This chapter is written by me!
The flow of the time stream surrounding Clockwork was familiar and soothing. The peaceful feeling of the threads of time brushing against his core helped him entirely focus on the task at hand: tracking down the breaches dispersed across the timelines.
"It looks like you're getting close to one. The energy readings just increased," Dynama's voice informed in one of his ears. Of course, she was nowhere nearby, but the Ancients had magical earpieces that could work over any barrier or distance. But, of course, they had Enchantra to thank for those artifacts.
Clockwork responded in thanks and continued on his current trajectory, on the lookout for the nearby breach. He noticed Dimensie trailing behind him in the corner of his vision, their green and purple attire standing against the light blue wisps of the time stream. Since the breaches penetrated time and the multiverse, the duo's combined power and expertise were required to repair the holes thoroughly. They had already found a few and could dissolve them quickly enough. But there was no telling just how many there were, and additionally, they were challenging and time-consuming to locate.
Ultimately, they came across another jet-black rip against the time stream, its serrated edges sharp and gradually spreading. Clockwork looked to Dimensie, who nodded, and the two began combining their power against the black portal. Slowly but surely, the rips repaired themselves from the outside in, and in a matter of minutes, every trace of it was gone.
"Got another one," Dimensie reported to Dynama with relief in their voice.
"Excellent. The energy readings are back to normal, so wherever you are is clear. Or is it whenever…" Dynama trailed off in thought.
"I would assume it is both," Cognite piped in. They worked alongside Dynama to decipher the energy readings and discuss relevant theories with the Ghost of Energy. The two had the most technical knowledge of the Ancients and worked together remarkably well.
"Do either of you know how many more there are?" Clockwork asked, not feeling particularly optimistic about the answer.
"Thanks to the energy sensors I attached to both of your cloaks, it's evident that we can get accurate readings at your locations. However, there's currently no conceivable way for us to capture readings throughout the entire time stream at one time, nor the entire multiverse," Dynama clarified. "Cognite, do you have any hypotheses to our dilemma?"
"I'm afraid she's right. The time stream is infinite, and so is the multiverse. Consequently, being simultaneously aware of the occurrences at all points is unattainable, even for us."
"That sounds accurate. Even with the full extent of my capabilities, I cannot simultaneously see every point of the time stream," Clockwork responded.
"Similarly, with me and the multiverse," Dimensie confirmed.
"Hmm… but theoretically…" Dynama's voice was muffled as she spoke to Cognite, presumably regarding scientific topics Clockwork could scarcely comprehend. Luckily, being the Ghost of Time did not require him to know elaborate scientific theories or do high-level calculations. Clockwork much preferred it that way.
"We don't need theoretically. We need definitely," Dimensie muttered, looking at Clockwork in annoyance. Clockwork understood their frustration. He was optimistic that all of them were exhausted from the current crisis. They had scarcely had any rest since the predicament initially occurred, and it was beginning to affect them.
"Ay! Theoretical is the best we can do. Definites are an atom away from impossible," Dynama grumbled.
"I have a definite to report. We have successfully mended four breaches so far," Cognite assured the other three Ancients. "We are well on our way to restoring balance. That is something to celebrate."
"But we have no idea how many are left. And what if they materialize quicker than we can resolve them? And to top it off, we are still uncertain of the source!" Dimensie disputed. It was unmistakable that the situation stressed them. Clockwork put a hand on their shoulder comfortingly.
"Perhaps it is time we should take a break," the Ghost of Time interjected. "We've been working nonstop for the equivalent of days. Even if we are the Ancients, we need mental and physical rest to perform our responsibilities sufficiently." The other three mumbled their agreements, and their earpieces went silent.
Clockwork guided Dimensie back out of the time stream, and the two materialized into the ticking clock tower. "I know you've been especially anxious concerning this, Dimensie. But, please, rest and try to get your mind off this. You've already done plenty," Clockwork soothed the other Ancient.
Dimensie sighed and massaged their face. "Thank you, Clockwork. I'm sorry that I've been in such a sour mood. The fact that we still know next to nothing about the breaches is stressing me out, probably more than it should be."
"I understand. But we will solve this, I know it," the Ghost of Time said, sounding more optimistic than he felt. Regardless, the other Ancient gave him a pained smile before summoning a portal with their staff and disappearing through it.
Clockwork sighed and flew to his resting area in the clock tower. Despite his advice to Dimensie to get their mind off the situation, he couldn't help but go over the countless questions in his mind. What, or who could be behind this? Could he have prevented this somehow?
Of course, he had yet to foresee this turn of events as possible in his meticulous surveillance of the timeline. But why hadn't he?
Eventually, the continuous ticking of his clocktower managed to calm his mind. He needed to be ready for whatever came ahead.
Cognite felt relieved as soon as they emerged into the quiet of their library. The dark wood of the walls and dim, comfortable lighting always managed to calm their mind. Various plants were placed at all the windows, opening to the swirling greens of the Infinite realms. The plants provided a fresh touch to the air and the aesthetics, plus many medicinal and calming qualities appreciated throughout history.
Cognite had been spending an unusual amount of time with the other Ancients recently. They were used to being alone with their thoughts most of the time.
The Ghost of Knowledge massaged their eyes tiredly. They wanted nothing more than to rest for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the fate of the multiverse rested on their shoulders. There had to be some knowledge that could be beneficial for unraveling the mystery of who was responsible or how to get rid of the breaches.
But Clockwork was correct that the Ancients were not miracle workers or robots; they needed rest like anyone else. So rest Cognite did… for a short time, at least. They eventually ended up back between countless rows of bookshelves, incapable of staying stagnant. They scoured through old parchment and dusty books, searching for anything.
Unexpectedly, they sensed another entity nearby. They peered out from the bookshelves to see Enchantra. Cognite was secretly relieved to see her and not one of the more talkative Ancients. Enchantra was a quiet and soothing presence, which was the vibe that Cognite preferred.
"I have felt the urge to speak to you for a while," she informed. "I feel that this event was prophesied by future seers long ago."
"Is that so?" Cognite responded curiously. They did not doubt Enchantra; she commonly had precognitions due to her proximity to magical energies. So when she mysteriously had a feeling about something, it was usually correct.
"You have all knowledge at your fingertips. Therefore, you must have the capability to uncover this prophecy."
"Yes…" Cognite closed their eyes in focus and powered up their staff to search for where such a prophecy could lie. Soon enough, their eyes popped open, and they flew off, with the Ghost of Magic not far behind.
Parchment scrolls were soon pulled off the shelves and unrolled in the library's depths. The two Ancients looked through numerous prophecies, but none seemed to have any relation. Cognite felt their hope gradually dripping away. Could Enchantra have been wrong for once? Surely not.
Finally, the last scroll was rolled open. Again, the two Ancients paused as they read over the elaborate writing.
"A tree with branches like ink will spread,
its seed planted by a spirit long dead.
Six saviors will be brought side by side;
Friendships will be forged amidst the tide.
For the unrelenting roots to meet their end,
Broken bonds will need to mend.
Brutal truths must likewise be faced,
For time cannot exist without space."
Links formed in Cognite's mind between some of the words on the parchment and the recent events. Six faces immediately came to their mind: the six heroes that had been enlisted. In addition, the pitch-black, jagged shape of the breaches could have been comparable to the growth of tree branches.
"This is the one," they stated in shock.
"It seems to be so," Enchantra responded, her eyes narrowed as she reread the prophecy. "We must bring this to the others to determine the full meaning."
For the first time in days, Cognite felt a spark of hope. They couldn't hold back a smile, which was soon reciprocated by the other.
Before his escapades inside the time stream, Paradox had no idea how intriguing it could be. He had been roaming for what could have been hours or weeks, ripping through the fragile threads whenever he pleased. His eyes had been graced with multiple exciting timelines. He could tell that the glances into the future and past also spanned the multiverse. He knew the multiverse was equally infinite, with unlimited possibilities for the events that could transpire there.
To his glee, he could effortlessly observe the consequences of his meddling. The Ancients seemed to have been thrown into disaster mode, flailing as they tried vainly to fix the multidimensional breaches. There was so much information that they needed to be made aware of. But even if they got close to figuring out the mystery and tracking him down, he had the advantage of knowing their every move before the thought even crossed their minds. So he failed to see how his objective could be thwarted.
They returned their attention to the time stream surrounding them. Images flashed by almost too quickly to comprehend. They watched for any exciting developments that could be used to their advantage.
Unexpectedly, they caught a glimpse of devastation beyond measure. They dived headfirst into that particular vision to learn more. They soon knew a powerful ghost was responsible, almost rivaling an Ancient's raw power. Paradox watched the mysterious spirit curiously before realizing the similarities to one of the Ancients' enlisted "heroes." This was fascinating indeed that such a "hero" could become a doer of such catastrophe and destruction.
Suddenly Paradox was called to view another image in the time stream. Another ghost with magnificent power was depicted. He observed that she could easily trick and manipulate millions, crafting her own world. He realized that this was yet another one of the "heroes."
He couldn't believe he had been so fortunate to come across this.
Did the Ancients know about their potential for such destruction and control? Of course, there was no way that the council would approve if they were anything like Paradox remembered. But, on the other hand, perhaps he had just found some new allies.