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Post by "Bill" on Sept 16, 2018 20:52:22 GMT -8
*Embera was in disbelief as her outstretched hand was now dangling the Somnium Cross over the chasm below. She looked up as across this expanse the figure seemingly stared at her in silence. Her breath was shaky still, but again, Embera would not relent. Unlike last time however, she refused to lash out in anger or fear. She was a different navi from that girl, and for the first time in a while, felt the clawing of emotion subside. She felt her grip loosen, as if the Cross itself were trying to wrest itself from her grasp, asking her to leave it in the chasm. She looked to the entity, almost pleading for a response, and as always, was met with an empty silence. As the black chain began sliding down her finger, Embera took a deep breath. "No turning back" she whispered in her own thoughts. Her thoughts seemingly answered back in a reassuring-yet-taunting bravado "Even if it kills you." She smirked, as she tightened her grip on the Somnium Cross, and plunged into the abyss with the pendant. Perhaps it was to swallow everything, perhaps the void was the answer. Embera closed her eyes, accepting the fate she had just chosen for herself, and seeing where she may end up.*
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 16, 2018 21:16:38 GMT -8
....the entity watches, its faceless expression looking on as Embera falls into the nothingness below. Soon it disappears, soon the light disappears, soon the fog disappears. Within moments, Embera can feel her very life draining away, dropping into the void before her. In her mind she can see Genesis, Zane, Finale, the Armored Destroyer, Gate... everyone that she'd ever known and seen. She can see the moment that Fiera's fire data is first lost. And in this she can even see recent moments; Finale leading the WWW's fleet, the Meeting with Everett they themselves, being data cores unto themselves, are capable of holding the entire memory of a Navi in themselves.
they themselves, being data cores unto themselves, are capable of holding the entire memory of a Navi in themselves
they themselves, being data cores unto themselves, are capable of holding the entire memory of a Navi in themselves
....a true, hard sensation begins to reveal itself. Unlike every other moment since the situation had began, this was real. This was sure; her very power was being drained into the Somnium Cross on her hand, and as a result...
Embera no longer falls. She now stands on the onyx floor of a spectacular sight. A tremendous, onyx tower rises around her into the sky, shining with platinum lines that rise to the heavens above They frame the sky itself, and drop back before her where, once again, the entity stands.
...but this was not the same as he'd been. In a manner similar to the tower itself, the figure is clothed in onyx black and platinum white armor similar to the ornamental armor that would be worn by a king, pulsing with energy and surrounding by six crossing rings that orbit his body at all times. He looks out from his visor with eyes that flash all colors, and holds in his very core the crest of a being that Embera would now be familiar with; the hourglass. The power behind this individual brings with it a pressure the likes of which the flaming woman had only felt from Forte himself, easily dwarfing all that she'd truly known. Before Embera in this strange world beyond time stands the legendary Eternal Endgame himself.
Eon: Hello, Embera.
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Post by "Bill" on Sept 17, 2018 7:43:20 GMT -8
*Embera felt her weight shift to the wall of the chasm, as if gravity itself shifted this to be her new upright plane. Doing her best to not get disoriented, she tried to take in what she was witnessing. The ominous blue cross, charged with her Solar energy, acted like a lantern, lighting her way, illuminating the room, giving her a vision of this otherworldly splendor. She felt the immense pressure, making it almost impossible to breathe. This force of being was stifling, and yet, seemed to be without hostility. She saw the glowing eyes. She saw the iconic hourglass, and was baffled. Embera gulped the lump in her throat as she approached him, taking all of her effort just to stand in his presence. She never saw him before, and only heard the stories and the name, and yet, holding the Somnium Cross, she seemed to know him so personally. She felt like she could die from his very existence, and yet felt so cordially welcomed, that she merely replied kindly, even jovially as if greeting a friend.*
Embera: Hello, Eon. Death has been far kinder to you than the other Generationals, it seems!
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 17, 2018 7:59:09 GMT -8
Eon closes his ever-shifting eyes and lowers his head slightly. If not for the black mask that covers most of his face, Emebera would see a slight smile form.
Eon: So it would seem.
Eon then raises his eyes back to Embera, eyes that see through the very code of the net itself.
Eon: You've gone through a lot to get to this point. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for being so cryptic with all of this. I could take just enough of your processing to cause these dream-like states, but I didn't have the actual power to truly commune with you like we're doing now. That took your willingness to temporarily sacrifice a portion of yourself to give me the processing necessary to actually pull you here.
Eon pauses, allowing his words to sink in as he takes a deep breath. He already knew that Embera would likely berate him for all that she'd suffered, but that was her perogative at this point.
Eon: I'm sure that you have questions, so...
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Post by "Bill" on Sept 17, 2018 8:29:00 GMT -8
*Embera's feelings bubbled as she remembered her time in Netopian Lake. She nearly lost her hands because of the effects the cross had on her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she was about to cut him off, but unlike anyone else in her life, save Genesis, Eon apologized to her. The tone of his voice sounded of genuine remorse and sympathy for what had happened to her. Rolling her eyes as if shaking out the angry thoughts, she sighed a deep breath, becoming more accustomed to Eon's power.*
Embera: I guess...my first question is "Why me all that time ago? I was with Genesis and Zane, yet you appeared to me?" and my other question is, why have you reached to me now of all times, when the cross isn't even physically attached to me?
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 17, 2018 9:24:43 GMT -8
Eon's eyes trail upwards as Embera asks her questions, neither of which had been unexpected.
Eon: Genesis, Zane, Zero, X, NapalmMan... the list goes on of Navis who would have seemed a better fit, doesn't it? But there is a problem with all of them; they all have their own goals and motives. To any of them, this cross would have been nothing but another source of power, and I would have laid dead on them, powerless to reach their minds. But you? Your goals and dreams change with the wind, Embera. You are bound by nothing, and held aloft by your own fickle dreams. Because of your opened heart and willingness to accept change, I was able to take just enough processing from you to retain some sentience, and even try to help you at times.
Eon's eyes drop in obvious frustration.
Eon: ...but we both know how well that turned out
Eon's gaze returns to Embera, somewhat more serious than before.
Eon: which leads into your next question. What you're seeing, what you're feeling... it's a lie, Embera. I once stood as the single greatest threat to the net as a whole, a nearly insurmountable being. But now? You could destroy me with little more than a whim.
As Eon speaks, the cross in Embera's hand begins to vibrate and faintly glow.
Eon: My actual design is actually broken into three pieces. The first is the source of my power, which is somewhere in the Galaxy Network. The second is my physical form, which was deleted along-side Resonance not too long ago. The third houses my mind and program, which....
The cross suddenly stops vibrating and glows in silence, punctuating what Eon had been eluding to.
Eon: My power-source and physical form are trivial to me personally; I don't want to be reunited with them. But my mind; that's where I am, Embera. And you could crush me in your grip whenever you like... and that's actually why I'm reaching out to you today.
Eon suddenly appears more uncomfortable than before, as though he's about to make a request of Embera that he'd rather not.
Eon: I never asked you to be the caretaker of my mind, and I am truly sorry for that. But please understand that I literally could not. If you want to leave this cross behind or give it to someone else, I won't hold it against you. If anything, I just want to thank you for how long you've kept me safe up until now. But please, please do not leave me with the OEL, Embera. My friends and I suffered terribly at their hands. I watched many good, fully sentient Navis be executed just because the people that had programmed them didn't program them correctly. Project after project died just while my work was being completed. I myself was the 5th Navi with the title of Project Eon. The other 4...
Eon's eyes shut in pain.
Eon: Centuries have passed, and every person that worked on my project is dead. The new OEL may very well be a fine place now, but I can't just drop my fear. I know that I'm in no position to ask someone who holds all power over me for a favor, especially after all that I've put you through, but please, just do not make me go back to them, Embera. Please.
Eyes that once surveyed mass-destruction now look on to Embera with a pleading glint, begging her silently as he awaits a response.
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Post by "Bill" on Sept 17, 2018 9:42:37 GMT -8
*Embera listened intently as Eon spoke. The pain in his voice, the sheer dread of being back in OEL hands. At first she would have thought nothing about handing the cross over, letting them do as they pleased with him. But the shrunken appearance of this...man...this navi,the pleading and pitiable position he was put in...it struck a chord with her. Powerlessness was a fear of hers. To be unable to do anything but accept a will imposed upon by another. Embera forged her own path. Everything she did, all the power she gained, was to truly free her of her bound identity. She thought back to Genesis...oh if he could see what is happening, the story she would have to tell. She couldn't believe what Eon was asking of her, but she nodded in understanding of his plight.
Embera: I won't promise everything you see in our travels will be pleasant, or that I will be the ultimate protector of this item, but I promise you I will do my damnedest to make sure that no one ever has you against your will.
She took the shining cross in her hand, letting the cord hang loosely. It really did feel like glass, and the imposing fear she once had connected to her neck was now fragile, and calm. She looked up to Eon with a half smirk and charged slightly more of her Solar energy into it before slinging the black chain around her neck once more.*
Embera: I am a fire-elemental first and foremost, so I hope that this can help make things a little less foggy for you. I ask you now, what do we do? I've already shown Everett the cross. I can't just rewind that.
*Embera's smile and inclusion of Eon extended the message that she had accepted responsibility for tending to the Somnium Cross and Eon's mind and program. That she had chosen this path for herself and him.*
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 17, 2018 9:52:00 GMT -8
Eon's eyes drop in a solemn silence, closing moments later as he breathes a heavy breath.
Eon: Thank you, Embera. I owe you a debt that I cannot as of now repay. But I promise; a day will come when I will.
Eon's eyes look back to Embera, far softer than before, and far less imposing.
If this were a confrontation on the net alone, I could use your power to rewind the past moment and remove it from the net's time-line. But being a person... we will soon know if my fear is justified. If the OEL is truly pure, then nothing will come of it. It's possible that Everett may see the cross as nothing more than an anomaly that he'd like to study. But if it's not, then I may have put you into quite a bit of danger, Embera.
Eon growss silent for a moment.
Eon: ...and, again; if in the future you ever feel the need to abandon me, I will never hold it against you.
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 17, 2018 10:07:14 GMT -8
sting little trinket, isn't it? I must admit that I've never seen anything quite like it.
Everett admires the cross for a moment, looking it over with a serious expression before turning his attention back to Embera.
Everett: But if it's causing you issues, then we can just dispose of it or you. In fact, we have samples of every core that the list that you just looked at outlines. If you like, we can replace yours with any of these, giving you a working data-core that won't glitch on you. Sound good?
Everett smiles and brings the list up again, scrolling through it slowly to show all of the cross and star-based accessories, including the fabled Omni-Cross and Omni-Star that reside at the bottom of the list.
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Post by "Bill" on Sept 17, 2018 10:17:50 GMT -8
*Embera's eyes refocus as the tower and visions shifted away and she came back into the OEL room with Everett. She smiled at his offer and politely declined.*
Embera: Oh no, I couldn't part with this, it has far too much sentimental value to me, but I appreciate your offer. I was just trying to get some information on it, but I think I'm content with the cross. I appreciate your willing assistance, Everett. I'll let you know immediately if things get particularly glitchy, but thank you again.
*As she gave a professional bow, Embera made her way back to the front door, hoping to be on her way back to Genesis, he would NOT believe the day she is having.*
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 17, 2018 16:48:45 GMT -8
Everett just nods to Embera, closing the file as he does so. It was obvious that he was somewhat disappointed, but responds with a nod.
Everett: Of course, Ms. Embera. Should you choose to allow us to research the item, please don't hesitate to return.
As Embera leaves the network, Everett follows suit, returning to his office and sitting down at his desk, opening a line farther down the OEL chain of command.
Everett: I have an abnormality that I am opening an investigation into. I would like to request the use of Project Striker for the inquisition....
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