Overcoming Destiny

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Wireless communications"

Ch 25

Laying on the roof of a building overlooking a square in Sylvain below him a Sylph contemplated his most recent luck. Someone claiming to be Titania had requested that everyone not exit the cities and towns around a certain time but he and his fellow party members hadn't listened. They had been in the middle of a dungeon raid when everyone blacked out. The safe zone that they had just arrived at was no longer safe. He was the only one in his party to come away relatively unscathed. "So it's no longer a game. Huh?" He asked looking at the sky.

"Erkunden, Titania wishes to have a word with you." A young Imp stated as she landed next to the Sylph. She stood there for a minute as the Sylph failed to make any move to get up prompted her to kick him in the leg earning a glare that was ignored. "Trust me you don't want to keep her waiting. She can get creative when she's annoyed."

Erkunden sighed as he stood. "Lets get this over with."

"Follow me." The Imp ordered as she took off heading for the race leaders mansion.

Erkunden followed after her intrigued. Landing on the flat deck on the roof that was made with that purpose in mind. Entering the mansion they made their way to the race leaders office.

"-rop storage should be expanded here, and I think." He heard Lady Sakuya explain as he and his guide entered the though she stopped as he got close to Sakuya's desk and addressed him. "Erkunden nice of you to join us."

"Thanks for having me." Erkunden replied as years of habit took over as he stood at ease. Didn't feel completely natural yet but this body had just recently become flesh and blood.

The short pink haired woman he knew to be Titania looked up from where she had been looking at a map on Sakuya's desk. Giving him a once over she turned to his guide. "Yuuki you're free to go. Payment will be at the palace. Just talk to Kyouko and she'll take care of you."

"Thank you my lady." Yuuki said bowing before she ran out of the room.

Returning her attention to Erkunden Titania's gaze made him stand just a little bit straighter. "Erkunden otherwise known as First Lieutenant Nishimura Kaito Retired." Erkunden's almost widened in surprise when he heard his full title from earth. "Age 75 paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 38 during a training exercise." Erkunden swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat. "You started playing VR to spend time with your grandchildren two of whom are here as well." Titania stood walking towards the office windows before continuing. "As a former Ranger I have need of your skills."

"What do you need ma'am?" Erkunden asked when she paused.

"I already have three other rangers training some of the others on rotation." Louise said taking a breath. "We have no clue about the rest of this planet. Is it inhabited are we on Halkeginia because of the Apocalypse beyond our known maps? I need these questions answered. You will be leading a team to answer those questions." Louise finished turning to him.

"Ma'am I'm a soldier not a scientist."

"There will be four of those in your group. However like everyone else that transferred here what your game avatar knew you now know and visa versa. As such Lieutenant you'll be the CO of this little expedition." Titania stated.

OOooOO

"Man that was a tough fight," the Salamander of the group said as they walked towards the control system.

"Hey does anyone know how to control the ark?" A male Sylph with dark skin, white hair, and red eyes; said looking at the, complex looking, control system "Cause I honestly have no idea."

"Your clearly an idiot Tethu! Its obviously this lever right here," a, smaller than average, Rock Drake with purple feathers said playing with said lever "hmm nothings happening, oops."

"Well you've done it now Sayo, now we can't get Diana since shes clearly not on any of the arks." A male Spriggan turned to the other male Sylph "What are we going to do now Erkunden?"

"Maybe you should have asked me before doing anything." Erkunden sarcastically said before pushing the lever Sayo had previously pulled back up. Then he pushed it further till it clicked resulting in a whir of machinery as the nanotech that the room was made of broke apart and reformed itself into consoles chairs and walkways. One action station even suspiciously formed itself in such a way and large enough that the fae turned Rock Drake in their midst would be comfortable at.

The bright red feathered Deinonychus that answered to the name Luthier scratched a cheek with a clawed finger before absently asking. "What just happened?"

"Dibs on the big one!" Sayo said as she excitedly ran towards what appeared to be a slanted table.

The Salamander looked at Sayo like she was weird, "Why do you need that? Everyone can literally live on it."

Sayo tried to cross her arms, "I need it because I'm the biggest one here. GRRRR I can't cross my arms, I wish I were a fai."

"Can you turn into a fai? I mean theoretically y'all should be able to. So unless you need something from Titania you should be able to." Preacher said thinking out loud.

"Sayo have you even tried to turn back into a fai since you regained you're consciousness?" Erkunden asked the Rock Drake.

Sayo gasped "Now that you mention it I haven't." Grunting Sayo tried to turn into a fai. "Rrrrr rrrrr nope can't do it."

Suddenly realizing something Tethu shouted "You must use your hearts fire!"

Everyone looked at him like he was weird, Tethu put his hands up in defense "Let me put it another way, you must believe that you can transform back into a fai in order to turn back into a fai."

Everyone heard panting off to the side and saw a collapsed Luthier off to the side. "Not happening too high energy requirements." Luthier said before passing out twitching.

"Let's just get to tracking down our last teammate." Erkunden said sighing as he sat at the commanders station.

"Alright. Lets grab Diana and head home." The Salamander said as he walked to his chair.

The Gnome of the group sat in the chair next to the Salamander and pointed to Sayo "Hey Apollo, what do you think will happen if Diana is bigger than her?"

Apollo Looked at the Gnome "Atlas. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"No Delthea you crazy girl." Luthier mumbled in stupor earning a look from everybody else.

"Ignore him we have more important things to worry about." Erkunden ordered kneading his forehead.

Tethu and Preacher finally got Luthier into his seat when Tethu said "Hey Preacher?"

"yes Tethu?"

"Why's your name Preacher?"

"I liked the name, why?"

"Oh no reason."

OOooOO

Diana roosted on on the side of a buildings overhang as her nest of owlets was behind her. Her only conclusion was that when they left the Halkeginia continent something happened separating her team from each other turning her into some type of giant owl and only recently had she regained her sentient mind. On the one hand she wanted to search for her teammates, but on the other she obviously had a family to take care of. Her train of thought was interrupted by the sight of a ship of some kind flouting into sight over the city she found herself in.

Two of the owlets interrupted her train of thought. "Mommy mommy. Hungwy. Feed me." the third and last owlet just stood there quietly grunting.

Diana moved to the edge of the nest as she hooted. "You three behave now." jumping from the nest she started flapping her wings, and started looking for prey.

OOooOO

"Tethu where are you going?" Preacher said as he followed Tethu.

"Diana is this way," Tethu looked back as he kept walking.

"How would you know?" Preacher asked doubting Tethu.

"I don't know."

"That's not an answer Tethu."

Tethu looked up at the sky "Ah, there she is."

Preacher looked up to see a white owl, with blue tipped wings, approaching them. "That's her?"

Tethu walked over to Diana as she landed. "Yep, that's her. Diana its so good to see you. But My you look old."

Diana smacked him with her right wing sending him flying as Tethu yelled "THAT WAS A COMPLEMENT!"

Preacher followed Tethu with his gaze "Well there he goes."

OOooOO

"Where in tarnation did Preacher and Tethu go?" Apollo said as he looked around for the two as something flew by him.

Gesturing to whatever flew by Atlus said "I believe Tethu's what just crash landed."

"Wait I can talk?" They heard a vaguely familiar voice yell in shock turning they were greeted by the sight of a giant owl covering it's beak like an embarrassed school girl.

"I guess y'all found Diana." Atlas stated picking up what he was working on as Tethu groaned "Yeah we found her… Ouch."

"Sooo what did you do?" Atlas asked Tethu as he picked himself up rubbing his back, "I might've called her old."

Apollo looked at Tethu "What possessed you to do that?"

"Because she looks wiser, so obviously she looks old," Tethu stated matter of fact.

"No, I believe the term your looking for is well aged." Atlas said as he dusted his hands.

Atlas found himself on the ground with a 380 Kg owl holding him down with a twitching talon. Diana looked down at him with her glowing blue eyes and an annoyed squawk.

"Okay I'm willing to admit that might not've been the right term sis." Looking over at Erkunden Atlas begged for help "Erkunden, help please."

"It's you're own fault besides she's only 22. I know for a fact that you two knuckleheads are almost 30." Erkunden reprimanded them. "But Diana please don't get to carried away." Diana answered by nodding.

"Okay okay," Preacher walked into the scene with both hands raised, "Instead of getting Diana Upset at us, let us go and get Diana's family."

As Tethu got up he looked at Diana "I hope Diana has fewer offspring than Luthier."

Preacher looked over to Erkunden "Hey Erkunden, lets go help Diana get her family."

"You should ask before you make assumptions." Erkunden said before glaring at Preacher. "And why did that last statement sound like an order?"

"Oops I said that wrong, Erkunden I meant that as a suggestion not an order. And I was only assuming that she had a family because the other two did." Turning to Diana Preacher bowed while apologizing. "Sorry Diana if I assumed to much."

"Your assumption is right this time." Diana answered as she withdrew her talons from Atlas's Chest stepping back two steps.

"So, Diana?" Tethu asked before he voiced his thoughts "What are your children like?"

"Well two of them are what you would think normal owlets are like, and the third one is just oddly quiet."

Tethu started to walk in a seemingly random direction. "Alright lets go get Diana's family!"

"How do you know where her nest is Tethu?" Atlas asked brushing himself off.

Tethu stopped and asked Diana "Your nest is that way right?"

Diana replied "Yeah."

As Tethu continued walking Diana told Atlas, "Tethu has always had the ability to know exactly where something is, like for example if someone lost a pet he could tell them exactly where it is or if someone got pick-pocketed he could tell you where the pickpocket is."

"By the way were are Sayo and Luthier?" Diana asked turning her head completely around before turning back.

"Sayo is on babysitting duty and Luthier well he-." Erkunden started before he was interrupted.

"Oh Erkunden, Luthier said that he wanted to explore this area." Apollo said as he looked for Diana's nest in the distance. "Diana how far is your nest?"

Diana craned her neck completely towering over her human teammates. "That way. Just two skyscrapers over."

"Well that isn't to far away," Apollo turned to Diana, "how easy will it be to convince your mate?"

Diana gave him a side long look. "Why would it be a problem?"

"Yeah your right," Apollo looked of towards the skyscrapers, "why did I ever think that it'd be a problem."

"The only one who might have had issues would have been Luthier." Atlas stated.

"The only problem we had were his young-lings." Preacher replied. "And boy are they a handful, all thirteen of them."

Diana didn't hear any of this as she had already taken flight towards her nest.

"Hey Tethu. Why are you walking when we can fly?" Apollo as he asked Tethu.

Tethu stopped walking turned around. "You know, I couldn't tell ya."

OOooOO

Hey Shane?

Yeah Chris?

Why did this chapter take so long?

Because my assistants weren't much help.

Aah. You aren't going to ask for reviews?

It's been almost two years so no.

Well hopefully this isn't to bad then.