Side Story Paradisum Perdidit

Jeremi said:

"A woman's voice?" Jihl let the question float in the air for a moment. "I certainly don't have anything like that in my head. What about you, Shelke?"

"My mind is mine and mine alone," She responded abruptly.

"Seems like you have been touched by a higher power. Let's put a pin in this until after the debriefing." As they continued their conversation the group soon enough found themselves in front of the huge ship resembling a squid that they had seen earlier on the hill. The insides looked as barren as the others, but there seemed to be a spot where a fire had been started as well as an assortment of large leaves no doubt to create a makeshift bed. "Welcome to our humble abode."

As everyone arrived and made themselves comfortable Jihl would explain what she knew about the situation. "I'm just going to cut to the chase, I work with an organization that deals with multiversal threats. About a month ago we noticed that some worlds just suddenly went dark and could not be reached no matter how hard we tried. It seemed to follow a pattern of some sort and we managed to extrapolate the next target of this incursion, which happened to be the world I originated from. I and a group of soldiers arrived only to be engulfed in the darkness. When I came too I was here in this desert. The only survivor." She motioned towards Shelke. "That's when I met Shelke."

"My story is much the same. I was working with my friends when...everything became dark, and now I am here." Shelke seemed disheartened as she slumped down on the floor. "For how long I can't say."

"Yes, well, time does not seem to matter much in this place. The shifting of night or day seems to be on a whim rather than on any real cycle. That is the extent of our knowledge." With that she turned to question the group. "Earlier you mentioned a voice in your head. Do you recall anything else it said or showed inside your mind? Perhaps we've finally found a key to solve this puzzle."



@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee

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"Worlds disappearing into darkness..."

"That sounds just like the Heartless! I dealt with this same kinda thing a little over a year ago. Worlds were disappearing left and right, swallowed up by darkness. These creatures called the Heartless were the root of all of it. They'd leak into the world and try to attack its heart. But by locking the Keyholes, the Heartless are kept from taking over."

Sora spoke with a surprising amount of authority and confidence, as if any piece of what he said made a lick of sense.

"But even if we stop this world from falling into darkness, that doesn't get us anywhere closer to home. I think the voice said to find her if we want to get back home."

@Jeremi @Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon@Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee​

Ver said:

"A higher power? All things considered, I didn't think you were any sort of believer, Jihl," Adam said, continuing to go along with the woman and the girl named Shelke. As they went on, eventually reaching the so-called abode, the man in black crossed his arms. He said nothing as Jihl talked about the... organization she worked in, and how she'd come to be here.

Let's just say it lined up.

When the woman further inquired about what the voice showed, the man shrugged his shoulders. "It only said... that we should seek her to find salvation. We also saw a big bird in the air, but... I guess if that doesn't ring any bells...?"

@Jeremi @Everybody​

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Alex Azure said:

"Worlds disappearing into darkness..."

"That sounds just like the Heartless! I dealt with this same kinda thing a little over a year ago. Worlds were disappearing left and right, swallowed up by darkness. These creatures called the Heartless were the root of all of it. They'd leak into the world and try to attack its heart. But by locking the Keyholes, the Heartless are kept from taking over."

Sora spoke with a surprising amount of authority and confidence, as if any piece of what he said made a lick of sense.

"But even if we stop this world from falling into darkness, that doesn't get us anywhere closer to home. I think the voice said to find her if we want to get back home."

@Jeremi @Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon@Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee

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Alex Azure said:

"Worlds disappearing into darkness..."

"That sounds just like the Heartless! I dealt with this same kinda thing a little over a year ago. Worlds were disappearing left and right, swallowed up by darkness. These creatures called the Heartless were the root of all of it. They'd leak into the world and try to attack its heart. But by locking the Keyholes, the Heartless are kept from taking over."

Sora spoke with a surprising amount of authority and confidence, as if any piece of what he said made a lick of sense.

"But even if we stop this world from falling into darkness, that doesn't get us anywhere closer to home. I think the voice said to find her if we want to get back home."

@Jeremi @Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon@Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee​

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Jeremi said:

"A woman's voice?" Jihl let the question float in the air for a moment. "I certainly don't have anything like that in my head. What about you, Shelke?"

"My mind is mine and mine alone," She responded abruptly.

"Seems like you have been touched by a higher power. Let's put a pin in this until after the debriefing." As they continued their conversation the group soon enough found themselves in front of the huge ship resembling a squid that they had seen earlier on the hill. The insides looked as barren as the others, but there seemed to be a spot where a fire had been started as well as an assortment of large leaves no doubt to create a makeshift bed. "Welcome to our humble abode."

As everyone arrived and made themselves comfortable Jihl would explain what she knew about the situation. "I'm just going to cut to the chase, I work with an organization that deals with multiversal threats. About a month ago we noticed that some worlds just suddenly went dark and could not be reached no matter how hard we tried. It seemed to follow a pattern of some sort and we managed to extrapolate the next target of this incursion, which happened to be the world I originated from. I and a group of soldiers arrived only to be engulfed in the darkness. When I came too I was here in this desert. The only survivor." She motioned towards Shelke. "That's when I met Shelke."

"My story is much the same. I was working with my friends when...everything became dark, and now I am here." Shelke seemed disheartened as she slumped down on the floor. "For how long I can't say."

"Yes, well, time does not seem to matter much in this place. The shifting of night or day seems to be on a whim rather than on any real cycle. That is the extent of our knowledge." With that she turned to question the group. "Earlier you mentioned a voice in your head. Do you recall anything else it said or showed inside your mind? Perhaps we've finally found a key to solve this puzzle."



@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee

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"Heartless... worlds vanishing into darkness... j-jeez, this all sounds too creepy! Though, if we're talking threats to the... uh... 'multiverse', I don't think consuming worlds in darkness is somethin' the Smithy Gang would do, but they do like invading other worlds."

"See, Geno and I had our world invaded when a giant sword called Exor fell from the sky and tore apart the Star Road, which... I dunno much about it, but it threw everything into wack, and scattered the Star Pieces all over the land! Exor acted like a gateway to another dimension, where some kinda warlord named Smithy was mass-producing an army of monsters that were spilling into our world and destroying everything. We managed to stop him and repair the Star Road, but..."

"--haa, usually Geno is the one doing all the exposition--"

"I don't think Smithy is the one behind all of this. Geno, what do you think?

"...Geno?"

Geno, who had taken to leaning against the steel wall of the ship's interior and 'meditating' on something, suddenly cupped a wooden hand about his chin. His eyes flung open as if something otherworldly crossed his mind.

"... Head North."

"Huh? Geno, is the Star Path-- I mean -- Star Road communicating with you?"

"Something just did," Geno turned in the direction that the voice was evidently pointing them to. "Whatever it is, it seems as if we're all connected to a higher power, judging by the voices we're hearing. We'll have to find out if it's an enemy or an ally."


"Going north... yeah, I heard that voice too! It's gotta be our best lead!"

@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee
​

Kaykay said:

Aya took a seat on the floor. She didn't say anything as Jihl and Shelke spoke their stories, simply nodding to say her circumstances were the same. Or at least, similar enough. There was one thing she did want to add though-

Head North.

...Two things.

"If everyone else heard that voice, then did anyone else see that tower? I saw an image of a tall tower in a desert. We don't have any knowledge of the land, but heading North...feels right."

It wasn't the most convincing way of saying it, but quite frankly Aya had trouble believing in just the words of disembodied voices and intuition too. If it was like the woman's voice from before, however, perhaps that'd lend her belief more credence.

@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee​

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Jeremi said:

Jihl seemed to get a little smirk on her face as the group started talking about heading north. "Good thing then that there's an oasis not too far from here heading northwards. We better restock on some water if we are to survive trekking through the desert."

"Everything beyond the oasis is uncharted," Shelke responded. "I have never gone past it."

"Neither have I, but this does sound like it's shaping up to becoming an interesting expedition isn't it?"


@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Draco Shadowdragon @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee

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Jeremi said:

Chapter 1 – The journey begins

There course was clear and so they started preparing for the trek into the desert. Shelke picked up some makeshift canteens her a Jihl had been using to transport the water from that oasis they had mentioned. Water was going to be essential on their journey, especially since they had no clue what was going to meet them beyond the oasis. Once finished they started their journey. “Enjoy the suns shining down on us,” Jihl replied as she took the lead followed closely by Shelke. “During my stay here, they have only once dropped down the horizon. Now let's go find that tower of yours.” With that they made their way from the ship graveyard unto the open area once again.

The trek from their current spot to the oasis was an uneventful one. No giant birds flying above them nor anything else unwelcoming, just sand and more sand. Soon Jihl called out that they were nearing their location.

The oasis area was quiet and serene with the brightest and cleanest waters some might have ever seen in their life. “We’ll have ourselves a short break before continuing. Fill our canteens and have ourselves a drink, I’m sure some of you are quite parched.” Going to get some water you found that despite the crystal-clear waters you still couldn’t see the bottom of the oasis, how deep could this little pond be? You could even see some trees growing around it, perhaps there were fruit that someone could gather. For now, however the group could refresh themselves before the journey began anew.

@Ver as Adam Jensen
@Sark as Agent 47
@Minerva as Aranea Highwind
@Kaykay as Aya Brea
@Draco Shadowdragon as Caim
@Lucky as Chris Eriksen and Charles Eriksen
@Atomic Knight as Claire "Lightning" Farron
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Geno and Mallow
@Takumi as Hiro and Maribel Mayde
@Yun Lee as Joy Foster
@Hahli Nuva as Lara Croft
@York as Lucca Ashtear
@Gummi Bunnies as One and Two
@Crow as Pinocchio and Red Riding Hood
@Bark as Ramza Beoulve
@Donder172 as Rico Rodriguez
@Alex Azure as Sora​

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Upon filling his canteen, Sora's focus immediately shifted to the trees. They reminded him of his home on Destiny Islands. Palm trees dotted the shoreline, bringing fresh, ripe coconuts seemingly whenever he and his friends needed one. Hopeing for a similar bounty from this oasis, Sora tried to harvest some in the best way he knew how.

By beating the crap out of the trees.

A strange weapon appeared in Sora's hand with a flash of light. It appeared to be a blade in the shape of a skeleton key; it was appropriately named the Keyblade.

Keyblade in hand, Sora began whacking the trees to knock down their fruits.

@Jeremi @Everyone​

Crow said:

Filling their canteens, Pinocchio & Red Hood too hang around the area.

"I can't take it anymore... I need to paint my coat..." Red Hood shivers as she prepares to jump into the supposedly-deep pond, hoping to find something, anything.

"I'm pretty unfortunate to have bumped into Little Red Riding Hood, but I guess she's someone to depend upon in a crisis," Pinocchio says as he picks fruit off with his staff, helping Sora. "Maybe it's just that neither of us have anything in common."

A voice sounded to Pinocchio - it was the staff, licking its lips and grinning as its long, pointy nose stood.

"You are no different from her, save for the fact that you oppress your true self with cowardice."

"That's... untrue..." Pinocchio faces the staff's face while saying this.

@Jeremi @Alex Azure​

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Jeremi said:

Some of the more ripe fruit fell rather easily. Going to pick them up Sora would notice the peculiar shape of the fruit.

Despite how they look they seemed to be quite succulent and tasty.



Hiro if he peered into the pond could see some small fish swimming around in the waters, which was quite weird in the desert. Had they also been transported here much like here or were they native to the area? Looking over the pond some more he could see a makeshift bridge of land going straight through the pond.

@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Bark @Sark @Minerva@York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee​

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Lucky said:

Chris Eriksen and Charles Eriksen

Charles filled his canteen with water and silently prayed that it was beer and that he was dreaming. He was sure his son would be just fine.

Chris meanwhile went to fill his canteen, tripped and fell into the pond. Charles had not noticed this yet.

@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Bark @Sark @Minerva @York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Jeremi @Yun Lee

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Lucky said:

Chris Eriksen

Chris was surprised when somebody who wasn't his father had jumped in to save him. Once he was out of the water, he looked at Hiro. " Sorry about falling."

@Jeremi @Crow @Alex Azure @Takumi

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Crow said:

Red Riding Hood tossed fish after fish out of the water. Just as Hiro had finished rescuing Chris, her head popped out with a grin.

"Oh? I could've sworn someone gave me a little present~! How sweet... but where is it~?"

@Lucky @Takumi

---

"I was? Oh, I was..." Pinocchio sheepishly laughs. "All I can really say is that it's a really important staff. I'd say... I heavily depend on it, I'd die without it, I guess."

He ends that with a smile.

@Takumi @Bark @Alex Azure

@Jeremi​

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Jeremi said:

Some of the more ripe fruit fell rather easily. Going to pick them up Sora would notice the peculiar shape of the fruit.

Despite how they look they seemed to be quite succulent and tasty.



Hiro if he peered into the pond could see some small fish swimming around in the waters, which was quite weird in the desert. Had they also been transported here much like here or were they native to the area? Looking over the pond some more he could see a makeshift bridge of land going straight through the pond.

@Crow @Ver @Atomic Knight @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Crow @Bark @Sark @Minerva@York @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Donder172 @Lucky @Yun Lee​

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Crow said:

Red Riding Hood tossed fish after fish out of the water. Just as Hiro had finished rescuing Chris, her head popped out with a grin.

"Oh? I could've sworn someone gave me a little present~! How sweet... but where is it~?"

@Lucky @Takumi

---

"I was? Oh, I was..." Pinocchio sheepishly laughs. "All I can really say is that it's a really important staff. I'd say... I heavily depend on it, I'd die without it, I guess."

He ends that with a smile.

@Takumi @Bark @Alex Azure

@Jeremi​

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