Early Release! Please enjoy the final part of Inventor.

Part 3

The Fall

Chapter 20

Damnable Deadly Deal

Section V

One Cycle Earlier

"Do you feel that? Cold." In reality Amel the human felt not only cold, but confused. There were a mixture of thoughts he could not make out or keep straight. Both Amel, Anub'Rakish, and Xan'thil were in the outskirts of the city, fulfilling their titles of Majordomo. They three stood patiently and waiting for an arrival. They readied themselves for the ceremony.

The outskirts did not shine as the city did, but they felt proud of their calling. Xan'thil responded with a few clicks but still, in understood speech, "What do you mean? You've never said that about the Pantheon, or do you mean this Beacon?"

Anub'Rakish's voice was thunderous, raspy and deep, "I think he means the Beacon."

Xan'thil continued, "This place is perfectly safe. The Precursors will protect and watch over us, as they have since the Emergence. The High Ones designed this grand place to shield us from the beast and its agents."

Amel breathed heavily.

Xan'thil was put off, "I was only making an observation, and you're putting me off edge."

Anub'Rakish agreed, "He's right Xan, I feel it too."

A path laid out and stretched and led to the city, it started where they stood. The path was golden and shined greatly. Blue lit pillars followed the path as well. Each Majordomo was adorned with not jewelry but fine cloth, blue linen belts, and long, pointy, white hats that drooped down their backs. Except for the Nerubian, for he was large, so the hat only lay on top of his back.

"Did you speak with the new Moíra? What's his name, Moirasil?" Xan asked impatiently. "Did you ask whom it was this time?"

"Yes. Apparently she prevented the Lost One's cataclysm." Amel shifted his weight, still waiting.

"He is and evil plant, what kind of a father would do that to his own daughter." Anub'Rakish was somewhat well versed on the matter.

"She arrived awfully quickly, a shame we are not with the Precursor now." Xan clicked and wiped his teeth. "I wonder how she fits in the Augury."

"Do you think she's Chosen?" Amel inquired.

"It's not for us to decide, the name will come to us." Xan noticed Amel sat himself on a rock and began shivering. "Amel? What is it?"

Amel sighed, "It's Moirasil. I do not trust him."

"How can anyone trust someone with so much power?" Anub'Rakish added.

"Do you think the High Ones were wrong about him?" Amel pondered making Xan'thil gasp.

"Sacrilege! If we are to trust anyone it's them, and the Precursor."

Anub'Rakish commented, "He makes a good point though. No one trusts him, honestly with the power to take life, who doesn't Fear him? It's a good thing even Thanatrofas does not have that power anymore. Expelling him was the best thing that happened to the Beacon."

Interrupting their conversation, came a purple time rift in front of them. It came below two pillars and a lintel. It seemed to suck the space it was appearing in and at the same time-pushing it away. Out came the extinction of all beings, he carried a girl with him. He was dressed in black clothing, always hiding his face from everyone else. He stepped out very brusquely. Darkness seemed to ooze from inside of him, and wherever he stepped it floated with a mass or gas. What could be seen were his hands, there were pointy, glass-like fingers. But the color was a blue, and a splotchy red.

What dark hell did the High Father fish him out of? Amel thought as he got up, and readied for the ceremony.

Xan and even Anub'Rakish heard his thought and Xan responded, one must not judge. Amel attempted to calm himself, but Moirasil was a twisted being that could make anyone uncomfortable.

He spoke in a chilling tone, "I…h-have… the girl." The ritual began when the robed being extended a finger and made the girl float towards the three. The three extended their arms, two in front of each other and one in front of Moirasil. When the girl was in place atop each of their arms, Moirasil extended his arms as well, holding her feet.

Amel at the head started, he felt her spirit was light, but she was very tall for her age. Amel, Anub'Rakish, Xan'thil and even Moirasil chanted in unison: "High Ones, we present you with a savior. Oh, great beings lend us your power! Our hearts are filled with gratitude and are intensified by our master, he knows all, sees all, and is all." They stopped and waited for Amel, who had a queer look in his face.

Amel spoke, "From now on you will be known as…" For once the Majordomo could not think of the name. The other three waited respectfully, wondering what the matter was. Eventually it hit him, but he paused doubting himself, "Tharria, The Courageous."

Then the four chanted again, "Oh, great Ones, build this girl a new, exalted body."

For what seemed like a whole cycle of awkward pause and delayed chanting, they finally looked at each other. Never had they experienced something like this. Amel thought to the other two, something is terribly wrong! We need to let her go now! Moirasil had also heard, he only watched, hungry and drooling with a smile on his blotchy face. I can't! Neither can I! The two other Majordomos thought.

From within the girl a dark light came, it was blinding. They closed their eyes and waited anxiously until the light expelled and pushed them away, making the girl wake up and fall-without a body she still hit the sacred ground. Only Moirasil remained unaffected.

"Gah!" The girl choked, her spirit lungs gasping for a different type of air. She began to shake tremendously and her eyes went in the back of her head. It was a gruesome sight yet they did not know what to do, only Moirasil extended his wretched fingers and wrapped them around the girl. He squeezed with all his strength until the darkness went back inside her.

The girl woke up, confused and looking around to see strangers. She was freezing so she trembled again. She wondered where she was, and her last thought of whether her friends made it out safely. She wondered what friends she was thinking of, she could not remember anything. Until, slowly some memories filled her.

Anub'Rakish's claw extended to help the girl, "Are you hurt?" The claw went through the girl's shoulder. Amel crouched to her level.

"What?" The girl asked with a shrill in her voice. "Where am I?"

Xan crouched what he could, "You are in a safe place. Do you not remember?"

"Remember… what?"

The three looked at themselves again.

The girl had a lot of trouble trying to stand up, she could not see. She wondered where the voices were coming from. It was too bright for her to see anything at all. "Where are you?" She asked, worried she had lost her sight.

"We are here with you Tharria." That was Amel, "It will take time for your… new eyes to adjust."

"Who? My name's not Tharria. Who are you?" She tried to be courageous, but she was scared.

Xan looked around confused, "That is your given name…you have always had it."

"I am so very confused, sirs." She began to lose hope, her voice cracked in emotional distress.

The Nerubian got closer, "Do you remember anything little one?"

"I…I remember, my friends. Are they alright?"

Amel took a deep breath, "You are safe now. We will take care of you." He stood up and directed himself to the robed being. "What are we to do?"

The being took the top of the robe off, revealing an anthropomorphic animal, with a blue face, blotched with red. "The Augury has started. The Inventor will bring her back."

"When?" Amel demanded.

"Soon." And in a glimpse the animal was gone.

"Who was that?" The girl asked.

"Someone you should not trust."

"Sirs, you have not answered my other question."

Amel smiled, "You are in the Beacon of Reality. We will explain along the way."

When the three walked the girl down the golden path, a concerned Gnósi passed them. Along the way she recovered most of her sight, she looked and studied herself over. "Did I… die?"

Amel responded, "You have passed. And you were brought here by Moirasil." Amel could not know what the girl was feeling. His first time was confusing at first but he regained all of his past knowledge and memories. It seemed the girl was not fortunate enough to have that happen to her. The girl stopped, she began to cry inanimate tears. Normally Amel would do something to comfort her, but in this occasion he would go right through her. She lay helpless, suspended yet grounded.

Amel thought of what to do. Xan'thil was every bit impatient as always and motioned for them to keep going. Anub'Rakish shut him up though. Amel did consider an idea. He began concentrating some energy on his right arm. His arm felt heavy but he managed. A few seconds later the palm of his hand ceased to light up, and the light that should have been on his hand rose up his arm. "Little one, take my hand." The girl looked up, his hand was different now. She took it and could touch him. He helped her up and they kept leading her to the temple.

Amel asked, "What is your name, little one?"

"Cosmo." She smiled back, and they both embraced what they could from each other.

Tails had spent the better most part of an hour wailing, on the floor. He kept grabbing at his scar- that every once in awhile would sting him. To him it felt as if it was opening and then closing itself again. The dread that the dead girl he loved came back to him did not help. She had come, done her damage, and left. And just as quickly she had disappeared. How strange it was indeed that he could for a moment touch her, then nothing. The apparition made an imprint in the cold room and in his mind. Was he insane? He seemed to think so.

Not only did she appear to him, but she told him that she needed help of some sort, that she was not dead. But instead alive, and that he needed to save her. How on Mobius could he save her? What was the point? What was the seed even for? The visit wrapped his heart with grief and anger. He many a times looked at his hands in disbelief. Was he dreaming? He clenched his teeth and hands and anything else he could, and yelled. He screamed at the life he had been given, the love that had been taken, the seed that should be Cosmo. When he finished kicking the box a few more times, and throwing his things around, he fell on his couch again. Not having any more words to express. Only more tears to fall.

"I hate you." He softly spoke to the plant that teased and ridiculed him. He also meant it for Cosmo, the girl that took his heart. She could keep it for all he cared. He wished himself dead. The thought was alarming, and the boy crossed a new paradigm. Furthermore he welcomed the new, dreadful thoughts. They poisoned him with great malice and torture. The edge of despair might be too subtle to delineate Tails' juncture. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was her. It was all he saw, it had been carved there. Tt felt like the same metal that made his scar had carved it.

He almost missed the knock on his garage door, which he had closed after Cosmo had left. "I can't do this." He tried to ignore the knock, but the sound returned, softly, once more. Maybe it's Cream. He thought. Perhaps she came back to apologize, and had heard him scream. He did not want to make the rabbit wait so he got up, took his time, but made it to the blue button that opened the door. To his astonishment, it was not Cream, but instead, the minted stranger.

Tails held his weight on the wall next to him, "I-was not expecting- hello, Éleos."

The minted stranger looked concerned, "I heard yells. Is everything alright?"

"Yes I-come in." The fox slouched over to his couch and lazily sat. The minted stranger walked towards him, he jumped when he noticed the plant to his right. He began admiring it.

"W-where did you get that?"

"What? That? It's- it's just an alien plant. It's useless." Tails responded, not even looking at him.

The stranger extended his hand to touch it, but he noticed Tails began looking his way, so he stopped and went closer to Tails. "I was on my way to visit everyone, and thank them. I'm leaving."

"You're-you're leaving?" Tails hadn't even had the chance to get to know him better.

"Yes. I have found what I am looking for."

"Well, that's too bad. You'll definitely be missed." Tails made a face that caught the stranger's attention.

"What is the matter?" He inquired of the boy.

"What? No-it's nothing."

"It sure doesn't seem like nothing." The stranger smiled, he offered to help Tails. He made his way next to him and sat on the couch. "You can trust me, Tails." He said his name with mild emphasis.

Tails remembered how the stranger had saved his life, he felt his scar in his mind. Of course Tails trusted Éleos, he just wasn't very good at expressing himself. But he went for it anyway, "I- someone came to-visit me."

Éleos grew concerned and automatically empathetic.

Tails continued, "Before you came, to the Typhoon, you see- there was this girl."

Éleos read his mind, "And you grew fond of this girl."

"Exactly," Tails reassured, "but, she didn't-make it." He almost broke down again, "I-I saw- her. She was right here-with me." He placed his hands on his eyes. "But she's dead."

Éleos placed his arm around the fox, and gave what comfort he could. When Tails finished a short session filled with tears, the stranger spoke again, "What if, I told you, that you could bring her back?"

Tails mind was filled with confusion, he tried to stop the thoughts and question running through his mind. "What?"

"Do you remember, how I healed you?"

"Yeah?" Tails' voice had a twinge of hope.

"Perhaps I can do the same, with her. It will be harder, yes, but I think I can make the-"

"How?" Tails interrupted, "How can you do this?" He was in disbelief again.

"With an immense amount of power." The stranger looked back at the plant.

"What? You mean- that? It's just a plant."

"On the contrary, when I came I immediately felt its potential and great power." The stranger looked back at Tails.

"No. I can't, I couldn't give it to you. It's all I have left of- her." Tails did not have the strength to part with the plant.

"Tails, you have to pick one, and you cannot have both." The stranger added ominously. "I can make the arrangements, it is the least I can do for you and your friends. You got me here. However we would need to go to the point of end and origin. Perhaps if there was a machine that could replicate matter- that might help. I could use the plant as one source of power, but it might not be enough." The stranger knew about the machine.

Tails responded, "Well, I have been working on a machine to replicate fuel. But I'm not where it is, it-" Tails remembered their journey in space, "It actually might have been destroyed when the creatures of black attacked us."

Éleos was not concerned, "That is no problem at all, in fact I might be able to take you back."

Tails did not follow, "Back? What do you mean?"

Éleos gave Tails a funny look, "Well, back when the machine was around. Before the black creatures, " the stranger noticed his widening eyes, "when she was alive. Of course, there are certain rules when traveling through reality."

Even though Tails did not believe, he had not choice but to listen to the minted stranger. To save Cosmo. "You mean- go back in time?"

The stranger was not phased by the question, "Yes. It's quite simple really. But first, you'll need to pack."

Tails became dumbfounded, "Pack? Pack why?"

"For the trip."

Tails asked again, "What trip?"

"The trip to space, of course."

Outside, a little Cream overheard the conversation through the other garage door. She ran as fast as she could towards home. She also had some packing to do.