Episode 2: Uncharted Sands of Fortune!

Delta!Earth, Year 2015 A.D

The motorbike took Rasputin to Lake Pleasant which was over an hour away from Downtown Phoenix. Upon arriving, he got off at the parking lot and started to look around. He had no idea why fate would bring him to this place.

The area was nothing but desert and a nice-sized lake that stretched for a good dozens of miles around. Mountains roam throughout with scattered cacti of all shapes and sizes. Occasionally, a few people were hiking around, and a couple of others were on the lake with their boats.

Rasputin took one of the trails, but it didn't take him too much of a destination when everything changed around him…leading him to someplace inside. In a Japanese-styled room with a familiar odor of a smoke…

"W-why am I here?" Rasputin asked.

"Because your heart asks for something," a recognizable voice was heard.

He turned to see Watanuki lying on his futon with the girls Maru and Moro along with Mokona.

"What could I be possibly asking?" he asked.

"Well, not too long ago, you were making progress…you do have a lot of questions that are lurking about," Watanuki said, "I'm even surprised that you left that world too."

"It didn't do much for me except being an unwanted citizen," he replied, "Besides…with the visons that I saw and those strange talismans…they have piqued my interests."

"So then, you want to find out more?" Watanuki asked.

"…I suppose if that's why I am here, then yes," he shrugged.

"Then there is something that you must do," witch boy replied, "The world that you are on now is perhaps the one that fate has led you to do an important mission…"

2 Years Later
The Opening of Lake Pleasant Shrine

Rasputin looked at the completed construction of the shrine as instructed by Watanuki. The arrangement was set, the price was paid. Now it was all a matter of time before they would be here…

Already, one of them was reborn to this world, yet…he…remains asleep.

The newly ordinated priest walked in as the inner furnishes were complete, showing the TV already displaying a swim competition held by ASU. Continuing his blessings and prayers, he stumbled across though his visions about a lard up to the far north, guarded by a man in blue-hair and red spectacles with four other spiritual entities.

Does this mean that there's two now or what, he thought, should I even contact him? Or is this something I must keep quiet?

Year 2020
The Temple of Lake Pleasant

After a few months since their initial discovery of the Shrine, Rasputin invited them to come back to visit while keeping secret encrypted messages of their help. By keeping them close together, he could at least monitor them and tell Watanuki on their progress. However, their hair and facial features were altered by some unknown means as the previous description…

"It's because the other…Rei…put a disguise spell on them to keep them concealed from Verrado and her clan," Watanuki revealed to Rasputin in a dream, "Until they return to Articora, their disguise will remain intact."

One day, Rasputin brought Rei to a smaller, Japanese-styled bedroom as he began to lecture him about astral projection. The megane has been able to do some fore and backsights but also in WIP.

"Remember to breathe in and out, okay? You need to keep a focus on your body. Your soul has to retract properly," he reminded him.

"I know that's not gonna be easy," the megane answered.

"Oh it's not. It may be easier said than done but even when I performed this back in another world," Rasputin replied.

With a sigh, Rei lied down his back on the mat before taking on a few breaths before closing his eyes.

"Focus on your surroundings...listen to your heartbeat...dream of where you want to see," Rasputin gently instructed him before taking out a K'rik and gently producing sounds. For a split second, Rei's body went still before it flashed back to life and sitting up.

"It looks like you got a glimpse of something. What did you see?" Rasputin asked.

"Water...Great. Now I'm turning into Haru," Rei pushed up his glasses.

"You must have saw the lake here. But can't you see? You did it!" Rasputin smiled.

"How did you come to that deduction? I could've been looking through a water bottle, for all you know," Rei shrugged.

"Water has a bigger meaning than what it contains from. A bottle, a bucket, a lake...the ocean... You want to try again?" Rasputin replied.

"You're not going to give up until I do it, so I might as well," Rei answered, lying back again on the mat.

This time, the projection lasted about a minute or so…as Rei found himself walking through a foggy area of darkness.

He turned to see several Sakura petals floating in front of him in the distance before trailing out. His feet pushed him to run off to chase after this familiarity. Rei saw a great Sakura tree and someone else was there too, but its shadow and shape were initially hard to detect….

"W-who are you…?" Rei asked.

The stranger turned and held his hand out to him, saying, "Remember…"

Rasputin watched Rei waking up more reactively with a hint of sadness on his face, "What did you see, child?"

"I...it wasn't the lake this time. I saw... a tree? And someone else. I don't know who it was, but it was like they were calling to me. Like another part of my soul was beckoning me to join them under the cover of that tree. What do you think that could mean?" Rei asked as he wiped his face from the single tear drop.

"I think the answer lies in what is in your heart," Rasputin pointed at Rei's chest, "Even if your head thinks you are someone else...what's in there hasn't changed at all."

"Should've known an answer like that was coming my way, but I still walked into it," Rei sighed.

"...In time, Rei, you will find the answer. This training I am showing you is something that anyone can attempt to do...but many fail, because they don't carry a burden. Until you find your answer, your ability to perform this ritual is possible," Rasputin said.

"No amount of theories or calculations are going to get me through this either," the megane answered sadly, "But this is really going to be tough."

Rasputin and Rei kept a moment of silence before the latter asked, "Now what about you? What kind of burden did you carry? What was the first thing you saw when you underwent this training yourself? Maybe learning more about you could help steer me in the right direction."

"...I carried a lot. Some are beyond unspeakable...My first birth of origin was cursed because my father committed a crime beyond retribution...mankind was punished by monsters," Rasputin answered, "Thus I was trained to be a hunter...the same techniques that I showed Haruka and Rin how to use a blade. However, what I learned only cost my happiness...and fighting for solace was futile...

"Upon being reborn for my 2nd life, I had forgotten all of what happened but still faced crisis after crisis. And now...I am here.

Heed my words Rei, 'Fate and Free Will are not for the faint of heart to tamper with'."

"It's not like someone like me can do just that, tamper with fate and free will. I'm just me. I'm just Rei Ryugazaki," the megane said, "I'm not anyone interesting."

Oh, we'll see about that, Rasputin thought before asking, "Now then, shall we return up front? We have the afternoon ceremony to perform."

"Y-Yeah. Let's go," Rei replied.

Sometime during the 3 years of training...

JINGLE-JINGLE
JINGLE-JINGLE

Rei snaps out of his recent session of astral projection. Whatever it was he had witnessed, he had to tell Rasputin. Hopefully he was in the main hall, where Rei usually saw him.

"Hello, Rasputin? You here?" he called out. He walked several yards before finding him talking with Haruka and Rin in the background.

"We understand," Rin said as Haruka nodded.

"Excellent. Then, continue the hunt up north and make sure they're defeated. I'll take it from here," Rasputin instructed.

Rin grinned before stopping to see Rei in the distance, "Oh…um, Rei?"

They turned to see the megane as it was already past 1 in the morning.

"I see you're up now this late at night. What troubles you?" Rasputin asked.

"I didn't want to interrupt your conversation. I take it you're planning another mouse hunt. But, aside from that, there's something I wanted to speak with you," Rei answered.

After dismissing the two hunters, Rasputin greeted him before adding, "I see something has troubled you. Did you find something?"

"Not something... some things. Plural. Five... maybe six...? It happened so quickly, I couldn't keep up…" Rei answered, "If I remember...I think I saw... a bell?"

Rei closes his eyes, trying to recall everything he saw, "Yes...there was a bell along with a harp, a book, a chest, some Chrysanthemum...and a chalice. Those six objects. I don't know what they're supposed to be, but I could feel they were important in some way."

So he finally saw them, the keys that may be able to, Rasputin thought before asking, "Are they some sort of talismans?"

"I'm not sure...I've never seen them before. Yet I couldn't help but feel like I was drawn to them. Do you recall anything about objects I mentioned? Anything at all?" Rei looked at him.

"Perhaps I may have. These objects you saw may have been something of value for what is yet to come. Of course, the future is always foggy. But in my dream, I saw six figures using these objects to chant some sort of spells from them," Rasputin revealed.

"That can't be a coincidence. We both had similar dreams. The only difference I didn't see anyone. It's almost as if someone or something is trying to tell us about them. The question is who or what?

"And why is it only selecting people in this shrine to recognize these?"

JINGLE-JINGLE-JINGLE

Before their eyes, one of the statues of the shrine glowed to life as something budded out of it. Rasputin watches with anticipation as he knew that this may finally wake Rei up...

"Tell me I'm not the only one seeing this..." Rei said.

"Go claim what belongs to you..." Rasputin points at the object budding out.

A magical bell with intricate designs broke free from the statue, floating its way over to Rei. He reaches out for the bell, as if in a trance. As he takes hold of it, something happens.

Everything he had witnessed in his past: the worlds of the Dark Mirror, Hyperion, all of it and more…even him...

"It...couldn't be...what is all of this? What's going on?" Rei gasped upon seeing the visions swirling around so rapidly.

The four symbols of Arizona, Mayfield, Iwatobi and Samezuka floated in front of him followed by his first name in Kanji…all of them embedded in a star-shaped magical circle.

"You and the others coming here was by fate...to reclaim what you guys have lost," Rasputin's voice echoed in the megane's head before his vision brought him back to the temple.

"I don't get it," he looked at the bel, "What did this thing do to me? What were those images?"

"Those symbols on the bell...Iwatobi, Samezuka, Arizona, Mayfield...the spirits of Articora. And what you saw, were your memories...the bell is here one of the six sacred talismans. Each of them a key to reclaim something valuable of yours," Rasputin said.

"Something valuable...? What could that be for me? Or for the others for that matter? And why six? There's only five of…" Rei began but stopped to see Rasputin pointed to the T.V.

"N-No!" Rei shouted, "A-ALEX!? Oh my god! He…he looks…different…"

The megane fell to his knees, holding onto the bell as his heart finally ached with the horrible memories he did as a Shadow Mafia…the dangerous days in Hyperion and much more…all of that leading to their arrival here in this world.

"And you remember what you did...to come to this land?" Rasputin asked.

"I do...This is unreal...but it is…" Rei takes off his glasses, rubbing his hand against his eye, "I did all that. I was a monster, but a savior all at once. And then... there was...I don't want to think about that place..."

"However, you know that you are not the big bad. The core of all these troubles wasn't by you doing," Rasputin reassured him.

"That may be true...but it doesn't excuse the fact I still executed those horrible events. The price I paid to start the path to redemption..." Rei looked at the T.V. again, "A price...I had to pay. It was the right thing to do.

"But…how did you know of all of this?"

"…I met someone…an ally who knows of you and the others, one who grants wishes," Rasputin revealed.

"W-what?! You know of Watanuki!?" he gasped.

"Indeed…3 years prior to you and the others coming to my shrine, he has appeared to me and explained what needs to be done to protect all of you," Rasputin continued.

"The others are going to remember the same way I do, aren't they?" Rei sighed.

"...They may or may not. But for now, you must remain silent about this. If word gets out, the enemy may hunt you and the others down. Until you guys reclaim and resurrect the Suiei Gods, you are all in danger...evil has the upper hand," Rasputin continued.

"And this bell…I can't…keep this on me can I?" Rei muttered.

"The bell you have will keep you safe for now...as its role of the talisman. It'll keep you away from their radar but only so much protection it can give," Rasputin explained, "So until then…"

Rei could feel his heartbeat breathing a word in his head…the Suiei Gods…

Is this why we needed the six talismans, Rei thought, could they lead us to the Suiei Gods?

Rasputin nodded at the reassurance.

"That's why you've been preparing us, isn't it? Because of something like this surfacing again. Very well... I'll keep the secret for as long as I can muster. The others will be left in the dark. I'll see to it no harm comes to them, no matter what," Rei answered.

6 Months before "The Last World"
Rasputin's Departure (seen from Book 2, Episode 10)

Taking off from Lake Pleasant, Rasputin drove onto the I-17, heading north towards Flagstaff. He knew where he had to go but didn't inform Rei and the others about this personal mission. This was vital for what is yet to come.

After a couple of hours, he arrived at the city and stopped at a fast-food place to eat on something before continuing upwards. He had studied the map prior to this journey and anticipated on getting to the Grand Canyon before sundown. With the funds he had saved, he knew of the South Rim Grand Canyon village that will provide him shelter, food, and space.

He booked for a week-stay at the Bright Angel Lodge which was very close to the entrance of the landmark. Once he was in his room, he opened the bag to read out the notes he had written from his visions. There was a lot of work to be done here before the curse would one day seize this world…

More so, those witches…will soon begin to hunt, he thought, recalling when he gave Makoto a flower-crown made of Chrysanthemum from his garden. This would later become the talisman that will safeguard his life when the time comes.

That's two of the six, Rasputin thought, but the others…will not be easily obtained.

By the next day, Rasputin got his equipment needed to head down the canyon towards the Colorado River. One of the travelers invited him to join his group. Initially, Rasputin refused as he didn't want anyone to know about the existence of the Suiei Gods and the witches. The same person who invited him to travel in the group found him in his room.

"Why do you come to me?" Rasputin asked, "Who art thou that must inquire?"

"…I see you talk in riddles to there…Oedipus," the man said.

Rasputin narrowed his eyes, "Who are you, Elder Bairn?"

The stranger spun off his disguise, revealing his dark-skin tone and long-ish hair in the form of dreads while dressing in clothes that looked like the wealth from the middle ages.

"I promise you that I do not feed on those human blood," Iago said.

"Why are you interested? What do you want?" Rasputin asked.

"Because I know that your enemy and my enemy are one of the same," Iago replied, "We both have lost something precious of ours."

"And what makes you think we both share that same enemy?" the other man looked sternly.

"Let's say that I know them long before you even drew your hands on a sword," Iago answered.

"…what do you know about them?" Rasputin asked.

"…they're witches…exiled from a society which I used to live. They have staged a war on magic throughout the realms of all stories that you can imagine," Iago explained, "Their tampering of magic has caused distortions of space and time as well as the fate for its inhabitants…"

Rasputin looked at him again, "You think they are responsible for the life I lived as Oedipus?"

"It may possible but right now, the witches have been waiting for an opportunity now that you've left," Iago said.

"I know, but even so, I trust Rei and the others to reunite when it is safe to do so," Rasputin answered.

"I know where the talisman of the shark is," Iago revealed, "It's tracing is detected the Colorado River but hidden in the falls of Havasu. Yet, it is guarded and supervised by the natives."

"So then, how do we get to this talisman?" Rasputin asked.

"I have my group that will take us through the river, but they are not going to be a part of the falls," Iago stated, "That's where you and I will find the talisman."

2 Days Later: The Colorado River Expedition

The trip down through the Grand Canyon took a while especially with a crowd of people wanting to get to the Colorado River. Thanks to the best equipment and gear that each of them carried, the trip downwards was relatively smooth.

The river was candid and calm that carved through miles and miles of rock in red, orange, brown, and earthly sediments of many colors. Several greens of life did flourish along with the fish and birds as the main inhabitants.

"Those red rocks are breathtaking," one of the younger ladies commented as she and her friend took a selfie together.

"Mr. Yago," one of the older men spoke, "How soon do you think we'll get to the campsite?"

"I'd say about 2 hours or less, depending how far down you all want to go," Iago answered.

"And the falls?" one of the ladies asked.

"If you have approval from the natives," Iago said, "Myself and this gentleman here are going as we have already paid the excursion."

"I'd love to go too but I know that price isn't cheap," sighed one of the younger fellows.

"Someday you will," Iago grinned.

"So um…what is your name there, sir?" asked one of the men to Rasputin.

Shit, what do I name myself, he thought, I can't just…

"I'm Gregory," he said, extending his hand out, "Or just Greg for short."

"It's a pleasure," the older man shook his hand, "Is this your first time here?"

"It is," Rasputin smiled, "What a beauty this place holds."

After settling into their campsite, Iago and Rasputin prepared themselves for their ride to the Havasupai Falls reservation site. Once their boat appeared, they got on and waved to their group for later.

"It's alright now, we can talk our business," Iago reassured him.

"Ugh…I can't believe I had to just…" Rasputin almost wanted to face-palm.

"You did great," Iago said, "It's not always easy to not be yourself but at times it is necessary to be careful."

After another hour or so, they arrived at the passage where they would head to the falls. Iago took out his map and muttered something before nodding to Rasputin.

"Are you sure that what you seek is here too?" Rasputin looked at him.

"Perhaps we may be searching for the same thing," Iago teased.

"The Talisman of the Shark," Rasputin muttered, "But what do you plan to do with it?"

Iago kept silent as they finally arrived at the falls. The red rock and the aquamarine colors were a sight to behold but…

"Keep quiet," Iago said, "They may have been here."

"Who?" Rasputin asked.

The waters exploded as a massive looking samurai-centipede monster raged outwards. Iago clasps Rasputin's hand to summon his former sword as the latter's eyes already turned blood red to attack. The Elder Bairn roared to attack Iago also but he vanished and reappeared by the falls, diverting the attention.

Rasputin threw his paper talismans at the legs of the monster, hoping it would weaken it enough to slay its appendages off.

The conflict lasted a few minutes, but it felt eternal as Rasputin finally stabbed the monster's head and pushing the sword into its brain and out from its chin. Blood exploded everywhere as both Rasputin and the monster splashed into the water.

Upon realizing that the talisman was inside the belly, Iago and Rasputin dug through its corpse to retrieve a treasure-chest like object that was about 2 feet across its length. To their surprise, the blood and the elder bairn were reabsorbed into the chest but it remained motionless.

"It appears that it may have created this monster for its protection," Iago said.

"I don't understand…why use an Elder Bairn to defend for itself?" Rasputin asked.

"Oh but it is sooooo very much like us," a voice said followed by a series of screeching hyenas.

The duo turned to see three hooded figures as Iago's eyes narrowed and stated, "So…you cowards decide to show up now?"

"Oh come on now, Iago…" Cassio said, "What happened to your edge?"

"You know it's not what I agreed to," Iago answered.

"Even still you did come to us," Salem reminded him.

"Not by choice," Iago growled, "I may have gone rogue but I for sure have not lost my edge!"

"Hand over the talisman," Kei said, "We don't want to fight."

Before anyone could take action, the Mimic shifted into a version of Rin Matsuoka dressed in his Arabian outfit but his mouth was savagery with its sharper teeth and tongue slurping.

"Impossible…the talisman couldn't have awake…unless…" Cassio narrowed his eyes.

"Forget it," Kei said, "We fight!"

Enough, you gentlemen will return to me at once, Verrado's voice echoed in their heads. The trio then disappeared, annoyed to not being able to savor this fight.

"It's not safe for you two being here," Mimic!Rin spoke, "You need to get out."

"But your existence is vital to the Magic Six," Iago said.

"Is it time?" the humanoid asked.

"I'm afraid it is," Rasputin answered, "If you are a talisman…"

"I have sensed two of them appearing in this world…" Mimic!Rin replied, "The bell of sound and the crown of flowers…"

"Yes, that is why we are here…so you can unite with your master," Iago added.

"Very well…but do not go against your word…" Mimic!Rin warned them as he dissolved back to it chest form and remained dormant once more.

"Tell me the truth," Rasputin said, "Why are you hunting these talismans?"

"The same reason as yours…Operation Resurrection," Iago answered, picking up the chest, "If the Suiei Gods…the ones that were killed off…are still possibly alive but not active…these talismans will be their new vessels."

"Do you know where you have to take that?" Rasputin asked.

"Yes…to where he is hiding up north," Iago said, giving him his business card, "If you need to contact me again, use this."

"And what will I tell the others about you disappearing?" Rasputin added.

"You'll know what you need to say," he winked.

~Episode 2 END~