Chapter 20: The Bell Chimes at Twilight
Ice cream time in the ship, as promised. In case you were curious, Hat had two scoops of chocolate, Bow had vanilla, and I had mint choc chip. Everybody else had joined in and were having strawberry. We had to stick Boss' cone right into his jar, only for him to complain about it being cold.
"Alpine Skylines really is fascinating!" Hat beamed as she ate. "I wonder where what the next mountain is going to have in store for us!?"
"Can't believe you three went all the way up there! Er, down there." CC said. "Not many people go up there you know."
"I didn't even know there was a place like that!" Boss exclaimed.
"I remember flying up there once." Knit recalled as her whole head unravelled and she threw the ice cream in before reforming. "It was really-ack! Brain freeze!"
"And whose fault is that?" I lectured, rubbing her head regardless, but wondering where the ice cream went, and how.
"Ugh...really weird." She finished. "A lot of ghostly magic going on around this giant bell."
"That big white one?" Bow chimed in.
"Yeah." Knit nodded.
"Then that is our next destination!" Hat declared.
"Wow. At this rate we'll have all the Time Pieces in Alpine Skylines easily." I commented.
"Oh! Well...maybe we could slow down a bit." Hat mused.
"Come on." I said as I began dragging her to the Engine Room. "We'll be back soon!"
"Take care, kids!" CC waved.
The route to the Twilight Bell dubbed by the Nomads was...unsettling. Not as much as Subcon, but there was something about it that made me alert, when it shouldn't have. The cliffs were more grey, with a lot more white markings, and on the way, we found a bell that caused intangible things to become tangible! It turned out that Hat's Dweller Mask usually could see them, and I could interact with them whilst using the Necro Necklace and vice-versa. So my question was what was it doing here? Especially with a likeness of a Subcon ghost attached to it?
"Are you two getting that feeling?" I had to ask.
"For once, yeah." Bow surprisingly agreed.
"Mysterious, ain't it?" Hat mused. "It's not scary, more like...hm..."
"Whimsical?" I suggested.
"Yeah!" She agreed with a snap of her fingers.
"You sure there's a Time Piece here?" Bow asked.
With a tug of my tie, it pointed towards the bell. "Yep. Quicker we get it, the quicker we're done."
The three of us eventually made our way to the Twilight Bell. It was absolutely huge, hanging right over us.
"That is one big bell." Bow breathed.
"No Time Piece though..." I mumbled, giving another tug, only for it to point straight up. "Maybe it's on top?"
"We would have seen it if it was." Hat said. "There's only one explanation; it's in it!"
"In it?" I stared up into the bell, obviously nothing being there.
"Hup!" Hat attached her Hookshot to the bell. "Here we go!"
"Hold on-!" I started to gasp.
Hat swung, causing the Twilight Bell to release a resonating chime that echoed around, shaking us to our very cores.
"What a bell!" Bow cried.
"Wheeeeeee!" Hat cheered as she swung on it.
Suddenly, the world around us began breaking down into swirling green and black.
"What is-!?" My voice was drowned out by blustering...winds?
"Ti…?...ou...kay...?" Hat's voice barely made it through.
"Hat!?" I shouted. "Where are you!?" I couldn't fight against this whirling sensation. I had to shut my eyes tight. I thought I could hear mumbling voices in the chaos, but I couldn't see, until it finally stopped. I slowly opened my eyes.
This world...it was like a giant, dark void, filled with marble columns and structures. Giant Goat figureheads had waterfalls running out of them, several enemies flew around, even the spirits of a couple of Goats wandered around aimlessly.
More importantly though, Hat and Bow weren't here.
"Hat? Bow?" I called out, but nobody answered, making me cup my hands and call out: "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!?"
Nobody responded.
'What in space happened?' I wondered as I stared out across the strange world. 'There's no doubt the Twilight Bell did this. So did Hat and Bow get flung somewhere else?' I stared up at the bell. 'I don't think going back will help much. Besides, there's still a Time Piece here. I'd better just get looking.'
I platformed through this strange dimension. My Necro Necklace was practically a necessity here, what with all of the platforms only existing spiritually, as well as all of these bells that acted like the Dwellers Mask. It was nothing but stone, enemies and waterfalls. All else was quiet. It all felt so calm, so serene, that my voice calling out for Hat and Bow was shattering the peacefulness of this place.
"Just what kind of place is this?" I wondered as I put on the Cleaner Cape and vacuumed up some Pons. "It feels different from everything else before. Like an oddity of a dimension...hm..."
I continued moving on, still searching for Hat and Bow, until I eventually arrived on a giant circular marble platform. Giant pillars completely surrounded me, waterfalls falling from each.
'Did I reach a dead end?' I thought as I stared around. 'There are no more platforms further ahead. I'll have to go back and try a different route.'
"The CEO of Time..."
I froze. A familiar echoing voice resonated out all around me.
"He studied time tirelessly." They went on. "To find its secrets...how to manipulate it. Despite his advancements that did nothing but good, the universe deemed his research dangerous to the flow of time...and he was erased from time and space."
'Where are they?' I thought as I scanned all around me.
"Timmy. A psychic who wanted to expand his horizons, prove himself worthy." They continued. "He increased his psychic abilities to the point he could cross dimensions with them...but the universe deemed that doing so would damage this dimensions...so he was erased from time and space. He was a friend of Hat's, you know. Now she doesn't know he even existed."
I stopped trying to find them, and listened instead.
"Moonjumper you know...but there was another called the Shapeshifter. They could mimic any face, any voice. They were an accident. An accident, desperately trying to find their place in life, cursing the world why they existed...a lot like you actually. And eventually, the world answered. It deemed Shapeshifter a failure, and they were erased. Shapeshifter didn't want that. They cried as they vanished."
"Thor, he created a time machine that damaged the timeline. Oldster, they say he lived forever, that he had 'fooled' time, and apparently the universe didn't like that. The Science Owls, an entire SPECIES, dabbled in interdimensional travel. Gone. Gone. Gone. All of them. No evidence they even existed. Not even memories."
"An entire planet too." The voice was growing more and more melancholy. "Of golden sand, ancient runes...and magic. It gave off so much magic it practically infected others with it, flipping the balance of the universe...so it was erased too. Along with everything and everyone on it. So much society, so much history, so much life...never existed."
I took a deep breath.
"And it all leads up to you...Tie."
I turned around and faced Voice.
"Who are you, Voice?" Was the first thing I asked.
"I am an emissary." They replied. "For those that were wiped clean from the universe. Only I know them. Remember them."
"You keep talking about how the universe erases them...how is that possible?" I followed up.
"Even I don't know that." Voice admitted. "Maybe it's God. Or maybe a collective consciousness. Perhaps our whole world is a big DnD game and the DM is just mean. All I know is that it is very possible. More importantly though, you're dodging around the big question, Tie."
I frowned at them as they went on: "What I meant when I mentioned you at the end? Why you felt that way the first time we met? Then again, you're not one to talk about yourself."
"Get to the point." I muttered.
"Gladly. The universe has erased so many people by this point for attempting to damage the supernatural balance of the world. Turns out it was learning something from all those experiences." Voice slowly raised the bandaged hand not holding their tuning fork, and pointed at me. "That is you, Tie."
"What do you mean?"
"Still haven't figured it out? Or do you not want to accept it?" Voice said. "You have an ability that culminates from their failures. Tie...you can cross time and space perfectly, without causing any damage at all. If the boundaries of our timeline, our dimension, are glass walls, most can only go through by breaking them. But you can just phase right through."
I didn't speak as they continued.
"Even more then that. The walls open themselves up to you. That is why that woman and that man appeared before you. Either you, or the walls themselves, subconsciously let them in." I felt a harsh glare beneath that hood. "You were born to do the things those who vanished dreamed of being capable of."
"Well, I didn't ask for it." I retorted.
"But you needed it." Voice countered. "Your bond with Hat is enough for you to keep going, but before that? You're life on your home planet? What kept you from ending it there, when you were at your lowest?" I glared at him. "That's right. The feeling that someone else existed. Someone you came to admire. Somehow, your mind reached across dimensions and found something, someone you could believe in to keep going."
"However, Tie..." Voice grew sombre. "That ability has come at a price. Their existences. You are the successful result of so many failures. Even now, I can see it in you. CEO's cynicism, Timmy's place at Hat's side, Shapeshifter's displacement. You're nothing but an amalgamation of those that are gone."
"Peck that!" I shouted. "I'm me! I'm not some Frankenstein's monster!"
"Did that upset you? Good." Voice hissed. "As I said, I am their emissary. I can hear them cursing you, Tie. Cursing your existence born from their deaths. Apologies, but I cannot help but hate you."
"I'm...not to blame for them being gone!" I shouted.
"Maybe. Yet you are the result of them being gone. Whether you were on purpose or not, I cannot say." Voice admitted. "Though the fact you were created with such an ability, with elements from each of their lives, is in no way a coincidence. You led a life sculpted from theirs. Where else are they to throw their anger?"
"You talk about their feelings like they're right here with us. Isn't that impossible if what you've said is true?" I questioned.
"Oh, Tie." Voice spoke with an unshakeable conviction. "I am beyond time and space. I am a being that has transcended even the universes understanding. My existence in and of itself is an impossible miracle...or perhaps a mistake. I can do the impossible. I can hear them." They gripped the top of their hood for a moment, but then released it, as if teasing me.
"...So your goal is..." I began.
"Did you figure it out?" Voice cocked their head. "That's right. Using the Time Pieces, I will etch their memory into history itself. Their influence will permeate everything."
"You have no idea what that could do to time!" I shouted.
"True. I figure I too would be erased. If the universe could touch me that is."
"So you're fine with running possible existences if those gone are remembered!?"
"How DARE you lecture me about existence!?" Voice snapped. "Theirs were cruelly ripped from them! Mine is an oddity! And yours...a tragedy." They pointed at me again. "Your entire life is meant to be a reflection of the shadow of their existences! Their achievements! But your tale...it's so pathetic it sickens me. Your life is NOTHING compared to the collective lives of all of them! Your innate ability is wasted on you!"
I flinched at their words.
"Even now I can tell." Voice went on. "You do not value your life. You do not appreciate or deserve it. If you have even a shred of kindness, you would end it! For their sake! Send a message to the universe! That what it did was WRONG!"
All was silent for a moment, except for the sound of falling water, as I thought.
'You deserve to exist.'
'I should at least tell you that you will be alright in the end.'
'I wanted to be close to someone I've come to care about!'
'You're special, Tie. Never forget that.'
"No."
Voice didn't respond.
"I may not value my life...but other people do." I said. "I'm still here because of them, and for their sake. My heart will mend, thanks to them. I won't throw away their kindness by ending it all."
Voice actually chuckled. "Excellent. I would have been disappointed if you caved that easily. But you still won't be forgiven so quickly."
They held out their tuning fork. "I've told you all I need to know, and all I've wanted to say. Are our positions clear?"
"Crystal." I took out my yo-yo.
"You need to stop me from collecting the Time Pieces, and I need to end you to appease their wishes." Voice said. "I wonder who would win? The universes 'magnum opus'? Or the dead's last hope?"
"I'm more then what I was born with." I stated firmly.
"Then prove it." Voice gripped the handle of their weapon with both hands and held a sword wielders stance, whilst I put on the appropriate Badges.
In a flash, we leapt at each other, and his tuning fork and my hammer clashed.
A gigantic shockwave crashed through the entire dimension as our weapons resonated against each other, before it broke and we skidded back.
"A perfect place to clash." Voice spoke. "A dimension like this allows me to go all out."
"Bit full of yourself, aren't you?" I turned my hammer back into a yo-yo and threw it at them, but they knocked it away with a swing of their tuning fork before charging at me. Voice thrust their weapon forward like a spear, but I ducked under it and cannonball jumped past them, retrieving my yo-yo as we turned to face each other.
I changed my yo-yo into its flytrap form and used it to grab onto their tuning fork. We both dug in our heels and pulled, neither letting up, but then the fork began to vibrate violently, forcing my weapon to let go.
"A fair warning. My weapon is for more then just swordplay." Voice pointed the tuning fork at me before unleashing a powerful soundwave! I jumped out of the way as it smashed into the pillar behind me, leaving a large crate that was caving in further each second as the soundwaves persisted, and were getting closer to me as Voice swung their weapon slowly!
I put on the Bat Bow and flew up, gliding in a circle around the whole platform as the soundwaves chased after me, damaging each pillar as it passed me, until it finally ended and I landed. I grabbed my yo-yo and tossed it at them.
Voice held their fork up, and it vibrated once again, as a barrier of rippling air appeared in front of them and blocked the attack!
"I can use these soundwaves for both offence and defence." Voice said as I switched to the Spark Scarf and unleashed a bolt of lightning, that bounced off of the barrier and hit a pillar instead, causing the water to light up with electricity! "Not even magic can penetrate it." They then shot the sound barrier at me and hit me! It felt like I was hit with a huge fist as I skidded to the edge, but quickly recovered.
"In that case..." I switched to the Cleaner Cape and began vacuuming, creating a powerful tornado that forced them to stick their weapon into the ground to avoid being pulled in.
"Trying to incapacitate me?" Voice called out as their cloak billowed. "Sorry, but that won't work on me!" They then pulled their weapon out of the ground and let themselves get pulled, fork held out, ready to stab me!
I cancelled the vacuum and jumped away as Voice went flying into the pillar behind me, causing it to be completely cut in half. But instead of falling, the top part stayed suspended in midair, the water still flowing from it. Voice jumped back onto the platform unfazed as I switched back to the Spark Scarf.
"You've got a lot of abilities thanks to your time here." Voice admitted. "But so do I." They then held up something.
"A Badge!?" I gasped at the pin showing a roaring fire.
"Badge Seller, despite their name, isn't the only one who can make these." Voice said as they put it on, instantly causing their tuning fork to glow hot red. They held it skyward as it burst into flames, before swinging it down and sending a wall of fire towards me!
I was caught in a large explosion, and as the smoke cleared...
"The Necro Necklace, is it?" Voice mused as I was revealed to be unharmed in my ghost mode. "True, that form does make you 'invincible'. However, you cannot hurt me either. Besides, that immunity, doesn't last long, and it needs to recharge...right now!" They jumped at me with their flaming blade as soon as my magic ran out.
"I was expecting that!" I declared as I swung my yo-yo at them, but they thrust their fork into the ground to balance on top of it and dodge the blow, but I anticipated this too, and had switched to the Spark Scarf with my other hand, sending an electric current up the metal tuning fork that zapped Voice, causing them to cry out as we jumped away from each other.
The two of us launched our respective elements; fire and electricity, at each other, causing a giant explosion in the middle of the arena that shook the area, and covered us in black smoke.
"You really are strong." Voice admitted, sparks still crackling off of them as it cleared. "Unfortunately for you, I'm gonna pull an anime trope here, and tell you I haven't even begun to get serious."
"What? Barriers and shockwaves aren't enough?" I breathed.
"For my ambitions? Not by a long shot." They took their Badge off, causing their tuning fork to return to normal. "Allow me to show you." Voice held up the tuning fork, as it began to vibrate again.
"You think I'll let you!?" I zapped at them with the Spark Scarf, but they jumped over it.
In the air, the air itself seemed to ripple above the tuning fork, as a blue symbol that looked like a clock face appeared above it. They then pointed it at me and the symbol shot off. I went to dodge, but suddenly gravity seemed to increase on me. Voice had launched a shockwave with that attack which had pushed me down, leaving the symbol to hit me in the chest.
The blue symbol imprinted itself on me, and I couldn't move. I couldn't even breath. I couldn't do anything. But somehow I was fine.
"Impressed?" Voice wondered as they slung their weapon over their shoulder and casually walked up to me. "Your time is paused. Can't do anything at all can you? But that also means nothing will effect you. But do you get it? I just STOPPED your TIME. I can influence time, bend it to my will. And I know that your time will resume, right about..."
As soon as I could move again, Voice swung their tuning fork into my stomach so hard I coughed violently, knocking the air out of my lungs as the force of the blow sent me flying and crashing to the ground.
"...now." They finished.
"Gah...hagaghk!" I coughed violently, desperately gulping down air as I looked at them. "Y-You...can control time...!?"
"Only ever so slightly. But yes." Voice boasted, holding their weapon out. "That is the power of my Time Tuning Fork."
I managed to steady my breathing. "Maybe...but that has a weakness...!"
"Oh?" Voice mused.
"You needed to hit me with that symbol for it to work." I stood back up.
"Correct. You figured it out instantly." Voice confirmed. "They're called Time Tunes. I literally tap into the wavelength of time itself and 'copy' it, weaponize it. Of course, that makes you think as long as you dodge, you'll be safe, right? That's not good enough!"
They held it up again, this time creating a red clock face, that attached itself to the top of their hood.
"What n-OW!?" Quick as a flash, Voice sped over to me and struck me over and over again with the Time Tuning Fork. I instantly had injuries all over my body as I was tossed to the edge of the area, before the red symbol vanished from their hood.
"I can also Fast Forward my own time, as well as Pause yours." Voice explained. "Of course, it just makes me move super fast, so I don't have much control, making it reckless. But for a flurry of attacks like that, it gets the job done."
"Agh…" I was hurting everywhere, struggling to get back on my feet.
"I come from inbetween time and space, but acquiring this weapon was still no mean feat." Voice went on, leaving me to try and stand up. "Like how you scavenged to gain your abilities, I worked tirelessly to create this. The perfect weapon to defeat you, and collect the Time Pieces. You may not know it yet Tie, but this moment, this planet, is so, so important."
I managed to get back up on my feet, but I was still wobbly.
"Let's see you survive this." They pointed the fork at me, and I dug in my heels as they unleashed a soundwave at me, making me teeter on the edge. Thinking quickly, I put on the Cleaner Cape and created a vacuum.
"That's pointless! You can't vacuum up soundwaves!" Voice declared. But then they realised, and looked over their shoulder. I was vacuuming up the pillar that they broke earlier, causing it to come hurtling towards them, threatening to crush them.
"Clever son of a-!" They were forced to use their fork to create a barrier to block the pillar causing it to break into pieces.
This was the moment, their back was turned to me. I threw my yo-yo at them, and it hit them right in the hood as they turned back around, before I turned it into its flytrap form to bite down on their bandaged arm, making them cry out painfully before I threw them up into the air before slamming them into the ground, just before the broken pieces of the pillar fell on top of them, crushing them.
"Hah..." I panted, composing myself as I stared at the debris. "...You can come out now."
Voice shoved a stone on top of them away, standing up, covered in bruises. "Anticipated me, did you?"
"You don't seem like the type to die that easily." I said.
"So you're intending to kill me?" Voice asked as they stepped down off of the rubble and in front of me.
"You started it." I accused. "I wouldn't if you didn't pick a fight."
"Bold words. But you don't have the heart to kill me." Voice said. "You're far too nice, even if you yourself don't know it."
"Stop talking like you know about me." I muttered.
"Since I know who makes you up, I know you." Voice said.
"I'm not them!" I declared.
"Seems talking is meaningless." Voice shrugged. "In that case, I'll just show you, why you can't win. Humour me for a moment."
They held up their tuning fork, this time creating a green clock face that attached itself to their hood, and slowly, all of their injuries began healing, until they were good as new.
"I can also Rewind my damage." Voice said as they created another green symbol that attached itself to the rubble, and slowly, it reformed into the complete pillar. "All the damage you dealt is gone."
"Yeah...and now, I know all of your abilities." I nodded.
"You think you can overcome me?" Voice questioned.
"Definitely."
"Interesting." They put the Badge on again, causing their weapon to be ignited. "Come on then."
I turned my yo-yo into a hammer and electrified it with the Spark Scarf, before we clashed again.
Lightning and flames danced everywhere as we swung at each other again and again, blocking each other every time, each blow sending a shockwave out, but we wouldn't let up as we attacked again and again, causing lightning to scar the platform and flames to burn it.
Voice jumped back and held their fork up, causing it to vibrate again, but this time creating three rings of fire that shot towards me. I slammed my hammer into the ground, causing lightning to explode up out of the ground and block the attack. But the rings were a distraction as Voice created another Forward Tune that attached to their head, before instantly dashing over to me and enveloping my in flames from the speed of his burning swings.
However, as soon as it wore off, I hit him with my hammer, knocking him back.
"You used the Necro Necklace..." They coughed.
"If you can remember how long my ghost form lasts, I can remember how long those Tunes of yours last." I stated. I had used my ghost form to avoid the attacks, then instantly returned to normal to hit them.
"Heh...I must admit, I'm having fun." Voice stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned.
"You're so tactical. I reckon you've already found a way to counter Pause and Rewind as well." Voice said. "I've never been pressured like this, and it excites me! It's a new feeling, and I'm loving it!"
"Why are you so happy? I thought you hated me."
I could've sworn they were giving me a melancholic look beneath that hood. "Huh...I suppose, truthfully-"
"Voooooooooooooooooooooooooice!"
We both stopped as we turned to see Moustache Girl running towards us, carrying a Time Piece, with Hat and Bow running after her!
"I got it! I got it!" Moustache declared.
"Tie! I'm so glad you're okay! Stop her!" Hat waved desperately.
"So she found it..." Voice glanced at me. "Seems we'll have to settle this another time."
"You're stopping now!?" I gasped.
"A small victory to you three is major for her." Voice stated.
"Grab her!" Bow shouted as Moustache jumped onto our platform.
I went to intercept her, but then cried out in pain as Voice hit me across the chest with their flaming weapon, sending me flying back.
"Tie!" Hat cried.
"Let's get out of here, Voice!" Moustache gasped.
"Right." Voice nodded as they held out their tuning fork and used it to create a portal.
"W-Wait..." I coughed.
Moustache instantly jumped in, but Voice looked at me.
"Everything I do. I do it for them." They told me, before they also stepped in, and it closed.
"Are you okay, Tie?" Hat instantly ignored the fact Moustache escaped with the Time Piece and instead ran over to me.
"I'm fine...I...I'll be fine..." I breathed shakily.
We lost this one.
Time Tuning Fork: Voice's signature weapon. Can create destructive soundwaves, sound barriers, and can manipulate time with Tunes.
Burning Spirit: Voice's Badge. Allows the user to create and manipulate fire.
And so ends Tie vs. Voice Round 1! Hope you played some awesome fighting music whilst you read! Or, should I have told you to do that?
This was another major chapter for me, finally revealing Voice's role, as well as Tie's ability, and the reason they have to fight each other. Tie and Voice have the same dynamic as Hat and Moustache essentially, just a bit more personal and dramatic. Did you enjoy their fight? It certainly won't be their last!
Thank you to Konan720, ahmadkadi.2002, IcyStream, TheCakeIsAEye, Happiness Studios and Fighter33000 (author of AHiT story 'A New Chance' go check it out) for reading!
Next Time: A bit of background between Voice and Moustache. Take care, everybody.
