Author's note: Elements of this fic are based off of ideas and theory from Anthony Bault's Heroes of Arcadia series. I did not create Arcadia, or the concepts from the series involving the Companions. This is merely the result of me realizing many similarities between my original concept and Arcadia after I had already begun to write it.
I do not own any rights to the following characters:
Thomas Light, Protoman/Blues, Megaman/Rockman/Rock, Roll, Bass/Forte, Rush, Tango, Treble/Gospel, Albert Wily, Mikhail Cossack, Kalinka Cossack or any of the Robot Masters as they are the copyrighted property of Capcom.
Julian Kintobor/Ivo Robotnik, Gerald Kintobor/Robotnik, Maria Kintobor/Robotnik, Shadow the Hedgehog, Charles Hedgehog or Jules Hedgehog as they are the copyrighted property of Sega and/or Archie Comics.
Adaman, Magi Reynard Prower, King Ralius, Zorin Harkenian, Sir Eric of the Larson Clan are characters from Heroes of Arcadia by Anthony Bault.
The ideas and theories that appear in this fic are all my own personal opinion, and not that of the original creators of any of the above characters. If you happen to disagree with my interpretation, or do not understand, feel free to e-mail me. I don't bite and in fact enjoy argumentative discussions as they fuel my creativity. Also let it be known, contacting me for the purpose of Trolling only makes me laugh. This is my story and if you don't like it, write your own. Just give credit where it is due.
Yes I am aware that several of my characters have unoriginal names. I intended for it to be a bit tongue in cheek.
Please do give Anthony Bault's Heroes of Arcadia series a read. Aside from S.I. overload, it is an engaging story and a good read.
Chapter 1
Bonds and Walls
The classroom buzzed with chatter. First year students jabbering back and forth, introducing themselves to each other. One man was sitting in the back by himself, and was already fast asleep. Nobody paid him any mind though, as he was there since the first student arrived. He would likely still be there after they were finished with this period. His long brown moustache and unusual hairstyle stuck out like they had been gelled. In reality it was due to being shocked one too many times while hard at work.
A man in a lab coat walked into the room. His sudden appearance quieted the room as he stopped at the front, setting down a briefcase and an old weather beaten book. He took a stack of papers out of the case and passed them to a student to be handed out to the rest of the class. His scraggly brown beard was as unkempt as his hair. He had long since given up on appearances. He picked up the book and held it up in front of the room.
"There is no such thing as Multiple Universes, Alternate Dimensions, Parallel Worlds and Alien Lands far off in the darkest reaches of space. To the public, this is a fact. Science Fiction stories made to occupy the thoughts of the easily entertained, and bring in some money for those authors. And who can blame them? People need entertainment in their lives, something to distract them from the boredom of their dull and senseless lives."
"But there is truth to these words! The public, those poor ignorant fools, let these truths slip past them! They let the words go through their empty heads. It is in our history, and it drifts away from us as more choose to ignore it. There is documented evidence to these words. Undeniable proof, that at one point in our history, we walked on other worlds. And that people from those worlds walked on ours. That proof is written in this book, and passed throughout the ages in a certain family. This family holds the greatest secret in our world! The secret of the Golem! How to give life and free will to an object that normally would not, The Adaman Equation! This equation was named after the first and thus far only, creature to be created with it."
"His creator granted him life, free will, and the right to choose his destiny. Adaman was a pure hearted being with a thirst for knowledge. All that he lacked was the opportunity. For while he had the will, he was still confined to this world. He knew in his artificial soul that in order to grow, he would have to find a way to leave this world behind. Though he knew not how he could accomplish this feat. Then opportunity knocked on his very door. It came in the form of two individuals that were as strange as he was."
"The great Magi, Reynard Prower, and the mighty Elementalist, King Ralius of Floren appeared in our world. They too sought the knowledge of the cosmos. They had met by chance, some say. I say they were fated to meet. For when Adaman accepted their offer of friendship, they took him with. Meeting more amazing people than Adaman could ever hope to have before. Zorin Harkenian, a powerful Warrior, joined them next. Then the most pivotal character in our history, Sir Eric of the Larson Clan, the Gamemaster became one of their friends. This group of Companions traveled the worlds, and learned so much from each other."
"Then, when the worlds were threatened, they fought together. Receiving great powers through the use of their Medallions, a gift from the mysterious Traveller, they achieved victory time and again. When the Tesseran could not defeat these friends, they sought a final solution. They summoned forth a great being, an avatar of their war god, Trathalga! During the fierce battle, when all looked hopeless, one of the Companions made the ultimate sacrifice. Using the greatest power he could, his very life-force, he drove back the war god's avatar, banishing it back into the swirling ether."
"The Companions, though victorious, did not celebrate. Instead they mourned, for they had lost one of their dear friends. The Gamemaster had given the very gift of life we all have, to save the worlds we lived in. The Companions, suddenly disheartened by this, chose to return to their homes and cease their travels. After they journeyed to Sir Eric's homeland to inform his family of his great deed, they separated. The Traveller took from them their Medallions, sealing them away until such a time as a new Gamemaster, one of Sir Eric's lineage, would step forward. The doors to the other worlds closed, and remain so to this day."
"While we do not know what happened to the other three Companions. We do know this of Adaman. He returned to his creator to pass on his story. Then, in his sorrow, he left. He travelled to the farthest reaches of our world, and then sealed himself away, for he felt the loss of his friend's life keenly. He thought that he should have been the one to make the sacrifice. Not for glory or fame. Not to be hailed as the hero of the worlds. Because his was a life granted, yet not as sacred as that of one that had been born truly. Sir Eric had a family to return to, a wife and children that would miss him. All that Adaman had was his knowledge, or so he thought."
"Adaman's creator had been an elderly man who only sought to have a family of his own once again. His wife had passed on. His children had left him to live alone. They sought their fortunes elsewhere, and thus knew nothing of Adaman or his friends. All but one that is, as the man's youngest son had returned. He too felt the pain of losing family, and wished to return to his father's house. Though he returned late in his father's life, the man still loved him. He passed on his knowledge of Adaman. He gifted his son with the Equation of life he had used. He then passed on to the next life, to meet his long gone wife."
"His son, feeling that he did not deserve this gift spent years trying to find Adaman. While he never succeeded, he did find the time to write his father's, and Adaman's story. He again found a family, decided to pass on the knowledge throughout time. Generation after generation the story was given from parent to child. They did so in the hopes that one day, Adaman might return. They would then welcome him proudly as a member of their family."
The man reading the story looked around the classroom. Though the tome he was reading from was older than everyone in the room, combined, they all found the contents fascinating. "This story is not one of fantasy or science fiction! It is not meant to be used as a bedtime story for stubborn children who only want to stay up! This book and its tales are not for the likes of empty dreamers. NO!" He shouted, eyeing everyone in the room. "This story is for historians! To read of the past, learn from it, remember it! This book is also for scientists! To study it, know it, and understand it!"
He smiled, for with these words he had seized the attention of all in the room. Well, almost everyone, as the man in the back snored away his cares. The man in the front did not mind this action though. It was a common occurrence in his first class of the year. This man had heard his speech the last four years. He would not miss much the fifth time around. "For in this book," he continued, "is the greatest secret this world has to offer! The secret of that family, my family, is contained within its pages! Encoded inside the story is the Adaman Equation!"
As a collective gasp filled the room, his smile broadened to his ears. He had them now, and there was nothing that would make them escape the trap of curiosity. "My ancestor, the youngest son of Adaman's creator, encoded the Equation of Life into these very pages. Not as a test, nor in an attempt to make sure nobody could ever use it again. He did it to protect the secret. Should the wrong person simply steal the Equation, they could use it for foul and selfish purposes." He cleared his throat and continued. "Before a few short years ago, only a member of my family could be aware of the encoding. Sadly, my family now ends with me. No other member, no matter how distantly related is left. So, to ensure that the secret does not become lost to the annals of time, I teach this secret. Not the code, nor the Equation, for I know them not myself. No I inform the future scientists of its existence."
"I present the challenge to you all, as I have to the last four years of freshmen. I believe from the bottom of my heart and soul that somebody that has attended this class will unlock the secret. I may even do it myself before the end of my life. But here lies a stipulation, my terms and conditions to you all. Not because I am required by legal means to present them. It is as the last member of the Family that I do this. The sheet handed out just now is a legally binding contract. You are not to be allowed to give out any part of this secret to anyone by direct means. Not even to me could you tell anything of the Equation. It is something that must be earned! If given freely to another person, they will not regard it as it should. They will not treasure this gift to the world! You do not have to sign this paper, this legally binding contract. But should you not, I have been granted the right to expel you by the Dean. Even if you were on a scholarship, or your tuition is paid by mommy and daddy! Nothing can get in the way of true seekers of knowledge, not even greed or fear. Let us see what you all have, deep inside of you."
He set the book down and said proudly to the class. "Welcome to Scientific History and Theory. My name is Dr. Thomas Andrew Light, and I will be your professor throughout the semester and beyond. I welcome you all to the Neo-Chicago Institute for Advanced Learning."
After the last of the students had left, Thomas walked to the back of the room and nudged the sleeping man. "You slept through it again Albert." He said. He then walked over to the doors and closed them, hoping to have a private conversation with his friend. "I thought you might find a replacement for your Intern amongst my new students.
Albert stood up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "You knew damn well that I would fall asleep. The only reason I keep coming is because of our friendship Thomas. Otherwise I'd be asleep at my house now. I run the night classes for the Robotics Department. A position that you deserved and should have taken. Heck, you should be working as the Head of that Department!" He huffed. "Instead I have to deal with that annoying ego maniac Doppler."
"I am sorry Albert, but I feel that this is where I should be."
"No you're not! You spent the last four and a half years hiding from your memories. So instead you teach History and Theory? Practically giving away your family's secret to just about anyone who comes waltzing in here. You should be teaching it to the Medical Department or the Robotics Department. These kids could go from here to Chemistry or Paleontology. What good would it do for them then?" Albert looked at Thomas with sorrowful eyes. "You and I know that if you had stayed in Robotics your Prototype would have been finished by now. Instead it collects dust in your Lab surrounded by piles of useless parts, tools and clothes."
Thomas looked back at his friend. "Who then would carry the legacy? Who would remember Adaman or the Light family? After almost one thousand years it is widely regarded as a fairy tale. In another thousand years, it'll be erased forever. And what if a new Gamemaster comes forth, yet nothing is there to fill the gap Adaman left? It would not be any better than when Sir Eric died. The portals would remain closed and Arcadia would suffer for it. I do this to preserve their future, since I could not do so for my own."
Albert walked over to his friend and placed an understanding hand on Thomas' shoulder. "Look Thomas, I miss them just as much as you do. Our wives, our children are gone, yet not forgotten. I wish, more than anything that we were doctors of Medicine back then. It just didn't happen like that though. Why can you not look past the accident and move on?" He asked. "Find a new woman for you to continue your life with. You are only thirty-three; you still have many years ahead of you to fill with children."
Thomas shrugged off the hand and picked up his suitcase and book. The familiar feel of its binding giving him comfort, and courage. This book would have been passed to his children, like it was to him. "Seven years Albert."
"What? What about seven years?"
"That was how long it took Angelica and I to succeed in having kids. Even then it was a miracle of science that gave us that chance. I am unable to produce another child biologically Albert. While I was ready to adopt should it have failed, I cannot do so without her support anymore. With your wife, my distant cousin, gone as well, there are no more members of the Family of Light left. I am the end to a millennium of lost hope. My only option left is to give the knowledge to those that seek knowledge."
He walked over to the door and opened it. "You are truly my oldest and dearest friend, Albert. I cannot trust anyone more than you to be my support, as I undertake this task." He walked out the door, and down the hall. His last thought of the morning coming through his mouth. "I only hope I can see it happen in my life. So that I may see it with my eyes, and apologize to him for not being able to greet him sooner."
"Adaman"
By the time Thomas reached home, the sun was low in the sky. Soon it would reach down and kiss the horizon like a mother kisses her child. His home was large, big enough to take up half the block. This wasn't because there had been a large family living there, nor because it was a complex of apartments. His home also doubled as his personal laboratory. Two complete levels were filled with the accomplishments of the last nine generations of his family. Everything over the last two hundred years that made humanity advance had been created either in part or completely by a Light.
The second floor was dedicated to awards, doctorates, certificates and a few Nobel prizes. The third floor was filled with gizmos, gadgets and shelves of written theories. Everything from diesel engines to formula models were scattered around. It was here, in the far back corner, which stood Thomas' creation that earned him his doctorate. On a dusty stand was a small robot with large eyes and feet, and a yellow hard hat. It looked like a head with feet. The Metool was a multipurpose robot that could do anything from gardening to security. It had the special ability of being able to connect to any machine and control it with ease.
This was a long time ago to Thomas. He walked into his lab on the ground floor and flopped onto the couch. All around the lab were small piles of randomness. One pile was spare Metool parts, another one a mixture of clean and dirty clothes. The tallest one of all was a scattering of tools, books and papers. Whenever he got stuck on a thought, he threw it into the pile. Originally it was a table; it was probably still there, where he set things aside for a later time. Procrastination was a common friend to him by now though. He probably would have thrown his Prototype there as well, but it was too large for him to move by himself.
Instead, it lay on top of the work table just in front of the couch. Just as Albert had said, all it was doing now was collecting dust. Everything in the lab did. Thomas had hired a maid to help clean the house up once. She gave a serious effort to clean, mostly because she was going to be paid very well. After a week of cleaning she made no real improvement. This was mostly due to Thomas' messy habits that he picked up by then. She quit right there, told him what she thought of him, and then left. The last time he had cleaned was about two months ago. That was only because Albert threatened to clean it himself, with a torch.
As he sat on the couch, he stared at his Prototype. It was to have been his greatest creation. The Robot Master, a robot able to command other robots, like the Metools. He could have finished it before the accident, but Angelica had suggested he try to use the Equation on it. The thought had piqued his interest, and he dived into his family's legacy once more. He had half the formula decoded when his whole world had fallen apart. He was putting the final touches on a gemstone that would have acted as a power focusing device.
The gem, a piece of crystalized Beryl, tainted by the Manganese 3+ that had surrounded it, was about the size of child's head at first. Angelica had been the one to find it on a dig. She recognized its potential for power manipulation and gave it to Thomas to use for the Prototype. He consulted a few people he knew, members of the gem cutting community in Neo-Antwerp. They suggested a twelve sided gem with a flat top and a point on the bottom. Not practical for use in jewelry at that size, but it could be used to focus energy in that form. Thomas had cut the gem himself by hand. He was putting the final cut in when Albert ran in to tell him about the accident. He swung the hammer too hard. The chisel dug in deeper than it should have.
It lay on the table just as he left if at that point in time, split in twain. He stood up and walked over to the table. Maybe Albert was right? Maybe it was time to start work on the Prototype once more? He picked up the halves of the gem and looked at them. They were dusty, but appeared no worse for wear. The last chiseling had taken off the final imperfection. It was just in two pieces now. As he turned them in his hand, sunlight that had squeezed its way in through the curtains reflected off the stones. They began to glow faintly in response to the light. This came as a surprise to Thomas, as he had never seen this kind of reaction in the gem before. Was this what Angelica had seen when she discovered it? With that thought in mind, he rushed over to the curtains and pushed them open. The sun was just about to go to its nightly rest. Just enough time to see the reactions of the stones.
He held the two halves up to the light. He moved them higher, then lower, seeing if it was their position to the light that mattered. Nothing more than the soft glows from before. He was about to give up when he saw a reaction. As the stones moved away from each other, the glow lessened. He moved them to shoulder width apart. The glow increased to that of a low watt light bulb. He brought them closer, and the glow increased. The sun was getting closer to falling behind the horizon. He did not want to wait until tomorrow for this. He had to understand the reason for the reaction. It was obvious that the two halves functioned together. It was just a matter of finding out how close they needed to be. He moved them closer, this time to within a foot. The glowing was intense now; he had to squint now in order to see clearly.
"Closer," He said, "I need to get closer."
They were now at a six inch gap. The glow was almost as bright as the sun, and the stones were heating up in his hands.
"Closer!" He said again.
He moved them to within an inch from each other.
"CLOSER!" He said once more with excitement.
A red spark of energy jumped the gap between the two. Then another one jumped. Then two, and four, and then more. Suddenly a whole group jumped at once, and his hands were thrown away from each other. A shockwave blasted through the room. A hot wind began to blow from everywhere and yet nowhere. Objects began to take flight throughout the lab. Books and tools whooshed past him as if made of nothing. Socks and shirts formed into a tornado of smells and colors. The gem pieces never stopped their glowing, even though they were over four feet apart. In the distance, the sun bade its final farewell for the day and vanished. As it did, another shockwave washed through the lab. This time it blew Thomas over the table and back onto the couch, which flipped over as he landed.
The wind died down, disappearing like it had never been there. The clothes tornado fell apart, bits of it flying everywhere. Believing it to be safe now, he crawled out from under the couch, setting it up right, to survey the damage. Nothing major was broken, much to his surprise. As he looked around, he saw something so unusual that he thought he imagined it at first. Looking in that direction once more, he saw something incredible. A red and gray mass of energy swirled in the same spot where he had been standing. What could it be? He wondered. He walked around it and pulled the draw cord for the curtains. No need to scare the neighbors after all.
It was two dimensional, looking like a tall, thin piece of metal on the side. Looking into the front or back revealed a depth that it was mesmerizing. He could almost feel himself being drawn into it when he heard a noise that snapped him out of his daze.
Gunshots! This energy mass led somewhere! And on the other side was somebody shooting a fire arm, several of them. He heard a voice call out, "Run! Maria, run away from here!" It was followed by a sound that could only be the rush of air being released by a compressor. As he stood there in front of it, a young girl ran through and crashed right into him. The two of them tumbled to the ground. Thomas was quick to recover and sat up. He looked at this new person with curiosity. She was a young woman, maybe sixteen years of age. She wore a light blue knee high dress. Her long hair was a bright blond color being held back by a sapphire hairband. She wore a pendant of black and red hair attached to a silver chain. On the ground in front of her was a picture frame that had fallen face down, and an old book.
He was about to help her back to her feet when two men in military uniforms ran through the mass of energy. They held rifles in their hands, and the word "G.U.N." was emblazoned on their uniform in several places. They looked at each other, then back at Thomas and the girl. Pointing their rifles at them, they shouted.
"Halt traitors! Don't move, and forget about running anymore. We have orders to shoot anyone who resists on site."
Thomas was at a loss for what to do. Who were these two soldiers? What was G.U.N.? And why were they chasing this girl? He then heard another voice, this time from behind him.
"Resist this, jerks!"
Suddenly from over his head flew Thomas' work table? It fell into the two soldiers and knocked them down, keeping them pinned down and unable to reach their rifles, which had flown from their hands. Thomas spun around onto his hands and knees to get a better look, and was stunned. Before him stood his robot! It wasn't moving very well, and looked to be ready to fall at any moment. Thomas saw something in its hand and began to understand a bit. Clenched firmly in its hand was half of the gem, glowing just as brightly as before. The excess energy in the air was flowing through it and into the robot.
"My Proto …" He began to say, when a scream came from his side. Looking around he saw why. Before his eyes, the two soldiers had moved the table and had stood back up. But before they could do anything else, they started to clench in pain. It looked like they were going to fall again when they started to change into crystal. First at the joints, then it began to expand farther until it enclosed their bodies completely. He turned his attention to the girl, half expecting to see the same effects. Instead she began to glow, the light so intense that she turned into a miniature sun. The light faded quickly, revealing that her form had changed. Where her long hair had been, was now short fur and it covered her whole body. Her hands now ended in claws and her shoes had broken off due to the expansion of fur and claws. Her face took on a feline expression and her eyes changed as well. When it had finished, she had passed out, the other half of the gem in her relaxed hand.
"I think I heard something from the other side of this thing. Let's check it out."
The voice had come through the energy mass again. As he looked at it, prepared to receive more soldiers with weapons, another object flew over his head. He looked back, and saw the Prototype had once again moved. This time it looked like it had pitched a baseball. Looking back at the mass of energy, its red and gray pattern had one half of the gem stuck to its right side. He caught on to what his robot was trying to do. If bringing the pieces together had opened it, maybe doing it again would close it!
He took the other half from the girl's hand and threw it at the left side of the energy mass, where it stuck. At first nothing happened, then suddenly the energy mass began to be absorbed into the stones. "It's closing! Hurry up and get through it!" came the voice again, but it was too late as the halves came together again, closing the door once more.
He caught the stone halves before they hit the ground. Looking around the floor he managed to find something of use, an iron box he would use to hold excess materials. He placed the stone pieces in the box and closed the lid. He did not want to risk having another reaction, even if the sun had left for the day. His mind raced as he thought of what to do next. He moved over to the girl and tried to see if she had been injured. He picked her up and moved her to the couch, noting that she seemed to have a tail dangling out of her dress now. He covered her up with his lab coat, and went to check on the Prototype.
It had not moved since it had pitched the half of gemstone. Thomas' best guess was that the stone had given it power for as long as it was in contact with the robot. He was not going to be able to move it easily unless he had help. Help! He just had a thought, he was going to need some help figuring this out, and not let the authorities get involved just yet. After all, they would simply confiscate his equipment, his robot, and his stone. Worst of all, they would take the girl away to some secret lab and be subjected to untold tests.
He looked to the wall where his phone was at, and saw that it was not on the receiver. There were other phones in the house, but he was trapped in the main room at the moment. The blasts of energy and the wind had effectively blocked the doors. He was lucky that this phone had a find function. As he pressed the button, he could hear the phone's response beneath a nearby pile of clutter. He quickly dug it out and dialed the familiar number. As expected, it didn't take too long for a voice to come over the other side of the line.
"Neo-Chicago Institute for Advanced Learning, Robotics Department, how my I help you?"
"Carly, its Dr. Light, I need you to get me Dr. Wily, and quickly."
"Sure thing Dr. Light, give me a moment, I think he's still with his class." She said.
It seemed like he was waiting for hours when he heard, "Dr. Wily here, this had better be good Thomas."
"Albert, I need you to get over to my lab right away!" Thomas said quickly. "Something has happened and I could use a hand. Get Mikail while you're at it, I'll need him as well."
"Why do you need Cossack?"
"I'll explain when you get here; I can't trust an open phone line like this. Just hurry!" He hung up the phone before Albert could present another argument. He set the phone back on its receiver and slumped to the floor. "After this is all done, I'm going to need a drink!"
About an hour later there was a knock at Thomas' door. He tossed the pile of clothes in his arms into the washer and closed the lid. "I'm coming" he called as he hurried to the door. He opened it up to reveal Albert and another man standing there. The other man had a short haircut, and neatly trimmed beard, glasses and a lab coat. In his hands was a medical bag.
"What's this all about Thomas?" Albert asked. "I left that lazy intern Cain in charge of my Intermediate Robotics class."
"It moved Albert!" he exclaimed.
"What did Thomas? Your clothes pile?" Mikail asked as he reached out and grabbed a stray sock that had stuck to his shirt.
"So you're cleaning up Thomas? I guess that is cause to call us both away from the Institute during class times." Albert added sarcastically. "Pop the champagne cork and poor me a glass of the good stuff."
"Just hurry up and get in here you two!" Thomas said, grabbing his stray sock back from Mikail.
He led the two of them inside, then closed and locked the door. His two friends looked around in awe as they could see a drastic change to the interior of the lab. Most of the clutter had been picked up, except for the tall pile of old and unfinished projects. The table was still over by the wall, as were the two crystalized soldiers. The Prototype had also not been moved, being too difficult for Thomas to move by himself. The only thing they could not see what the young girl laying on the couch, since it was facing away from them.
"What in the name of Mad Science happened in here Thomas?" Albert exclaimed.
"I think I opened one of the Arcadian Portals Albert." He said.
"Right here in your lab?" Said Mikail. "Are you sure?"
Thomas picked up a book from the nearby table and held it up so they could read the title. It read, "The Arcadian Companions – By Sir Reynard Prower, Royal Magi of the Court of Acorn." He set it down and moved over to the two soldiers. "After the portal opened, I could hear gunfire. These two came through chasing somebody. When they threatened that person and I, the Prototype had come to life and threw the table at them. Albert, it was the stone, the one that Angelica had given to me. It opened the portal, it powered the Prototype, and I think it caused this." He pointed at the sleeping figure on his couch. "She is the person these two were chasing. After those two had turned into crystal, she began to change as well. Except that she had one of the gemstone halves in her hand."
Mikail stepped around the couch and opened up his bag. He began to check the girl's vitals to ensure that she would not need to be taken in for emergency care. "So she was not like this when she stepped through the portal?" He asked.
"No Mikail, she was as human as we are. I'm not really sure what actually happened, but it looks to me like the stone had stopped her from turning into crystal like the other two had. Almost as if it was protecting her." Thomas said a confused look on his face.
"Then why transform her?" Albert asked. "That doesn't make sense."
"I'm not completely sure on this yet, but I think the portal was unstable." He replied. "It looked like it could fall apart at any moment. Also, the portals mentioned in my family's book said the portals had a blue color to them. The one today had a gray and red color to it, swirling into an ugly mixture."
"Alright, so then we can determine that you did open a portal, and that it led to a world that has knowledge on Arcadia." Albert mused. "We also know that anyone who would have traveled through it would have been affected by the instability. We know that the three that came through had been human. From the looks of the book, it is possible that they came from the Magi's world."
"I thought the world of the Magi was home to intelligent animals." Said Mikail. "So why were they human? Is it possible that they evolved over the last one thousand years into a human form? Like the beings from the Elementalist's world had done from plants?"
"It is possible, but we don't know much about the other worlds of Arcadia. From the evidence we have here, I'd say that humans and the animals co-exist on their world." Thomas said, showing them the picture the girl had brought with her. In it was two human males that looked almost exactly the same, but one was obviously older than the other. They sported long and distinct moustaches, were bald, and wore lab coats and glasses. In front of them was a young girl seated in a high backed chair, wearing the same clothes that the girl on the couch wore. On either side of her were two shorter creatures with quills. One was blue and wore a lab coat as well, while the other was black with red markings on his quills, arms and legs.
Mikail stood up and put his things back into his bag. "Well, she is stable now, just sleeping. I'm not really sure if anything else could be wrong with her due to the difference in her no longer being human. We will have to wait for her awaken in order to determine that for sure. I suggest that we leave her be for now, and I'll check on her again once she has woken up."
"She probably will need a bit of time before that Mikail. The drastic changes to her will need to be given time for getting used to. This will be an even more traumatic experience than just being chased by men with weapons." Thomas said. "I'll give you a call when she is a bit more mentally stable."
"I take it that you'll be out of the Institute tomorrow then." Albert said. "I'll tell the Dean so he doesn't worry about you. Just a minor setback is all. Besides, that intern of yours, Hikari, will make sure that your class is taken care of." He smiled briefly. "Of course, he doesn't need to know exactly what is going on here. But the suspense will be killing him."
"Alright, now that we have an idea of what we're doing, can I get a little help with moving my table and Prototype back to where they belong?" Asked Thomas. "They are kind of heavy for only one man to carry."
The three of them worked for another hour trying to make sense of the mess that was Thomas' Lab. When they were done, the table and Prototype were back in front of the couch, and the two crystalized soldiers were moved to a far corner so that they were out of the way. Mikail and Albert went on their way, either back to the Institute or home. Thomas walked into his room and prepared himself for sleep. He still thought he could use a stiff drink, but decided that it would be best to wait until a more appropriate time.
After he had gone to sleep, a figure moved outside his window, its eyes shining a faint blue. "So the last of the family has managed to open a portal. This may very well be the time I have been waiting for. I'll be back to meet you some day, Dr. Thomas Andrew Light. I can't keep you waiting too long."