, I don't want a bunch of prudes judging us." I say, performing a spectacular move with Artemis.

"What are we doing?" Artemis says, laughing.

"The great dance of the ages; and we're the king and queen!" I try to say seriously.

Artemis and I continue to dance, pulling off quite a spectacle between ourselves.

 

You can make out bits of Vei's muttering.
"Yes... barely. There is... someday, soon. I don't... yes... Understood. Just... don't wither."

She lets you continue your fun, she drops her blades, grabs Ihra's staff, and holds it in the center of the ring her tomes make.
"You naive fool... How do I get her to be trusting but alive?" She grumbles.
The crystal of the staff and the one Ihra's in resonate, glowing. It stops levitating and starts to melt on the ground.

Vei drops her staff and takes her blades.
"Don't you dare speak of this to her. She will forget; let her."
She vanishes.

Ihra slowly becomes visible amidst the dissolving crystal.