Chapter 2: Neo Europa's library
Opening 3: Casey Edwards - Bury the Light
Shadow and Mary made it out of the Hell Bound. The experience proved to be very shocking as both collapsed to their knees.
"To think we've seen all that and yet there's no trace of what we encountered." Shadow spoke, breaking the silence.
"This region, along with the other parts of the landmasses, have weaknesses of reality among them. They create these rifts, which sound like a loud alarm, which drags the victims into the Hell Bound. Not many would escape, let alone be sane enough to retell what they encountered." Mary explained.
"One could see why… We should hold the discussion for later on. It still doesn't feel safe here. Is there a safe place beyond this region?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. There's a large, continental landmass that's East from here. We should make it to the capital called Neo Europa." Mary answered.
"Neo Europa?" Shadow asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Neo Europa is the closest city from here. It's within that large continent floating out there." Mary confirmed, pointing East to the large landmass floating in the air.
"How will we get there? The spaces to jump across to reach are too far apart, even with my wind powers." Shadow observed, seeing several floating rocks too far to reach.
"We don't need to hop on those islands. We now use wind paths to guide our way across." Mary answered.
"Wind paths? This world has changed a great deal." Shadow noted.
"Exactly how far did you end up getting lost here?" Mary questioned.
"I was on the battle of Albion, fighting off Reconquista. All I know is that I made my last stand fighting off the forces to the best of my ability. An enemy of darkness soon marooned me here, forcing me to succumb to despair." Shadow explained.
"The last stand of Tristain against Albion? I think the library within Neo Europa may provide the answers you're looking for." Mary said.
"Let's go then. We shouldn't linger in this place anymore." Shadow agreed.
Mary nodded, guiding Shadow to the other side of the ruined Tristania. The travel was speedy, thanks to them reaching supersonic speeds.
'I'll have to ask how she can keep up with me later on when we're safe.' Shadow mentally noted.
######
(Play Metroid Prime 2 Echoes OST - Dark Agon Wastes)
They soon encountered wind creatures of darkness that looked like giant bats. Their wind auras were a dark purple with wind blades circulating around them.
"Darkwind bats… These creatures are dangerous in swarms." Mary said.
"Nothing I can't handle." Shadow said, channeling his fire abilities.
"Just be careful. If they bite you, their aura will poison you. Even their wind blades will do the same." Mary warned.
"Got it!" Shadow acknowledged.
He soon launched a salvo of fireballs to the darkwind bats. Some got caught and dispersed, leaving a small stone with a wind aura. The others were provoked to fighting.
"Heads up!" Shadow warned.
"Not a problem!" Mary said with confidence.
She took aim with her bow and fired an arrow at one of them. An aura of fire and wind created a fire twister, surrounding the arrow. It pierced through its target with no resistance before flying out of sight and exploding with the force of a grenade. The shockwave blew towards Shadow and Mary, but it was far enough to not stifle their combat stances.
'That's some power… It almost feels like my own abilities…' Shadow thought.
There were a few darkwind bats left that impeded their journey. Not wanting to prolong the fight, Shadow switched to his fire elemental powers, causing Zenyōso to form its katana shape. He swiftly cut down the remaining creatures, causing them to disperse, leaving behind small stones on the ground.
"What are these stones?" Shadow asked.
"They're concentrated wind energy. They are called Vent Stones." Mary answered.
"Vent Stones… Seems that French would be the one to officially name them." Shadow mused.
"What do you mean?" Mary asked curiously.
"Just a trivial thought. Anyway, we need to take them?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. They're important for the cities that remain across the floating land masses." Mary said.
Shadow soon picked them up, feeling the wind energy swirl around the stones. The aura was not corrupted, much to his surprise.
"Surprised, huh? The dark aura that was controlling those wind creatures will disperse into nothingness once they're slain, leaving behind their Vent Stones." Mary said.
"Although I have a great deal of questions, I'll hold them till we arrive at Neo Europa in the library. There, we can discuss what has happened." Shadow said.
(Dark Agon Wastes OST ends here)
######
The travel to reaching the east flank of Tristania took about an hour. There, they encountered a strange path. Shadow soon felt a wind aura converge to form a magical bridge. He could see a metal pole bearing an odd, magical rune. It wasn't an archaic rune that he was familiar with. Rather, it looked more like a figure giving a wind motif, depicting said elemental with lines and waves converging to a winged symbol.
"This is a wind path. It uses the ambient winds to create a magical path to connect to the landmasses around the floating continent." Mary explained.
"Has there been a name for the floating continent?" Shadow asked.
"It still bears its old name, but we now called it Mistral." Mary said.
"Mistral… Given that we're floating possibly thousands of feet in the air, it's no surprise." Shadow noted.
"In any case, place your hand on the rune and the path will be erected." Mary instructed.
Shadow soon placed his left hand on the rune. It began to glow brightly, turning a bright mint green color. Soon, a small tower of light flew to the sky. Wind was gathering into the pole before a bridge of wind began to form. The bridge was transparent with a glassy texture look, yet it was opaque, akin to watching a morning fog blanketing the air. Mary walked first on the bridge, showing it was solid enough for a person to traverse it.
"Let's move, Shadow. The bridge will not remain long." She warned.
Shadow nodded as he and Mary crossed the bridge.
######
(Play Genshin Impact OST - Dragonspire 2)
The walk across the wind path was surprising for Shadow. Even though the wind was gliding around him, it wasn't sharp or fast. Rather, the breeze felt encompassing, even blanketing to the ultimate familiar. It felt akin to a recovering touch so relaxing, it made the walk seem heavenly.
"Wind paths tend to form these breezes of pleasant air. The moment any traveler uses them, it produced a comforting sensation. I can liken this to being tucked in to a comfortable bed." Mary explained.
"It has left me surprised. Never thought I would feel something like this. Even if I did manipulate wind to produce the same effect, I wouldn't notice from a third person perspective." Shadow replied, scratching his head.
The duo continued to walk their way across the bridge. It was a quiet path, leaving no confrontations to happen. Such a calm essence continued flowing around the air.
"You have experienced this kind of sensation all the time?" Shadow asked.
"Every time I travel around the wind paths, it does give a calm sensation. It helps ease the anxiety, which helps adventurers or drifters get around." Mary said.
"You're an adventurer or a drifter?" Shadow asked.
"I'm a drifter. My old home was destroyed due to events that have created this future." Mary answered with a solemn face.
"Oh… What of your parents?" Shadow asked reluctantly.
"I never knew much of my father, but he was able to leave his notes for me to my mother when he disappeared. Though I never saw him, he was caring enough to make my mother a strong woman." Mary explained.
"Your mother… She's an elf, isn't she?" Shadow questioned.
"Yes, but she's a half-elf." Mary replied.
Shadow quietly gasped, connecting the dots. Before he could deduce any further, he saw the wind path beginning to reach its end.
"We'll save this for later when we reach Neo Europa. I have more questions to ask, especially of the current timeline. However, I don't want to overload your mind in giving answers." Shadow said.
"Don't worry. You're already looked confused, if not frightened, of what you saw earlier. If anything, we'll need each other's strengths to overcome these problems." Mary reassured.
Shadow felt bad for Mary providing answers as a sole reason to understand his current circumstances. While he purged the thought of finding little information, he and Mary made their way across the wind path.
(Dragonspire 2 OST ends here)
######
(Play Wild ARMS 4 OST - Stationary Village, Ciel)
The wind path led Shadow and Mary to a large city. Though it looked more advanced in technology compared to its previous times, there was an abundance of trees and grasslands. Shadow could tell that it didn't appear to be a metropolis.
"This is Neo Europa. Here, everyone from humans to elves have lived peacefully. It's one of the few places known to have both races without conflict." Mary explained.
Shadow took note of what he heard from Mary. This made him recall about Tiffania's explanation of the people once fearing the elves.
'Just like the time when Tiffania and I have went out to our adventure to reach Tristain…' Shadow mused, thinking of his beloved.
Mary noticed Shadow was lost in thought for a moment. Upon seeing him shake his head to clear his mind, this made her recall her objective.
"The main library of Neo Europa is straight ahead near the town square. We just need to head north till we find the fountain within the square." She said.
"Let's go then. I'll have to find out what has happened in this future." Shadow insisted.
The duo made their way to the town square of Neo Europa. The square had several patches of grass and gardens abundant within. A large, marble fountain was shown, spouting water.
"This is the town square of Neo Europa. The main library is just around the corner." Mary pointed out, looking northwest.
(Stationary Village, Ciel OST ends here)
######
(Play Wild ARMS 3 OST - Preparing for the Valley of Bygone Days and Tomorrow's)
The main library of Neo Europa was a large building. The columns that surround the front of the entrance were Ionic styled.
'This makes the public library within New York City look like this one had a twin…' Shadow mentally remarked.
The interior held sections of the library, but were considerably large. Various books relating to their assigned themes such as romance, history, novels and fictional stories were shown.
'Finding the book in question will be difficult to search by hand. Perhaps the staff would be willing to help.' Shadow thought.
Mary noticed Shadow was thinking critically when she watched him head to one of the library staff members. Her gaze never left his form as he looked around.
'He does possess the same eyes and hair, but I don't have the stripes… Why does he feel so familiar…?' She thought.
Shadow soon asked a male staff member, whom was organizing books. The male in question had dark brown hair with slightly tan skin. He was wearing a burgundy business shirt with khakis and black shoes.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a book that details the battle of Albion and Tristain." Shadow requested.
"Oh, excuse me. I was distracted loading the books up. So you're looking for the book relating to the Battle of Albion and Tristain. Let me redirect you so you can find it." The staff member in question replied.
Shadow and Mary were guided to the history section of the library. They were soon provided with a book that held a title.
"Tristain's Last Stand… The year of this battle took place…" Shadow read.
His eyes widened upon seeing the recorded date. It was a surprising revelation, even for him.
'1437? How far has Mephiles displaced me?' Shadow thought.
He soon turned to Mary, ready to ask his question.
"Mary, what's the current time and date?" Shadow asked.
"It's currently Void Day, Janus 2, 2437." Mary replied.
Shadow soon noticed the date of the battle recorded in the book. The date was recorded as Janus 2, 1437.
'Janus? Of course. They're still using a version of the Julius calendar. Still, I'm now marooned approximately 1000 years in the future. Now I know for a fact that this is Halkeginia in the distant future.' Shadow thought.
Mary soon noticed a name upon the book detailing Tristain's Last Stand.
'Shadow was in that battle a thousand years ago!? What kind of magic or incident causes him to be lost in time?' Mary thought with shock.
Her shock soon turned to hope. Realizing that Shadow was sent through time. A possibility to go back and change the timeline for the better.
'Maybe he might be everyone's last hope to end this future and create a new one.' She thought with a sense of hope.
Both were now given details of what they were looking for. Though Mary had her answers already relating with Shadow, more questions continued to arise. However, Shadow had more questions pertaining to the current world he is in.
'Though I found out about my current predicament, this doesn't explain how Halkeginia changed so drastically over the years… I may have to refer to anything historical to find such details.' Shadow thought.
(Preparing for the Valley of Bygone Days and Tomorrow's OST ends here)
Shadow closed the book and returned it to where it was found. Having more questions to fill the gaps of his knowledge, he quickly went to a portion of the history section, looking for any books relating to the general history of Halkeginia.
'There has to be a book or anything that recorded historical events that led to this current circumstance.' Shadow thought.
Coincidentally, Shadow stumbled upon a book with a title that caught his eye. He removed it from the bookshelf to see for himself.
"The History Of Halkeginia and Neo Europa… This book might have mention anything that could have caused this current problem." Shadow said.
"Let's see for ourselves what the book details." Mary followed with curiosity.
Shadow soon began skimming through the pages, keeping an eye out on the year for 1437. While looking for any historical recordings, none didn't catch his eye for what caused the sudden changes.
'I'm not certain, but something within this year or the next year(s) that could provide the answer.' He thought.
(Play Wild ARMs 3 OST - You Look Defeated when Sad)
Upon reaching the year 1438, there was an art picture detailing of a statue of his appearance. Although it was a drawn picture, Shadow could easily see his features on the statue itself. He also saw a small figure, lying in the statue. It was a female with blonde hair that had a familiar hat on her head. Her face was contorted in sadness as she looked at the statue.
'Tiffania…' Shadow thought somberly.
A lone tear shedded from his right eye. Mary noticed the tear, quietly sympathizing the crying person she's with.
'Poor guy… He looks so lost that he doesn't know what to do.' She thought.
Shadow was reluctant to turn the page, but he was still looking for answers. A particular event got him in shock.
'Oh no…' Shadow thought.
A particular event in the book depicted of the same girl, but in a dark background tossing herself from a high place. She was revered as a hero, but couldn't handle the loss of someone she cared for. The girl's body was found, but strangely entombed in a crystal-like prison. A visage in the book shows the same girl crying in the crystal, never able to move.
'Tiffania… If only I was there…' Shadow thought with regret.
His breath heaved, felt heavy and cold. His legs were giving away, realizing the weight of the situation. Shadow tried to hold it back, but his eyes were already running with tears. Mary watched as Shadow soon fell in despair, unable to help him as she took pity from him.
'What could possibly happen to break him…? I don't understand and it's frustrating being unable to help him…!' She thought.
Shadow was still sorrow ridden. He could barely stand, but chose to continue reading the history of the book.
'I have to continue reading this… No matter how painful the depicted events were, I still need to find a chance to go back to my timeline.' Shadow thought.
Soon, he went to year 1439. An event happened that caught his eye on that year. One of the mountain ranges of Halkeginia named the Fire Dragon Mountains was soon uprooted from the ground. The cause, according to the book, startled Shadow.
'A large mass of windstones was the cause that uprooted the volcanic mountain range? How much of the events have been recorded? If only I wasn't so foolish…' Shadow thought.
Skimming to the next year at 1440, the worst event happened. The book shows a visage of Halkeginia being uprooted from its ground. The entire continent was ravaged with unusual quakes before it suddenly lifted into the sky. Shadow now realized why there were large landmasses in his surroundings when he first arrived.
"This event explains everything as to why the world I know has changed so drastically… It's the windstones within the past underground. They're the cause of why Neo Europa remains floating in the sky." Shadow realized.
"We can't simply extract them since they're powered by condensed magical energy of the wind. These stones do grow when absorbing the ambient magic in the air." Mary explained.
"So there are means in other ways to excavate them out back in the past. At any rate, I've read enough about what may happen in the next events after 1440." Shadow said.
"What could have happened after that year?" Mary questioned.
"Most likely the people at the time couldn't comprehend the magnitude of the incident. That was why Tristain was left in such a sad ruin. The place where you found me was a lively town back in its tenure. The most probable cause was the fall of civilization. Wars may have broken out between the nations, which have left many casualties." Shadow explained.
"It was recorded in the book you were reading. But, the other detail about it that you overlooked was the near genocidal act against the elves." Mary revealed.
"No…" Shadow spoke, clutching his head in despair.
"If you can prevent this Shadow, then you have to find your means to travel back in time." Mary said.
(You Look Defeated when Sad OST ends here)
"I do, but I don't think we have any… My only means is the use of special gems called Chaos Emeralds, but I don't sense the energy of any around this land." Shadow revealed.
"Chaos Emeralds… I heard about that from my mother." Mary revealed.
"You have?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. You don't have to explain what they are." Mary said.
"Good. At any rate, now I know of the present situation, we should have a discussion with another being." Shadow remarked.
"Another being? Whom are you referring to?" Mary asked curiously.
"Come outside so we can talk." Shadow enjoined.
He soon returned the book back in its place. His questions were all answered, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
######
Shadow and Mary were outside the library. The details were still shocking to him after hearing what has happened in the past. Moreover, hearing about the genocide of the elves made him more determined to go back to the timeline with Tiffania.
"So Shadow, what you are referring to when you said 'another being?'" Mary questioned.
"I can answer that." Hien's voice echoed.
"Who was that?" Mary asked, surprised.
"Right here, on Shadow's chest." Hien said.
Mary soon looked at the familiar flame on Shadow's chest. She was surprised to see the fire talking to her, despite seeing it on his chest numerous times.
"So this is whom you were referring to, Shadow." Mary realized.
"Yes. I was referring to Hien. I'm sure you have been notified from what I've read so far." Shadow confirmed, talking with the flame spirit.
"I have and it's becoming a dire situation. The disaster that lifted virtually all of Halkeginia has to be linked back to the timeline you were in, Shadow." Hien explained.
"Indeed so. However, this hasn't explained those strange creatures we've encountered. I've fought magical creatures before, but not like those monsters." Shadow inquired.
"You got me… All I know is these creatures contain the defense of wind that was corrupted. Their aura is a nasty poison that seems to corrode the victim's mind and body." Hien continued.
"A poison that affects the mind and body? Sounds like radiation…" Shadow noted.
"Radiation?" Mary questioned.
"It's like an invisible poison. It does damage to both body and mind when exposed over time. The damaging effects can also cause damage down to the cells, causing terrible illnesses." Shadow explained.
"That does sound like those darkwind monsters." Mary realized.
"So that's what they're called? Darkwind?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. Because of their dark aura mixed with the essence of wind, the people ended up giving them that name." Mary said.
"Not far off either. There's a missing piece of the puzzle as to how this timeline is afflicted with those darkwind monsters." Shadow noted, thinking deep.
"These monsters have been existing ever since Mistral was formed after the great uprising of the land." Mary said.
"So it's safe to say that soon after the landmasses were sent up to the sky, these creatures took advantage of the pandemonium and wreaked havoc." Shadow realized.
"But what did you mean that there was a missing piece of the puzzle?" Mary questioned.
"These monsters remind me of a terrible being that I fought before being marooned here in this timeline. The being is called Mephilis and he has left me in this timeline in the distant future, leaving no escape for me." Shadow said.
"That means we have to find the method and crucial items to get you back to the past to prevent this current future from happening." Mary followed.
"However, I don't sense the presence of a Chaos Emerald anywhere in this region. They're too far even for me to sense them." Shadow disdainfully spoke.
"We will find one. If my mother told me about their stories of legend, that means they exist somewhere." Mary spoke with hope.
######
The duo began to look around for any leads. They heard a female townsfolk chatting with a male.
"Have you heard about the Turquoise Fields from the southwest outskirts of Neo Europa? Rumors of a treasure found out there have been going about." The female citizen replied.
"The Turquoise Fields? It does have some kind of layout like an exploring dungeon. From what I heard though, the area's infested with those darkwind monsters." The male citizen spoke with concern.
"It does sound dangerous, but they say there's a mysterious gem left there." The female citizen revealed.
"Even so, I don't want to risk going out there. Not many explorers of those ruins would come back due to the monsters." The male citizens spoke.
Shadow and Mary were intrigued. Their attention was caught by the man and woman discussing of a possible place of interest. Hearing about a gem perked their curiosity, causing them to chat with the citizens.
"Excuse me, sir. You mentioned something about this place called the Turquoise Fields?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. We were talking about the place in question." The male citizen spoke, hinting a sense of dread.
"Are you two planning to make a trip to that place? You might need a map of Mistral first. Much of the continents floating about don't stay in one place for long. There is a magic shop that provides a special enchanted map that will help you two. It's near the square at the opposite direction of the library. Those maps are difficult to make from what I heard." The female citizen spoke.
"I suppose we should take a look first. But before we go, do you know any details about the Turquoise Fields?" Mary asked.
"Well, rumors about a rare treasure began to spread from explorers around town. They were inspiring others to go treasure hunting around the floating places around Mistral. However, not many would dare go out due to the dangers of the Hell Bound and darkwind monsters." The female citizen explained.
"The few that survived often mentioned about this treasure, but warned others not to go there." The male citizen followed.
"Sounds like a perilous journey… Still, there's a lead of interest." Shadow said.
"By the way, is there a nearby exchange place for these Vent stones we acquired?" Mary asked.
"There's one just around the corner near the library at the west flank." The male citizen responded.
Shadow pondered on what kind of currency the current timeline uses.
'I remember they used New Gold, but I wonder what the name in this timeline is.' He thought.
Making their way to the West flank of Neo Europa's library, Shadow and Mary found an exchange place with a techno magical appearance. Machines with magic runes were outfitted with tubes. They all made soft hisses as they were undergoing a process Shadow did not know of.
'These machines look like pneumo tubes, but they seem to be doing something even I can't identify.' He thought, looking at the machines curiously.
There was a mechanical being that Shadow couldn't see till it showed itself in the light. It was a golem that appeared robotic, but had traces of stone. Much of its body had metal workings and stone affixed in its body. The hands looked human in shape, albeit larger. The feet didn't look human, but had three toes on the front. The main body looked it was made to represent a male. The head also showed characteristics of a male. Glowing eyes on its 'head' were shown. They had a mint green glow.
"Welcome to the Vent Exchange. Provide Vent Stones for Eura." The golem spoke.
Mary and Shadow provided the Vent stones with reluctance. The golem soon began to make beeping noises before it stopped.
"10,500 Eura provided. Thank you for your services." The golem responded.
Shadow was perplexed of seeing a golem functioning in this fashion. He scratched his head, finding the sight somewhat perplexing.
'Just how far advanced is the technology and magic in this timeline…?' He pondered.
######
Night came to the town. Having a recent meal from a restaurant, Shadow and Mary looked tired.
"Is there a place where we can rest for the night? We have a place to explore tomorrow and we need to be in peak condition." Shadow questioned.
"There's the Marble Inn in Neo Europa. It's not too far from this restaurant." Mary replied.
Guided by Mary, Shadow followed till he saw the Inn in question. Its entrance looked small, but it had a quality that could rival the inns he knew in the past. The floors were shiny and made with marble stone: even the walls had a nice touch of decor with marble patterns.
"This is quite the inn to see…" Shadow remarked.
A female receptionist soon made her presence known from her desk. She had mint green hair with matching eyes. Her outfit was a dark blue skirt with a white shirt, white black shoes, and fingerless black gloves.
"Ah, are you two planning to stay the night here? The price is 500 Eura." The receptionist said.
Mary paid the receptionist. This allowed the pair to pick a room. Shadow immediately noticed that his traveling partner only purchased one room.
"Shouldn't we sleep in separate rooms?" He questioned.
"Don't worry. I can handle your presence just fine. Though I can't explain why, your aura feels very familiar, yet it's not." Mary commented.
Shadow pondered about it, now having the topic refreshed. However, he was starting to feel fatigued. Unable to stay awake for long, he stumbled his way to the bed and fell asleep.
Ending 3: Play Cold Bullet Blues by Kurosaki Maon
I'm sorry to say this, but I have been in a depressive tone lately… Things haven't been looking so bright.