The Secret Cavern

[Awesome Sensei]

A small room underneath the main gate. It is unknown to all except for a select few. Those of only the highest jurisdiction are allowed. It is dark and simple, yet a single tombstone is within, hiding a very powerful secret.  

[Awesome Sensei]

Do my words sound like music to your ears?

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

"Look here. . .This tombstone. It has no name on it. Because those who lie in it aren't dead. Teran was a very good friend of Ty, so he placed them here. The power of the masters was sealed, but should this break, maybe we will have a chance to restore the Genesis's as well. They need your strength. So. . . touch it, and leave this earth. Goodbye Mercedes. I hope in your next life that your wish will be granted."

Taking a few steps back, Ruo closed the hatch above them. The cult couldn't find them just yet, if they saw the awakened oracle and hero, hell would break loose. When they returned, they would be very weakened. For now, Ruo would have to protect them with what strength he had should something come.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪


Of course. A symphony in front of your very eyes.

 

[Yokai Manekineko]

Rushed into the cavern and shut in before she could blink, Mercedes half stumbled when her bare toes caught a crack in the stone stairway. Internally she groused, cursing the dark little room and her inability to see. Then again, she knew where she was, and she started forwards, no regard for herself. She was a half full vessel, missing much of what Byakuren embodied, and deep inside Mercedes knew with no doubt that she was just a consciousness given form for the former Oracle to live through while in captivity. There was no stalling; her hands fell on the tomb stone as soon her blind march brought her in range.

The moment contact was made, Mercedes all but faded and chaos erupted in the small space.

Cosmic fallacies impressed on a body of winter,
A destiny of intrepid dives into an omniscient psyche feared by human kind.

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

Byakuren coughed, her body having shot into a sitting position, but she continued to spasm, each breath bringing more dust and particulate in to irritate her lungs. She was exhausted, and the reasoning behind it escaped her while she hacked to free her lungs from the polluted air. Minutes lapsed into an hour, and another until the flurry died down in the dark room, and only then did her conscious mind relay the happenings of not only hours ago, but the past fifteen long years. The imagery, the thought caused Byakuren to stumble into action, her long legs barely able to keep her steady as she wobbled in what she could tell was a bed of jagged stone.

The earth had surged upwards, expelling her body in a great belch, but no her alone and now is when she became frantic. Drained as she was, her fingers still slipped past one another, sparking the tiniest cluster of collected light, and as much as she could maintain in that moment. The light burned her eyes after such disuse, but she forced the adjustment and teetered on new legs, her goal firmly in mind.

Teran.

She knew he was there, but no matter what direction she looked she could not spot his prone form, nor tell with her exhausted mind exactly where his location was. Luckily, a spot of bad luck later, Byakuren’s disoriented foot fall caused her to tumble to her right, the jagged stone littering the floor tangling her feet but her slip didn’t end up with a side full of grit, but with firm flesh. Struggling up, and flicking another marble sized light to life, her half lidded magenta eyes brighten visibly. She’d found him. Still not awake, his face was marred by powder and dust, hair disheveled and lengthened considerably by their captivity. Tossing the little orb of light away, her single arm wound about is neck, her racing heart finally finding a steady rhythm as the calm of knowing, truly knowing he was alive and whole washed over her frazzled mind.

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

Twisted kingdoms of thought and function,
Who will break the cycle of distortion upon the winter?  

[Awesome Sensei]

“And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Origin! That beast. Did I finally? Wait. It's dark. Byakuren. . .where are we? Did I? . . . no. . . I lost in the end. Darkness, that overwhelming force, that for so long, consumed the young hero. Light. A shining gift, which turned into a deadly beacon. Both the elements, they forsake and destroy. They are too powerful for this world, and thus. Am I. . .still a genesis? He questioned as he felt Origin's power through his veins. Yes. But the power was different, it was unique. It belonged to Teran.

The god opened his eyes, to see Byakuren over him. His arms were weak, but he had enough strength to reach his right arm around her torso, and pull her into an embrace. Whispering into her ear, he was smiling, tears strolling down her face. "I guess we really did win. . ." The sound of the rocks breaking beneath him was silent, as he stood up slowly, stumbling barely over the soft marble. Brushing the denim pants he wore, dust flew into the air. Running his pale hands through his gray hair, he shook them violently to get all the sand away. Coughing a few times, he stretched his back, bracing his arms on his sides. Swaying side to side, he jumped a few times, shaking his body. His eyes were shining with the softest crimson, as they looked around. Reaching his arm up into the air, his weapon materialized into his hands. Holy slayer. The sword that saved Teran's life. His best ally.

Putting his now brown thumb and index finger into his mouth, they touched his teeth, as he made a loud whistling sound, pushing his butt backwards, and leaning forward. From under the debris he heard the faintest of sounds.

"Squeeek. . . " It echoed, as Teran, as if in a heartbeat, had dug through all the rubble, to get to his beloved sidekick. The soft penguin had already found his way back onto the man's shoulder, as it squeaked effortlessly, as if no time had passed. The thing was touching Teran's face. It looked confused.

"What is wrong Nex? Is it. . ." Teran had a beard now. It was flowing like an old man. That would have to leave him soon. As he looked around, he noticed the new commander, Ruo. Tysulir would be coming home soon, but for now, Ruo was the one to talk to. "I need a shower. What about you Byakuren. . .and where is our son?" Even though all these years, Teran appeared to not have aged further than five years. Was this the gift he received from origin himself?

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

I am determinèd to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days."

 

[Awesome Sensei]

Do my words sound like music to your ears?

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

Ruo watches the events unfold, as he felt the strength of Teran. He left, to find members of the precious rebele.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪


Of course. A symphony in front of your very eyes.