Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

"If you side with the Hive Master, you're subject to being mind controlled and forfeiting everything you own and control to him, instigated particularly whenever he decides that you're no longer a measly side-show that warrants no attention and that it's time for him to sweep you up. Or, you side with us and look to keep things the way they were, plus or minus a few billion deaths on either side as we try to overwhelm an ever-regenerating army. If you want more detail than that, then I suggest you talk to the Hive Master yourself and see if he'll let you leave with your free will... or, of course, do a little research yourself. I only have a library."

 

"A lot..." Katie says weakly.

 

Katie finds herself suspended in a large bubble, levitating her.
"Well, let's start from somewhere." She says, expanding the bubble a bit before going inside it as well.

Petunia just looks at Katie wearily before turning back to you.
"So, uh... don't tell dad I got all these for you, okay? I'm not supposed to even have them."

 

Katie tries to control herself in the bubble, but ends up just slowly rotating in it.


"I won't, don't worry," I say, "Friends help each other out."

I smile at Petunia.

 

The sprite spins with Katie, constantly facing her.
"Come on, I'm your present. Can't we share stories? I'll go first if you want."


She nods.
"...D-did I forget anyone?"

 

"I've had enough of playing the servant, thank you very much. I shall be siding with you."

 

"Sure." Katie says, weak.


"Uh..." I say, thinking.

"Did you get a present for Stephanie?" Shadow Stephanie asks.

 

Emerald nods.
"I figured it was hardly a question, but you do a fairly good job of guaranteeing that I can't be sure."

 

"In what ways?"

 

"Well, my master was killed in front of me, and his children mind controlled. Obviously, my first reaction was to book it, but I couldn't warn the palace guard in time. Fled to the icy surface and thought I'd be dead in a day, but this Petunia girl showed up and said she knew a good person for me to serve."
Pause.
"Your turn."


"Oh... hold on."
Petunia rolls both eyes back again, and a present shows up in her claws, which she warps out of her shield.
"...Fixed it."

She turns and smiles.
"I've spoken with Ren a bit. I'm surprised you went out of your way to get him where he is now."

 

"He was, and indeed still is a very important asset in assisting me with learning about Draconians." Terrae says, "Of course, I use the term "asset" loosely."

 

Emerald snickers.
"Is that not how you see most of your servants? Expendable, replacable assets?"

 

Terrae smiles.
"Isn't everyone? Indeed, if you remove all the bells and whistles of life, then near, if not everything isan expendeble, replacable asset."

 

Emerald nods.
"Be careful how closely you walk that line, because that line is the difference between us and him."

 

"Well...I ran away to escape an enemy of mine who had probably come to kill me while I was healing, and went back to Earth. I tried to find some of my other friends there, but when it got to evening time everything went black. I don't remember anything from then, but I woke up in some sort of jail cell and hydropower machine, and my powers were exploited to keep water flowing through it. If people didn't work, they'd get brandished with white hot metal, so I learned to work through my dwindling power and occasional punishments for no reason. There wasn't a way out, and I rarely actually saw anyone else until a Shadow that had been using one of the staff of the machine jail as a host attacked the humans there to eat them, and recognised me and called for help. I got all the other water guardians free too, but the Shadows took me back to the palace and informed the king and queen. Aj came and found me, and I couldn't stop hugging him for a while." Katie explains.


"I can deliver that for you if you want." Shadow Stephanie offers.

 

"Yikes, that sounds like a Hive Master scenario."
Pause.
"Oh, yeah. I'm Spring. Named that because that's where my parents met. Aaaaand... you're Katie?"


"S-sure... I can't go to your reality, anyways..."
She hands the box to Shadow Stephanie.

 

Terrae smiles again.
"Please, you're welcome to drop by my castle and have tea. If you shall excuse me I must get to planning a new campaign."

________________________________

Terrae smiles again.
"Please, you're welcome to drop by my castle and have tea. If you shall excuse me I must get to planning a new campaign."

 

Katie nods.

"My parents are pirates. I don't see them much anymore." Katie says.


Shadow Stephanie accepts it.

"Shame, there's a lot to see." Shadow Stephanie says.

 

Emerald nods.
"I might take you up on that some other time. For now... I'm between a rock and a hard place."

"Oh, cool! Are they small-name pirates, or do they have a foothold with a palace and everything?"


"T-there's a lot to see here, too..."
She looks troubled, looking at her feet.
"T-too much..." She utters, barely audible.

 

"Oh? I encourage you to elaborate." Says Terrae as he summons a map.