Mewtwo and Astra both look at each others. For Astra, the weight of their future is the subject he wishes to broach. For Mewtwo, it is what he has now fully confirmed himself to be. Both subjects are quite different, yet intersects in more ways that they realize.
Astra gestures for Mewtwo to go ahead. Astra. As I said during our little impromptu speech, and as you found out yesterday, I have confirmed what lies within me. I know you have the remnant of Aster's soul dwelling within you. I too possess the souls of beings within me.
Astra nods, he has started to come to terms with his origins in some ways.
When I learned what you were... when you told me what you were, I though i was different, that the Trio made me as a companion from nothing. That is not the case. Within me dwell the souls of two of Aster's companions. Mewtwo takes a deep breath. He knows that what he will say will not impact Astra per say, but he fears how the remnants of Aster will react. Within me, the souls of Master the lucario and Paladin the gallade sleep, fueling my existence in some ways.
Astra remains silent. Within him is turmoil. Aster's remnants are both appalled and relieved at the news. Although the subject had been broached multiple times, hearing it stated so plainly makes it harder to just ignore or dismiss for later. this is what this discussion is for after all.
And Aster? Aster had tried to ignore it every times. For even the slight hope that the souls of his friends might not have gone a different route than the current cycle was too hard to maintain. For Aster knows of the cycle of this world. The tyrannical and sadistic cycle the souls of those living upon the Ezian plane undergo. He knew even before he experienced it once more recently. The cycle only ends to the creator, and Eziakophael is a greedy and hungry god. Humans may go through the cycle multiple times, but pokemons only go in once. They are birthed, live, and then killed. Their souls become the hungering god's sustenance, making him stronger for each souls he devour.
Aster is relieved to know his two dead companions, one killed trying to protect him, the other because of his death, are safe and not gone forever in the dark god's gullet. Yet he is appalled to learn their souls were put to use in another way. They should have been set free, saved and displaced somewhere else, anything but setting them back within this cruel joke of a world.
Mewtwo feels the inner turmoil, he feels his own soul quake at his own admission. Both Master and Paladin stirs at his words, but do not wake. He is different. Where Astra is linked to Aster and can almost freely tap into the man's memories, Mewtwo barely feels either pokemons making up his soul. A part of him knows like he should be able to feel more from them, yet the same geas that stops him from using certain capacities stops him there. Yet another limitation from the Trio. He reflexively brush his tattooed right arm, feeling a strange tingle doing so.
"I... see..." Finally Astra speaks. The turmoil is receding, and Astra is finally able to think as himself, and not as an amalgamation of misty past and broken present. "This... complicates things. I mean, it makes what I had to tell even more dire... I think..."
It is Astra's turn to take a breath. "I have been thinking... about the end. What happens when we succeed? What happens after we make the marble. It seems that this is what the Trio wants of us, but then what? We succeed, and that's it? Are we the ones that will be rewarded, or will it be Aster, and his companions?" Astra looks down as he tells his last question.
And the weight of the implications settles on them both, heavy on Mewtwo's shoulders and heavier than before on Astra's own. The implication hits Mewtwo even worse as he realize what they have just done. They just spent the morning convincing the local population that the Trio will be beneficial, that it will be different from Eziakophael, yet... yet...
Mewtwo sits down, unable to remain up. His head is spinning and he can taste bile building in his throat. When did you come to this realization? He asks his friend.
"Yesterday night, while reading the lexica for the first time. I noticed something and it stirred something with Aster. So I checked in his journal to see what it might be, and I found this." Astra takes the book out, and opens it on the 'life 12, day 85' entry and let Mewtwo read. Once he is done, he continues. "This entry says it all. This world is fake, made of ripped parts from this planet called Earth. If everything is but a playground for Eziakophael to see us suffer, then... What are we? What will the Trio do once we are done? Will they just leave? Will they save Aster and his friends?"
After reading the entry, Mewtwo can understand how Astra came to these questions. How real are they? And will they be allowed to exist after their task is done?
And the implication of what this world is makes their situation so much unsure. This entire reality is nothing but an amalgam of fictions, possibly fueled only by the absurd amount of death happening daily. How many humans survive their first nights? Their first raid? How many pokemons are killed daily, either as sport or for sustenance? Mewtwo thinks back to the village, to all he learned from the villagers and the few humans that accepted to talk to him. This new piece of the puzzle makes this world even more ruthless than it appears to be.
Yet here they stand, Mewtwo a fictional legend, and Astra, a machine looking like a human. Both were made to complete a challenge as a bet between gods. And now the puppets wonder what they will do once the performance is complete. For in the end, that is what it boils down to. The strings may not be visible, but they are still present. The quests, the trials, the little hints left to guide them. The Trio is guiding them to reach the end of the quests. For what purpose? Neither know.
This will be our next question! Mewtwo declares. The Trio gave them a way to acquire knowledge, and they shall use it.
"Can we trust they will answer? Or will they dismiss the question like they did the one about their choice?" Astra quells Mewtwo's resolve.
Both slump back in though. 'You were convenient'. the non-answer Knowledge gave still rings in their ears. If they dismiss their concern so easily, why would they answer differently to any other worries they may have. Both can already imagine any of the Trio answering something akin to 'Don't worry about it' to any question for their future.
As they both sit on the grass close to the cottage, the silence of the forest settles in. We still should ask anyway. Even a non-answer might give us hints as to what they might do with us. Mewtwo suggests.
Astra looks up, and nod. Although the dread of their fickle existence has become greater than ever before, they both still exist. "We will ask, and maybe we can try to raise a stink about it if they refuse to answer us." Astra completes, his spirits heightening once more.
Ah! We have to try that! Mewtwo agrees.
Both their mood lift at the joke. They may be constructs of gods, but they were given some length of free will. And they shall be using that length as much as they can.
"Oh right, I also found some idea of what I am." Astra exclaims.
He summons his menu and look for an entry. After some times, he finds it. "Here is what I am."
Astra presents an entry with the title 'Unit X-A0.7.5'
Achievement got: Who you are!
(Discover what the both of you are.)
(Damn you got that one fast!)
Rewards: 3000xp; 1 Exp. Candy XL
Terraforming Android X-A0.7.5
Imagined by a group of scientist from the [REDACTED] empire, the model Terraforming android model X-A (TOM.X-A for short) was supposed to revolutionize terraforming. Instead of waiting for decades on changes and modifications, this android would allow living being to be at the forefront of the terraforming effort.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
These machines would be sent in batch, with capacities to rearrange weather, topography and even soil composition. As they would use the same fueling method as any other creations of the [REDACTED] empire, they would only need to perform maintenance on themselves.
[REDACTED]
The project was, however, never left the alpha stage of development after many raised concern about the need of a living pilot linked to the android body. Spending decades in digital reality and seing only through the eyes of a machine was deemed too hard for the user's psyche and so the project was shelved, to be replaced by [REDACTED]
At the twilight of the [REDACTED] empire, only the emperor still remembered the project.
Specifications:
-Multiple hyper-compression matter tanks
-Silver-blood self repair nanomachine system
-[REDACTED] alloy plating.
-[REDACTED] redux OS version 20.771
-[REDACTED] power source
-Disassembly/reassembly array
-High resolution scanning array.
-Carbon-[REDACTED] muscle fibers
-Reconfigurable inner systems.
Both Astra and Mewtwo look at the entry. That... is... a lot.
"And we learned... nothing new... except for the origin of my body... which is redacted..." Astra sigh, almost in disappointment.
Why would the Trio redact these? Did they steal it or something? Is it a clue to show us they do as Eziakophael does? Why the redacted sections? It makes no sense!
Indeed it does not, but neither Astra nor Mewtwo can understand why the Trio would redact such information.
It does confirms your strength and that you are indeed, not human.
"Yep, that one I can finally put to rest!" Astra says, his cheerfulness feeling fake to Mewtwo's senses. "Oh here!" Astra says as he pass the XL candy to Mewtwo.
Mewtwo eyes the massive candy in his palm with a bit of apprehension. It has to be the biggest one yet. Almost as tall as his middle finger is long, the blue octahedron almost radiates experience. For the first time, Mewtwo let it slowly dissolve on his tongue rather than swallow it whole. He does not feel the rush of energy until the last of the candy leaves his mouth. And when it comes, he can immediately feel that something is different. He has now reached level 40, and something new has just been unlocked. More than a move, it is as if his senses have been suddenly opened wide.
Aura. The knowledge of the strange energy spills forth from within and beyond. He can feel Master stir in his sleep. He is almost certain his eyes are widening by the second, but he can only stay where he is, looking all around in pure wonder. He can see the lines of life, the lines of energy of nature, of every living being surrounding them. His sixth sense has grown beyond what it had been to this point. He had always been able to see and sense other creatures beyond their physical forms, but it had never been this clear.
He looks at Astra, he can see the fire within his torso. A burning sphere of rainbow flames encapsulating blue-white embers. He can see how they might have been a sphere once, and wonder if that is what his soul looks like. He looks around, finding insects like little stars among the trees. Birds are little suns on the branches. The trees themselves are a network of energy lines. The world is living, its soul beat with every moments. And as he looks up, he sees the oil-like reflection of the Sanctuary barrier, and as he looks on, the barrier looks back.
----------------------------------------
I see Mewtwo hesitate with the XL candy. It IS a big piece of hard candy. In the end, he let it melt slowly on his tongue. I turn toward the cottage, satisfied that the big talks are over. In the end, it only changed our determination. Before, we wanted to complete the quest because clearly we could and needed to, but now? Now it is even more personal. We will make sure everyone gets what they deserve. And we will make sure the Trio WILL give it to us!
I make my way toward the little endoflame set-up. Sure enough, not a single piece of coal remains. The mana pool has a small puddle of blue mana at its base, and a quick check with the wand of the forest tells me it is barely anything. Yep, I need more things to burn. A lot more. I will need to see princess tomorrow about that. Also, I completed the 'Mana manipulation 101' right? Yep, I did.
"Hey Mewtwo." I call to him, only to find him still where I left him. He does not react to my call.
I frown at that and approaches him. "Mewtwo?" I call him again, no answers. As I approach him, I realize his pupils are so dilated his irises are almost gone. He is starring at the sky, looking at something only he can see. I try to pass my hand above his eyes, but get no reactions. Then he suddenly screams and fall backward. He looks around, disoriented, and then settles on me. We have to get out of here!
"What?"
This place is not safe, nothing is safe! Oh Trio its coming! It's in the trees! It's on the ground! His toughs are a jumble of panic. He start to crawl backward from whatever he is seeing.
"Mewtwo?" I try to shake him off his panic. "Mewtwo!" I actually shake him, physically holding him by the shoulders.
His eyes suddenly focus on me, truly focus on me. Astra? What... What happened? Where did the eyes go?
"What? What eyes? What are you talking about?"
*ding*
Achievement got: Don't stare, I'm self-conscious about myself!
(stare at the fabric of our craft.)
Rewards: Don't! Like seriously, don't.
"Uh?"
Mewtwo is silent. I read and reread the notification, then I look at my friend.
Still dazed by what he must have witnessed, he is lost in his thoughs. "What happened?" I ask him softly.
I... It... The candy...
"Take your time, breathe. Here, I kept that from the picnic" I take out a water skin and give it to him. He thanks me and greedily drinks it empty.
Still on the ground, he reclines himself back, using his tail as a backrest. Today is the day of revelations it seems. I... This last candy unlocked more than a path. More than moves or memories of actions. I can see... more. I can see you, and I can see Aster within you, or what might be his soul. I can see lines of power all around us. And... When I looked to the sky, I saw... He shudders as he tries to articulate what he saw in words. I saw colors like oil in water rippling above us, the Sanctuary barrier. Then the field looked back. It felt like eyes opening all over it, and... and... they descended. they tried to get to me... And then... then they were gone. I think you shook me off of it. Thank you.
He is shaking, his entire body is shaking. I sit on his left and gently hug him with my flesh-looking arm. "It's okay, it's okay." I gently whisper.
After a couple minutes, Mewtwo calms down. What sort of being has such disgusting powers? Which one of the Trio possesses such a vile aura?
"Chaos" I answer instantly.
Mewtwo's neck cracks as he turns his head to me. How do you know?
"Before you joined me to see what we could do with the Sanctuary, I got to talk to them. And... Well... Chaos has this sort of way to make you feel like reality could just collapse the moment he decides to. So yeah. definitely Chaos on this one."
Ugh... why do they even need us?
"I KNOW RIGHT!" I erupt. Why do they need us? They seem so powerful yet here they are, using us to go against a god. Why?
"Okay you know what? We are preparing for Hunt's trial! Our questions will be: What happens to us in the future, and Why use us when you clearly are powerful enough to go against Eziakophael yourselves. How does that sound?"
Yeah. Yeah! Let's look at Knowledge trial too though, maybe we can prepare for it as well.
"Good idea."
First Trial of the Seeker
Seek the answer the problem presented before you.
No sustenance shall be needed.
Only once you complete the Trial shall you be allowed to leave.
Task: Problem solving.
Reward: Knowledge for future use, 500xp, 2 XP candy L.
[Enter Trial]
"Okay, this seems not too hard."
The question is, what sort of problem is it? We could be unable to solve it and be trapped for who knows how long.
He is right here, if time does not stops during trials, we might end up burning all our time inside the Sanctuary trying to overcome these tasks.
"All right, then we do Hunt's trial first, then once we are done, Knowledge's. Before we do either of them, we will prepare ourselves for leaving the Sanctuary."
Agreed. Is Chaos trial still not available? He shivers as he states the name.
I open Chaos's quest tab, and indeed it is still greyed out. "Still greyed. Should we ask one of the others for a clue?"
Can't we just touch it? Maybe the requirements will be revealed then. The more wa might delay it, the better.
"We will need to do it at some point though." I shrug.
I touch the greyed icon.
o0o_Curiosity... killed the cat..._o0o
The words jump from the screen. Cruel laughter echoes all around us. The world starts to spin, colors bleed into each others. And we fall.