Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) throughout this information-laden scene… especially for the one whose thoughts are seldom shared.
~保護者~
"Stones of Lore"
~保護者~
When the group landed, they were in a strange and clearly unfathomably ancient building-like construct filled with numerous… stones? Confused, Sonic eyed the nearest floating object. It was about as flat as a hand with rounded edges and shaped like an oval, as well as about half as tall as he was. Strange shimmering magic held it afloat where it rested, and on it and all the others there was one word carved. They almost looked like… names.
Wave launched into an explanation before anyone could even ask. "These are the ruins of a place known as Farenhel. It was a stronghold of sorts for Immortals of the ancient past, and where many of these," she gestured to the stones, "have been kept for generations. These are known as Stones of Lore."
Looking just about as lost as Sonic felt, Cream asked, "And… what are those?"
This made Wave sigh a little. "I don't pretend to understand it much, but I'll tell you what Jet said to me when he took me here. These are magical objects, as you can see. They contain memories, great moments, ideas, songs, and inspirations. The Immortals seldom record their words in ink or on paper. Ink fades. Paper crumbles. Stones of Lore mark where 'our kind', as he put it, has made a lasting impression, where the seasons slowed to take note on a grand scale."
"If these are Immortal objects," Tails asked slowly, "how are we meant to interact with them?"
"The crystal I had Espio fetch," Wave answered, showing them a small glowing crystal held on a string like a necklace, "is going to help us do that. Like I said, Jet took me here once. I was able to listen to these with his help, but when he left, he gave me this. He said it can only be used for one day and told me to save it. My guess is that maybe he was intending on this for a long time, me filling our allies in via these Stones. Just… maybe not this soon."
"Filling us in on… what?" Shadow asked, visibly growing suspicious.
"There are other threats out there besides our resident Demonic God," Wave sighed. "Threats that are far worse and far more ancient. These stones can't tell us everything about them, but… they do help us non-Immortals get a grasp of just how dire the situation was and even now still is."
Steam bristled at the mention of ancient threats, biting at his lip in agitation. "There's a lot to take in, especially on the topic she just mentioned." Armaris didn't speak, but her curiosity was evident due to her raised eyebrow.
Wave gestured for everyone to follow and walked to the stone Sonic had been eyeing not long before. "This," she murmured, "is the first Stone of Lore ever made. It was crafted by a man named Urath, who hailed from the second generation of Immortals. This means the very first generation to appear after the Faein. The Faein, in case anyone is unaware, were the very first living things in existence period, and the first Immortals. They created existence, mortals, semi-Immortals, realms, you name it. But… they vanished long before this stone was made. And their absence played a huge role in what was recorded here." Without waiting for a response, she very gently tapped the crystal to the worn stone.
A voice began to speak from the stone, as if the speaker was standing right there with them.
My true name is Urath, second born of the second generation of Immortals.
This Stone of Lore is mine to share, and mine to keep.
Listen. Listen as I tell you my tale.
They came together, the Tiskarn and the Tuark, warriors of blackest nights and slayers of Fae, Karna, and Teirn alike.
My sisters and brother have fallen to these thieves in the shadows, these murderous impossibilities who seek to end us all.
Ythene, Voice of Chaos… Teyan, Queen of Chaos… Zenith, Lord of Darkness… Eona, Lady of Light… And Eirza, Ruler of Storms… All came to aid their Immortal allies, each with true power on their side.
The battle was great, the fighters fierce, but the Tiskarn and the Tuark together still free, forged an army, to kill us all… and take for their own that which they should never possess.
Three have fallen, but one remains, and I am alone. Alone with my thoughts and perils, and alone with this stone.
Their ships are coming. This world with fall. Ynder, Mistress of Fate and oft Keeper of Destinies, has tried to change it all, to wipe this slate clean.
But our foes, no longer mortal, resist her threads and come for me.
The judgement of my brother failed him. What he gifted could not be reclaimed. And now she comes for us all.
Her armies only grow, each day gaining strength, while I lay here… lay here and wither away.
They seek what they cannot possess, covet abilities they should not obtain. With my death at their blades, they shall achieve the sundering of existence.
But here my words. Hear them and take heed.
It shall not happen.
My blood shall be on my own hands.
There was an audible growl that escaped Steam, but he refrained from commenting in kind. "This is… what led up to the rising of one of the most powerful forces we'll end up having to face."
Too full of concerned and confusion to say much on this just yet, Sonic simply asked, "And there are… others like this?"
"Many," Wave nodded. "But we aren't going to listen to them all. Just the ones that I was shown in the past."
Dismayed, Tails stared at the stone. "What in the world happened?" he questioned softly. "I mean, for an Immortal to be put into such a dire situation…"
Wave shook her head. "It happens more often than you think. With the things the Immortals have to face on a regular basis…" She shook her head again.
Cream chose to ask an unrelated question. "He mentioned 'Tiskarn' and 'Tuark'. What are those?"
"I don't know exactly," Wave admitted, "since I haven't ever seen them myself. All I know is that they are two ancient mortal races that hail from the same world in a realm separate from out own. They're dark and violent by nature which… plays a role in everything."
"And… those names he mentioned?" Sonic eventually asked. "Were those semi-Immortals?"
"More than that, those people are Gods and Goddesses." Wave looked him square in the eye. "They still live today, even Zenith and Eona. Your earliest ancestors, as you may recall." Astonished, Sonic fell silent alongside the others. Wave, meanwhile, turned and walked again to another stone, leaving the rest of them to follow them. Stopping in front of another stone, she said, "These are from the third generation and this stone," she touched the crystal to it, "was left by a woman named Meitin."
No sooner than the words left her lips, the stone began to speak.
Though it took us eons, we've finally done it. Perfected a Stone of Lore, as our predecessor called it. This won't be as poetic as the one Urath created, though. And Urath himself… he's been gone for over two hundred-thousand years by this point, and we've just now reclaimed the knowledge he took with himself into death: how to record our words in a way that they will never be lost.
I suppose it hardly matters anymore. When he and the other three Immortals of his time died and we were born, we were left with nothing. We still have nothing. I suppose we do know who we are, in a way, but we don't know enough. Each of us learned some way or another that we aren't able to die, so we know that we're Immortal if nothing else. Everything else, however… it's all gone. Whatever knowledge our ancestors had either died with them or was hidden in some secret location we'll likely never find.
In a way, I suppose we as a people have completely lost ourselves. Our way of life, if we had one, our history, our knowledge, our abilities… everything. We four can only reclaim so much on our own. At least when Urath's generation was born they had a bit of a guiding hand to help them along. That's not to say that they had direct help, the first of us were very dead after all, but Urath and his kin were born so soon after the unexplained fall of the first of us that it was easy for them to later retrace our ancestors' steps and find everything they'd left behind.
We haven't been that lucky. All that we've reclaimed so far is the basics of our identities as Immortals… and this old Stone of Lore. It was by pure chance that Kaen found it - he's just lucky like that I suppose - and this broken world it was resting on… Clearly something of significance happened here. If Urath spoke the truth in his stone, then there was definitely a huge war of some kind that killed his kin, and later led him to end his own life. But it was so quiet in that stone… no background noise to speak of. And Urath was… almost whispering.
Faeri decided to nickname these stones 'Whisperstones'. Hopefully the name doesn't last.
"How could they not have knowledge of their kind's own past?" Sonic frowned.
"Look at this this way," Wave explained. "You had no real knowledge of your past because nothing was really left behind, right? It wasn't until you really, really did a lot of digging that you began to learn anything at all. The Immortals were, and in many senses still are, in the same boat. And it's part of why so much of what happened in the past was able to occur at all." She gave him no time to respond before moving on to the stone next to Meitin's. "This is Kaen's stone."
Saying nothing more, she tapped the crystal to the rock.
Approximately three decades have passed since Maetin, Faeri, Lukan, and I managed to recreate Urath's Stone of Lore. The lot of us have been so busy that the thought of making and using another such stone failed to come to us until now.
Now, when we have suddenly realized all over again just how little we actually know.
Despite our tireless days and nights of endless research and contemplation, we still have no real idea who those before us were, what they knew, what they could do, what they were supposedly fighting… nothing. We don't even understand some of the language Urath used in his recording. Lukan believes that the words Fae, Karna, and Teirn mean "Immortals", "Gods" or "Goddesses", and "mortals" respectively, but while the first and second ones seems to be accurate I'm not so sure about the middle one. Karna translates to 'First of Faer' in the oldest known Erukti dialect, unless I'm mistaken. That phrase then further translates into 'First of the Gifted'. If that's true, then it seems there was some sort of great error in Urath's stone. There's no evidence at all that any Gods and Goddesses existed back then. This, of course, raises the troubling concern that perhaps there are other inconsistencies or errors or perhaps even outright lies recorded in that stone. That, in and of itself, raises numerous concerns.
At this time, I don't know what to believe.
Wave didn't give anyone much time to think or speak before simply moving on. "This," she said as she activated the next stone, "was left by Faeri. It's a bit more vague, but also a bit more important."
Faeri's ancient voice began to echo softly through the dull, abandoned space.
Like-minded though we often are, my brothers, sister, and I often disagree.
We disagree over the meanings of simple words such as Karna and Teirn.
We disagree over whether or not there are other realms and the like.
We disagree over the potential for powerful beings like the 'Mistress of Fate' to exist.
We disagree over whether the Tiskarn and Tuark, too, ever did exist.
We disagree over whether or not they truly could have been capable of killing our kind, and of stealing from us that which only we may possess.
However, as siblings can and often do, we find many things to agree upon as well.
We agree that these Whisperstones are useful tools for us, despite our near-complete lack of use of them.
We agree Urath spoke at least some truth into his stone all those years ago.
We agree that his foes and the foes of his kin do seem to have once been real.
We agree that, if his words are all true, then we now potentially face a bigger threat than we have ever faced before.
We agree that if powerful beings such as Ythene and Zenith and Eirza do exist, then we need them now more than ever to reveal themselves to us.
We agree that the prospect that they may not be willing or I daresay even capable of it right now… is utterly terrifying.
We agree that we may be facing the end of days.
"This was so bad that a whole generation was wiped out," Tails whispered, "and then this one was threatened the same way? Just… how?"
"I don't have all the answers to that," Wave admitted. "All I know is everything you'll know by the time we're done here. It's the best I can offer until Jet explains more. If he even can."
This coaxed a rare frown out of the fox. "You mean he might not know?"
"I'm saying it's a possibility, yes," Wave answered. "So much knowledge is lost… it's really a miracle any of us know anything at all." With that, she walked to the next stone. "This is the last one in this cluster. It was left by Lukan right before… well… disaster."
She tapped the stone.
There isn't much time to talk.
We learned some things. Important things. The Tiskarn and the Tuark - they're real. They're too real, and right now their army - they call it the Virhel or the Winere, or the Trokkelar, among other things - marches for Ferenhel. It's a stronghold, of sorts, the only place we were able to retreat to when they appeared. The weapons they wield aren't natural and shouldn't exist. They hold whispers of power within themselves, power that should never have left any Immortal's form to inhabit any mortal's, and ones as malevolent as these no less… I just don't understand it. They shouldn't be here. They shouldn't live yet still. They shouldn't have these abilities. They shouldn't exist. And yet they do… and for us they come.
We've spent so many years so utterly in denial of all Urath had said… and yet here we all are, hiding from the from the threat from which he only so narrowly escaped. His soul rests on the same world on which we now cower. I suppose there may be some deeper poetic meaning behind at all, but it right now simply strikes me as senseless and impossible. And outside our walls… the Widow walks.
The Widow walks…
Horrified looks were traded amongst certain members of the group, but only Cream spoke. "The… Widow?" she asked softly.
"A horrible demoness," Wave answered just as softly. "She lead many attacks against many peoples throughout the ancient past, and at some point was recruited by the individuals largely responsible for total destruction of the second generation of Immortals." She closed her eyes. "More recently, however… she was somehow brought back from the dead. She shifted her form into that of a simple cat woman back on Mobius, from what Jet and I have been able to learn, and tricked two children into freeing Malevolence from where it was once sealed."
Giving no one time to react, she continued. "That woman and her leaders directly lead to the slaughters we all faced back then… and the slaughters these people faced back then." Stunned into silence, no one else spoke as Wave walked to the next stones. "Faeri survived the slaughter that night," she sighed. "These stones over here were left by her and the members of the fourth generation that she helped bring up after her own generation perished. The first one was Yoren's."
The stone activated, and a new voice began to speak.
It took me many, many seasons to perfect my magic to the point where I could make a stone of my own and begin my recordings within them. I'll start with the basics for now. I am known as Yoren of the High Seas, a nomadic sailor by trade - a pirate of sorts, really - until it was learned of my status as an Immortal-born. Only when I discovered this for myself did the rest of my kind, so to speak, seek me out. They are my kin, my sisters, all of them. Lady Faeri is by far the oldest of us, and she has taught us so much.
In my seasons of training, I learned far more than just magic. No, I learned of our history, the history that was all but lost to the Lady and her first three kin. She rediscovered so much of what was lost when the generation before hers so suddenly perished. It is thanks to her that we know remember so much of our strengths, our skills, our magic, our knowledge, everything. But all of this did not come without a price. In the fires of Farenhel, amidst the screams of her dying kin, Lady Faeri learned the truth of what had been done so long ago… and why we may all very well be doomed.
I cannot say much here. This place - it is far from safe. If all does not go well then this night, this place… it will put the horrors of Ferenhel to shame. But, in case I am due to die here tonight, there is one thing I must say, so that it will never be forgotten again. It is far, far too important to be lost once more.
The gift of Privilege should never have been invented.
After a long moment of silence, Tails finally spoke up. "What… What's Privilege?" he asked, expressing the main question on everyone's minds right then.
"Privilege is essentially the ability of Immortals to gift mortals or semi-Immortals with abilities they usually… couldn't have," Steam explained, glancing to Wave as if to ask for some help.
"More or less," Wave acknowledged with a small nod of her head, "but it's no longer as insane as that. After all the problems it caused… well, let's just say that a lot of Immortals have created a lot of limitations to it. Jet included. It's too dangerous otherwise, despite how useful it can also be at times."
Steam nodded. "Even in very extreme cases, it's normally only given if several of the Immortals or at least the eldest Immortal agrees, or the situation is so dire that it has to be given immediately."
"That's about the gist of it, anyway," Wave said. "Now come on. We don't have a ton of time, most likely." They walked to the next stone. "This is Faeri's second stone."
She activated it, and Faeri again spoke.
Today was a day of prominence, for I saw what was to be of our future - or rather the very beginning of it - and I told it to my kin thusly for it was of the utmost importance that they know. "A day will come when dual realities meet and those three will reunite… and it will be that day that our future can start to be spared."
"So, uh… any idea what she's referring to with 'those three'? That has to be the most vague way to refer to a group of people." Armaris crossed her arms, frowning at the stone.
"I asked just about the same thing when I first heard this, but Jet said he didn't know anything about it, either," Wave shrugged. "It's just something we're going to have to wait out, unfortunately."
Armaris huffed. "Glad to hear it." She looked away, sarcasm evident in her tone. "Anyway, let's keep going."
For once, Wave chose to ignore the sass being thrown at her (instead of responding in kind) and did as she was told. "This is Yoren's second stone, and the last one we'll be listening to from this generation."
It activated, and Yoren began to share his words.
It happened today.
Today, Lady Faeri finally regained her lost memories. The memories of what, exactly, happened on that horrific night at Farenhel. She said the army of the enemies - collectively they were named the "Trokkelar Army" by her generation - marched on the fortress in the dead of night, bringing with them unholy fires, Pyrzar beasts, and a demon that had not existed in the dawn of days, when the first of our kin reigned supreme.
The beasts of Pyrzar, monsters of pure hatred and fire, tore down the mighty walls of the fortress. Maetin perished in the flames of their wrath, her powers sucked from her body by the demon Shiskaru, also known as Talor. The demon then grabbed Kaen in it's mighty hand and squeezed him until all the life was crushed from his form. The beast Talor then drained him of his powers as well. They would never revive again.
As Lady Faeri fought to defend herself against a seemingly endless tide of Pyrzar beasts, Lukan faced down a witch known only as the Widow. She was the one responsible for the rise of Talor. She was the one who summoned the monster, gave it life and called it forth from it's slumber with the sole purpose of destroying that one generation of Immortals. But, while Lukan fell at her hand, Lady Faeri escaped… taking the precious Stones of Lore with her.
Where the demon is now, and who besides the Widow commands it, the other beasts, and indeed the entire army, remains unknown to us for now… and I fear that the knowledge may very well come to us too late. We have been under siege here in our new fortress, Terrekal, for days now. The Pyrzar and their riders have found us. Their fires rain down endlessly from the heavens, threatening all who dwell on this world.
This... may be my final stone.
At Wave's insistence, they moved on immediately after the stone grew quiet. Sonic, however, had questions that were burning to be shared. Chief of them naturally being, What's a Pyrzar beast?
Wave lead them onward. "These are from the fifth generation," she was quick to explain, "and this stone was Yira's stone."
It activated and began to talk.
The Widow, the Slayer, the High Demoness who led the march on Farenhell and so ruthlessly ended our kin… is dead. But the price my sister paid to end the witch's life was great. Too great. Planets have been turned to smoldering ruin. Realities have been shaken. Our realm still shudders and buckles with the aftershocks, threatening to collapse upon us all.
The Privilege that woman stole was immense, but it can never compare to that of her leaders. They showed themselves to us on this day, all three of them, and I know we cannot defeat them. Though we fought as well as we could, their power was too much. They were strong, and we were not. It is fortunate that none of us perished… but many others did.
We lost six Gods and Goddesses in the struggle. The Queen of Chaos and her sister were violently sealed within their realm of origin and now lay dormant. Eona, the true Lady of Light, awoke from her own deep slumber, but she and her partner, too, were sealed away and could not lend us aid. The last few remaining Warriors of Light were slain alongside many warriors of Darkness, each fighting to hold back our oppressors and put an end to their evil. Two of the three Balancers were coldly murdered. Countless mortals fell, caught in the crossfires of a battle the knew nothing about. The war was great… and we were doomed to lose it.
However, though we did lose, we learned one thing of immense importance. Those three answer to just one person. Who she is, though… we simply do not know.
The sheer magnitude of that battle was not lost on Sonic and the others, and wide-eyed looks were traded amongst Tails, Cream, and Sonic. "...That's… insane…" Tails finally breathed. "For so many semi-Immortals to have died… and for reality itself to be affected so severely…"
"That should start to give an idea of the scale of the threat these enemies presented then," Wave murmured, "and… still do today."
Sonic stared. "You mean they're still around?" he demanded, something finally clicking in his brain.
"They're alive," Wave confirmed gravely, "and very much still active. We may not have taken notice of them and their actions, but believe me… They have not been idle." Horror spread through the group, but Wave forced them to move on. "This was Laikaen's stone," she said simply, tapping it with her crystal.
It activated.
Was it known before what our enemies have been doing to the demons? I can't say for certain. All that can be said is that now we know, and I admit I feel fear. Through processes I never wish to fathom, our enemies have begun corrupting the already malevolent demonic forces prevalent throughout the realms… turning them into far more horrific beasts that we have come to call "Pyrzar". They are beasts of fire and agony, malevolence and animosity, ruthlessness and death. Even the demons show fear toward them… for it is through combat with these beasts that their Goddess has fallen.
Now, while the demons fight amongst themselves in search of a new leader, the three High Generals are free to attack and steal as they please, corrupting vast numbers of demons and bolstering their ranks of Pyrzar far faster than we can destroy them. If we cannot do something soon, I fear our realm, and others, will be fully overwhelmed.
Suddenly, Sonic began to understand something he had been told earlier. "Jet mentioned that some of the threats we're dealing with these days are overlapping," he realized aloud. "Was this part of what he was talking about?"
"Yes," Wave said, voice nothing but firm and unyielding seriousness. "It is. These enemies are very fond of stealing demons from their worlds, realms, or whatever else and corrupting them into beasts of a different kind entirely. They then fully control and use these new beasts as weapons of their own."
"Which pisses off the God of Demons," Shadow rightly assumed.
Wave nodded. "Especially when they decide to steal more powerful demons, such as large breeding mothers, Kings or Queens in charge of their own worlds and such, high-ranking warriors, and so on. It's lead to many violent conflicts between the two forces in the past, with often catastrophic results. Entire realms have been torn apart before."
No way… Sonic found himself thinking, utterly aghast.
"The last fight like this," Wave continued, "ended with the previous God of Demons, Amnikaribah, being forced into a deep slumber for a number of eons prior to the Nocturnian War. The surge of Darkness that was released when they broke free of their seal awoke it again, which Jet was unlucky enough to discover when he hopped through some realms in an effort to find Cream, Cheese, and Charmy. You know, after everyone was separated somehow by magic or whatever." Sonic vaguely remembered hearing a little bit about that. Wave, however, didn't give him a chance to further reply to her and merely turned to the next stone. "This is the last one from this generation," she said. "It was Tairei's."
With a small tap, Tairei began to speak.
Months have passed since I battled and defeated the Widow. So much has happened since that fateful day, more than I could ever hope to speak. But I will do my best to impart what knowledge I can.
The woman, the leader of the Trokkelar armies, whoever she is… searches for us. She yearns for our strength, our abilities, our Immortality. We feel it… all of it. All of her. It is she who commanded the deaths of our kin of generations past, and we are her next targets. In an effort to draw us out, she had struck at our homeworlds. My brothers Laikaen and Hachin were eager to remain hidden, but Yira sought vengeance. Though her life remains in tact, she came closer to death than ever before. I fear her boldness may have revealed where we are hidden.
The demons, too, continue to suffer. More of their leaders from all across the realms continue to fall. Lords, queens, kings, high generals, powerful rogue warriors… many more have been stolen and corrupted by the Trokkelar armies than have died. I am certain that the repercussions of this will be extreme.
Although I can go into much greater detail on these matters, I have just enough time to share but one last concern. Since the day of that bloody war, we have lost contact with the remaining Gods, Goddesses, and other semi-Immortals. We are without allies… and we can only do so much alone.
As soon as the stone fell silent again, Wave led them over to a lone stone a short distance away from the one they just listened to. Sonic didn't protest this, as much of this was self-explanatory or had at least been discussed a bit already. "This is the only stone left by the sixth generation," Wave explained, drawing him back out of his thoughts. "Roki is the one who spoke into it."
She activated it quietly.
I saw into the future, such a beautiful thing, and witnessed an end to it all. It will come with a burden too great to bear, a pain so deep and so hollow it can rend the soul of any living being… Immortal or not.
How dull my kin's eyes became when I warned them of what was to come… how much time was still left to pass before victory could be ours… how many more lives are still yet to be lost. How dismayed they became when I revealed to them that no vision, no matter how detailed, is set in stone… that our victory can never be guaranteed. How afraid they have become, now that they know there is no one out there who can save us… and, indeed, that we may never even save ourselves.
Hope is waning, and I was never meant to revitalize it. I can only speak the truth… no matter how bleak.
Tails opened his mouth to speak, but Wave shook her head. "Sorry, not right now. We really need to move on. I get the feeling that big stuff is going down somewhere, and we need to hurry up and finish here." Reluctantly, he closed his mouth and walked with everyone to another stone that rested by itself, apart from the rest. "This is the sole surviving stone of the seventh generation. A young girl named Una left it."
Crystal tapped stone, and four strangely haunting sentences were spoken… in the voice of a mere child.
The Voice of Chaos has awakened… too late. It is too late. We are done. I… am done.
Looking saddened yet determined, Wave headed to another cluster of stones. No one tried to speak, no one had a comment to make. So, clearing her throat, she simply urged them to move on. "These are from the eighth generation," she stated. "They were all left by a woman named Kora, but we'll only be listening to a few of them." Running a hand fondly over the stone, she murmured, "Her actions had immense impact on events during her time… and events we all took part in, no matter how indirectly."
She activated the first stone.
Through the insistence of Lady Teyan, the very Queen of Chaos itself, I allowed her sister into my mind. We spoke at length about what to do and how to combat this latest affront to existence… the ever-expanding territory that the Trokkelar armies have begun to claim. It was she who gifted me with the plans… this grand design for a weapon the likes of which has never been seen before… or since.
With her as my aid, I crafted what she has called the Chaos Spear. The hands used to craft it may have been Immortal, but the power was pure Chaos. It was the power of both sister combined into one deadly, beautiful force that truly brought this weapon into being. My hands have merely ensured that it will endure. No mortal or semi-Immortal weapon can ever hope to damage it. Its power is too far beyond theirs. So great are its energies, in fact, that I can only safely wield it for very short periods of time. But it was more than enough.
On this day, existence saw a victory for the first time in far too long. Arethal, second of the three High Generals of the Trokkelar armies, has fallen. Slain by the Chaos Spear, his body has long since been turned to dust and blown away. His powers, once so violently wielded against us, have now been lost to his allies forever. As he fell, the Spear faded from this realm and to the one where it belongs. We may not have won the war, but we have won this battle. Our jubilation can never be expressed in words.
I can only hope that my voice is enough to convey it… and our gratitude.
The second stone was activated before Sonic could even begin wrap his mind around the fact that the weapon he had used to defeat the Nocturne Clan so long ago was made by her.
Lady Teyan has again gifted me with bold plans… these being nothing like the grand weapon she last had me craft. She seeks for the creation of the most curious black jewels, each shaped like a diamond… and one strangely larger than the rest. From what she has told me, through the voice of her dear sister, it is her intention that these jewels be a vessel for an influx of power she hopes will one day be birthed… I cannot fathom what it is that she waits for, but I will comply with her wishes and craft these mysterious gems. It is the very least that I can do to repay her for all of her aid. And I must admit… I truly am curious.
Eyes wide, Tails blurted out, "Wait, is she talking about the Chaos Emeralds?" Shocked speechless, Sonic couldn't speak.
"And the Master Emerald," Shadow pointed out with a frown.
Suddenly, Sonic remembered a story. He didn't know when he'd heard it, he didn't know where, he just knew that he had heard it… and it had probably been from Locke. Back during ancient times, his tribe cared for and even somewhat worshiped seven small black jewels and one larger one… jewels they called 'The Emeralds'. Those jewels then came to life with power… the power of Chaos… when I was born. Does… that mean…
"Yes," Wave answered Shadow and Tails shortly, bringing Sonic back to the present moment. "But there's more. Listen."
She activated the next one.
Whispers filter through my dreams, warning of more darkness to come. Yet, in light of current events, I cannot say that I believe my own premonitions as they are. There exists a rogue band of Light Warriors who have long since waged a private war against all that Darkness is, has been, and ever will be. Be they neutral or evil, all beings and creatures of Darkness are a scourge according to this group… a belief born of the memory of the Warriors lost during that one bloody war so long ago.
But no matter why their beliefs exist, the fact is that they do. According to what I have heard, the scourge of Darkness is one they intend to battle with extreme prejudice… perhaps even wipe it out entirely if they can. They care not for Balance or Harmony, only revenge, and I fear for the many innocents they may slay on their path into their own Darkness.
These people… these supposed fighters for all that is good… should never have been gifted Light in any capacity. They do not deserve it.
Steam raised an eyebrow slowly at this. "I didn't think that any Being of Light could act like this. The few I've seen are at worst neutral in nature."
"That's just it, though," Wave told him. "They aren't born with Light, they're given it." Sonic frowned at this, as he had never heard of such a thing before in his life. Even his mother had never spoken of such a thing being possible. "As a result," Wave continued, "they have the same faults and darker sides that most any normal person can have. And this lot, from what I understand, fell prey to those darker sides. And… apparently this was the result."
She activated the next stone without pausing to hear a response.
This is the day of Blackest Death.
Rather, it is an anniversary of it… and my failure. On this day, a scant ten years ago, twenty thousand separate mortal races were brutally purged from existence by the Trokkelar armies. Ina and Wenko perished in their efforts to stop the bloodshed. Ani gave his life to end it. Only I survived… for only I had been sent away for training, so far behind my peers in strength was I. Had I only been stronger, had I been there… perhaps things would have gone differently. But, then… perhaps I, too, would merely have wound up dead.
When this stone grew quiet and the group remained equally silent, Wave gestured to another one. "This is the last one we'll be listening to from her collection. It's the only other one that's relevant today. And… it's a touch less dreadful."
It activated, and for the last time Kora began to speak.
This will be my final stone before I am to leave. Yet another war is brewing, and I must explain why… should future generations ever be affected by events on this day.
The rogue band Light Warriors have found their way into Zyr, the Garden of Darkness, the very heart of any and all Dark energies that directly pours into this realm. Many powerful and ancient clans, both neutral and evil alike, make their home there at the deadly doorway between their realm and ours. They could not have seen the threat coming. They must have been blindsided, if the amount of initial casualties is anything to go by. Thousands were slain in minutes.
So much bloodshed… and for what? It was not they who so brutally slaughtered the last true Warriors of the Light. Yet these people think that in slaughtering them there is some semblance of justice to be found? It simply isn't possible.
The conflict has now been on-going for ten straight days. I intend to end it before it can continue any longer. Already, through the use of many other beings of Light (whom I can only assume have been in some way tricked or otherwise influenced), numerous clans have been entirely wiped out. Many others are barely hanging on. I cannot stand for this… and I will not. However, ending it will not be without dire consequences of its own.
This… is my last Stone. I have hidden my stones with the others, storing the Black Jewels with them. May they all remain safe until they are needed.
Once more, looks were traded. "That… actually explains a lot," Tails finally said. "I always wondered why family lines like Kaden's had narrowed down so much to just one or so individuals despite being so ancient, with plenty of time to expand."
Now that Sonic was thinking about it, he supposed it was strange. "You're right," he agreed. ...Doesn't explain about the same thing occurring to families like mom's, though.
Apparently considering the matter closed, Wave immediately began walking away, forcing the others to follow again. They passed the crumpled ruins of a collection of stones, and she gestured briefly to them. "That," she sighed, "is all that remains of the stones left by the ninth generation. A really high-level Immortal might be able to repair them someday, but for now…" She lead them to a different set. "For now, we'll be listening to generation ten. This stone was left by a woman named Kar. Not to be confused with Locke's ancestor of the same name."
The stone activated without further ado.
Through the Immortal-given gifts of the da Asani, a new world has been born. The princess of their people named it Mobius. It is the first world the da Asani have crafted in many, many generations. Hopes for it are high, and many were present to witness its birth. Among them were myself and my kin, the Goddess of Judgement - Cere , the God of Night - Nyx , and the Goddess of the Sun - Althea. It was not our expectation to see those three today, but it was fortunate that they were present.
Seeking to take advantage of the gathering of myself and my kin, the High Generals attacked with their soldiers and many Pyrzar beasts. Seeing their infant creation so direly threatened, the mortal da Asani leapt to action straight away. We followed suit, eager to end the battle as swiftly as possible. Cere, Althea, and Nyx battled right alongside us, aiding us immensely in forcing back our enemies before too many lives could be lost.
Few died on this day… and the planet remains safe. We have placed upon it many gifts, in honor of its unlikely survival. Lush, vibrant biomes within which life can thrive, vast continents upon which life can flourish, great reserves of magic and energy with which life can be born to begin with, and our promise to help defend this young world… as much as possible.
Silence. Then Tails pleaded, "Okay, you have to let me ask about this."
After a second, Wave nodded. "Quickly."
Tails returned her nod eagerly. "Right. First of all, 'da Asani'?"
"One of the first four mortal races," Wave answered. "They, alongside the Therians, Babylonians, and one other that went extinct long before the Faein disappeared, were created by the Faein near the dawn of existence. Many eons after the fourth race fell, the Babylonians and da Asani were left with gifts by the Faein, whereas the Therians were left with a warning to change their corrupt ways or face death themselves."
Vaguely, Sonic recalled hearing a story about these people… sometime around the time of the Metarex conflict, in fact. "Does this have to do with Planet Eggs?"
"Yeah," Wave confirmed. "See, the technologically-inclined Babylonians were left the gift of Astral Babylon and the Sphere left within it. The peaceful, life-honoring da Asani, meanwhile, were gifted with the ability to craft Planet Eggs and, thus, foster life itself whenever and wherever they pleased. They did so with Mobius long ago, along with many others."
This, Sonic reflected, explains so much. ...Like why we can have things like deserts directly next to lush grasslands and floating islands and weird crap like that on Mobius.
Wave activated the next stone immediately she finished speaking. "This is Jun's stone."
Nothing else was said, and the stone began to speak.
The planet of Everia was badly damaged during our conflict today. It shook Kar greatly, for that is the world she hails from. Her people, the Everians (some know them as "echidnas"), are struggling to recuperate. Some have made plans to flee to Mobius to start new lives there… though I cannot say I recommend it.
More importantly, the attack forced Kar, myself, and our other sisters to temporarily abandon our training and join the combat. We only just managed to fend the Trokkelar army off. Esa, our youngest sister, died defending the rest of us. We have lost great innocence and purity on this day… while our enemies have gained nothing but power. I wish we could have saved her.
Cream blinked several times. "So that is where they all came from." She was given looks, but no one even bothered to ask at this point.
Yet again, Wave didn't wait for anyone. "The last stone here was left by Shira."
It activated.
A great migration is taking place. The Everians (some know them as "echidnas", oddly enough), the wolf peoples of Revera (dearest Esa's homeworld), and even some Tokarians are settling on Mobius. I have heard whispers that even a small number of Chameleons have ventured out of Zyr to explore this new world and all that it contains. And alongside all of these peoples are the first of the True Mobians, young races calling themselves "foxes", "hedgehogs", "cats", and so on are beginning create their first settlements, building homes and taking their first steps toward genuine civilization. It is a beautiful thing to see, especially when times elsewhere have been so dark.
So many different types of people lived on Mobius who weren't actually Mobian… it was mind-boggling. I always thought, growing up, that the Babylonians were the only aliens on our world… Sonic thought. But all along, I was being cared for by a guy who was just as alien… and I never knew. Did… he ever know?
"Your people are not Mobian, Espio-san?" Cream asked, turning her attention to the group's resident chameleon. Espio, who despite his unreadable expression looked deep in thought about all of this, didn't respond.
Gesturing for everyone to come along now, Wave led them to a new cluster of stones. "These stones," she said, "were from Kathros's generation."
Sonic stilled, for he knew that name. "Kathros?" he echoed, stunned. The bastard that once tortured Dad…
A nod. "Yeah. That pile of rubble there," she pointed, "was his only stone. So we won't be listening to him." There were other piles of rubble to be seen, but she didn't mention them. "Instead, we'll be listening to a few stones left by the elderly Immortal you and I met back during the Nocturne War. The one who trained Jet before she died."
That allowed Sonic to relax. "Yeah… okay."
She activated the stone once she saw he was calmed down.
Some may consider it a great misdeed that I have destroyed Kathros's sole Stone, but I see it as a means to further rid myself of his blackness and impurity. He is tainted, tainted by his own hand, and I cannot allow any vestiges of his existence to remain. They are a curse upon us all, a curse I hope may finally be lifted.
My only regret is not that I killed him, but rather that we lost so many memories during our initial skirmish. Out of spite, he struck at the Stones of Lore that we stood beside, the Stones of our very generation. Every Stone, all nine of them, now lay in ruin. At least we can find small satisfaction in knowing that his does as well.
The next one was activated immediately.
It is not within my power to fathom all the happenings of other timelines. As such, I cannot be certain why this has happened… but it has. A young and injured woman, a Babylonian woman, all but tore open a portal from her timeline into this one. She fled through that tenuous doorway, carrying in her arms a wailing infant. I sensed straight away that both were Immortal… though this should have been impossible. Their relation as mother and son were obvious by the feel of their auras alone, but it should not be possible. An Immortal born of another Immortal would require both parents to be Immortal themselves. Would this not upset the Balance of everything?
But at the present moment, it matters not. For the moment the woman closed her portal, she appeared. The woman who has so plagued my kind since the days of the very first Stone of Lore, the sole and true leader of the Trokkelar armies and Pyrzar beasts, appeared, carrying with her a ship. With an idle taunt of, "Did you not wish for your ship back?" she hurled the vessel at the mother… and the battle was on. I wish I could have helped… but though I could see, I could not fight. I still cannot, for I have been sealed in this strange realm for many eons now… doomed to see but never touch, hear but never speak, yearning for freedom I cannot have.
All I know now is this. The mother is dead, but her last actions saved her from simply beings absorbed like so many others before her. It was her remarkable skill and power in spite of her condition that allowed her to avoid that fate, denying our shared adversary the chance to steal yet more power. But she is dead nonetheless… and her child is alone.
Sonic, Tails, Cream, and Shadow all traded looks. "...Why would this have been recorded?" Tails eventually asked, plainly confused. "I don't understand." Even he had failed to grasp the implications of some of what had been said, but Wave could hardly fault him for it. She had made the very same mistake herself purely due to how impossible the truth seemed. It was only just recently that she had begun to understand.
As before, Wave could only shrug. "I don't know. ...Not fully, at any rate,"
"It… is immensely important for several reasons," Steam said. "Think about how semi-immortals are born. At least one of the parents has to be semi-immortal or Immortal for the child to be born that way, barring some other exceptions. However, for a baby to be born an Immortal from an Immortal mother and father…"
More looks were traded, these ones decidedly more stunned. "No way…" Tails breathed.
"You can't be serious," Sonic cut in. "Wouldn't that just… I don't know, break existence or the balance or some shit?"
"Long story short, there was a reason the father wasn't there," Steam explained vaguely. "Only four Immortals can be part of a timeline at any given moment."
"On that note…" Wave turned to the next stone and activated.
Again, Sheira began to speak.
I am forced to admit that I never imagined the boy would remain in our realm, that he would grow here and assimilate with no knowledge of who or indeed even what he is. The boy is an anomaly to me, living such a strange and active life fighting mechanical threats and squabbling with strange "friends" and chasing down a villainous madman who also does not belong… A humanoid on that planet was not meant to be, much like the boy himself.
It would seem that he knows some truths about himself, however. His Immortality itself is not lost on him, and indeed he has taken pains not to reveal it to others. I find myself at a loss to explain why. In times as dark as these, we all need allies to rely on. They are especially useful for one as young as he, an Immortal just beginning on his journey to truly earning that title. He will one day be forced into wars far greater than anything he or his friends have ever known… and, perhaps, so will they. It will be my duty to teach him, to train him… and one day I will. But I cannot teach those who do not wish to learn. If he continues to avoid the simple truth that he is Immortal, then I can never help him.
His only hope is to grow. Grow… and learn.
Gears began to turn in the group's minds, but Wave ushered them along. They didn't listen to any more of her stones, moving instead to the last couple of stones kept tucked away in a corner by themselves. "So, these ones are a touch different from the rest," Wave explained. "They're the newest of the bunch, despite not being from the current generation. They're from the twelfth. Jet made them, actually."
Blue eyebrows shot up. "Jet did?"
"Yeah," Wave nodded. "He didn't actually show these to me, but I managed to listen to them when he wasn't paying attention. They seemed important in their own ways, so… we're just going to listen to them and not tell him. Got it?"
Steam snorted in amusement. "Good job."
A fleeting smirk crossed her face, but soon faded. "This first one is only important in the sense of providing a little more context to what went down recently. The second… Well, you'll see."
She activated the stone without further ado.
What you fail to understand is that I see you.
I was there today - perhaps you noticed me, perhaps you did not - as you were introduced to our library, our vast accumulations of knowledge, for the first time. Your knowledge is deep already, but your interest in the Trokkelar army is too great. I see a fire within you, a spark that - if tended to properly - could become the fuel you need to be among the greatest of our kin that has ever lived. But every speck of Light can cast great shadows, and the shadows you already turn to are far darker than you realize.
You asked for me by name today as you and your guide toured the building. How you know of it already, I do not know. But you asked, and I watched. I watched as your aura brightened with the chance to test your mettle against someone you view as a challenge. Make no mistake, Child of Valor. I will challenge you. Every step you take, every conclusion you come to, every little thing you think you understand - I will openly challenge it all… but not out of disdain.
I wish for you to grow, Tein, to move beyond the shadows you have so unknowingly opened yourself up to. There are many lessons out there for all of us to learn, and one I hope you someday come to understand is belief in yourself and the Light you, like us of all, carry within. If we cannot have faith in ourselves, how can we ever have faith in others?
As of this day, you have no faith. It is why the shadows cling to you, greedy for every bit of control that they can hold over you. Have faith, Tein, and do not fall into the Darkness. You may feel alone now, but nevermore. We are kin, all of us. Even in the darkest of shadows, even when others cannot, I can see you. I can only hope that one day you will find it in yourself to realize that.
Turning slightly to face the last stone, Wave activated it without a word.
There are countless indomitable and timeless truths that will never change nor fade, but myself and my kin are different, as I have been learning. We are not invincible… and we will not last forever. Unless something changes, and changes soon, we are the last there will ever be. Now, more than ever, we need allies… allies that never seem to appear. Allies that many are inclined to believe we could never need. But they could not be more wrong.
Once, our kind battled great beasts of chaos and darkness, marching to a glory borne only out of many hard-won victories. Now, we merely exist. Our kind lives still, but we know no longer who we are, who we were. What use can we be now, with the strength and the knowledge of our kin buried so deeply within the dust?
What use can we be when we are so utterly alone?
There was so much that could have been said here, so much that possibly should have been said, but no one had any chance to voice any of those things. Not Sonic, not Tails, not anyone. It was not for lack of trying, however. Tails looked with concern to Wave. Shadow frowned visibly. Cream bit her lip just a little. Sonic opened his mouth, ready to speak, but a single freak event shut him up.
Reality… rippled.
~保護者~
END OF PART ONE
~保護者~
9,642 words this time. Whew, that was long! There was a ton of important information, as well as references to past "Hero" series stories as well. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed, and many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for his help with Steam and Armaris! Posted (at about 6:10 p.m.) 05-02-19.