A misty morning, a silent breathe. May what come of a hundred cress. Looking through an old timely scope, the lass held onto a sniper rifle. Another gift from her mother with some extras given by a visiting friend, attachments from another age of time.

With the wind whistling a breeze, the birds tweeted softly as the animals took its chances to hide from the predator that stalks.

A crunch of a grass patch, a silhouette of a masculine figure reached slowly as held his steady arm onto a holster. Pulling out his gun slowly, he changes stance. A more lowered and relaxed form, shuffling slowly as he took aid of the lass beside him.

Using a pair of binoculars readily available on his other hand, he takes a watch of the scenery in-front of him. Whispering some words into the lass's right ear, she makes herself comfortable on her lay as she lines her sight onto a being.

No, not a being. It's form is too awkward. A troubling lump of proportions. It sagged slowly and randomly. As it slowly slithers its way to a dark and moldy cave, the male ordered the lass with a snicker.

Bang!

A sonorous sound breaking the sound barrier. It cracked the ears of the two from the initial shot before it slowly reached to the abomination. Penetrating it, it looks like it did nothing at first. But slowly, the thing started to tingle, With bubbles fizzing, like a volcano about to erupt, it soon gave up and exploded at its surroundings.

The bullet from the fired rifle was laced with a special liquid in accord with its special metal used. One produced from a very rare ore. Though rare, its highly malleable and can be easily found if paired with a professional mineralogist.

'Good shot.' The male said as he pats the back of the lass. Giving her a sense of accomplishment and proud of her useful yet deadly aim. 'Soon you can be as lethal as your mother.' The male said as he got up and holsters back his gun. Wiping the grainy sand of him, he opens a small flask he slung on his back and sips its contents slowly.

Removing her hood, the lass faces towards the giant that stood beside her and smiled. 'Why, thank you.' Garbed in a more aged and yellow robe, her figure has changed over the time. With a puffier set of lips and a more feminine feature, her body and maturity overall has slowly weaned over her years of constant hunting and ageing.

'More lethal ey'?' She asks with a curious tone as she walks slowly to the encounter zone. Looking down towards the mass of black lump, she squats and collects its contempt with a pair of gloves and a jar. 'That's one for the taking.' She muttered as she locks the jar tightly with a self-made metal hook.

The male followed up behind her slowly, passing his sight on a map he made from some time ago. Alongside that, a brass compass, that accurately positioned itself with it's unique twisty needle. With a heavy sigh, the male point his fingers to a direction as he stood straight and steady. 'Five hundred meters from here and we will be there.' He vocally explains with a mono-toned accent.

'Got it, NZ.' The lass replies as she properly slings her rifle onto her back. 'You sure, the village will be there? Will you think she be there?' She asks, a little nervous for her unknown encounter with a person she never saw before.

'She will, I know of it. Come on!' With a wave of his arm, he continues his walk towards his pointed direction. The lass trusting herself onto NZ, she takes care of his six as he guides her to the so-called village that they will arrive in a while.

'So....how are you?' She asks NZ curiously as they continued their journey in this silent walk.

'I am fine, Mary. Just a little worried because your mom, the Chieftess of your tribe is taking guiding the tribe all by herself alongside your one and only resident Miss Selina and your siblings who have grown older and are still learning and probably being rebellious.' He replied.

'You are worried about that? Pfft- That's not really something to worry about, don't worry! I am sure she is fine. After all, my siblings should at-least do something to take care of the tribe. Now, proper timing is the way on greeting your old-timely friend and the villagers that reside.' Mary replied as she chuckled softly.

Reaching towards what seems to be an oasis, he knew that was the place. He remembers the last time when he ended up at this place, only to actually be the village. This technique of making it look as an oasis is useful when it comes to raiding, as it not only works as a support but as also defense to confuse outlaws.

'Come on! We're here.' He shouts at Mary who was a little aloof of his sudden tone change.

'Where?! I don't see it.' She asks him in surprise as she looks left and right, seeing nothing.'You better not be having a delusion.' She shakes herself as she starts running towards him to keep up pace.

Following him, NZ's guess was correct. He ended up in an old abandoned town. But, it only appeared that way because of the oasis's delusion. 'Follow me, this is the place.' He looks at her with an excited smile as he enters through an old door of a bar after passing through some broken down ruins of metal, rust and stone.

Keeping up, she pushes herself in and notices him making a magical circle on a wall as he chanted something softly.

'NZ?' She asks him, a little worried of his mental state.

'Shuu-...' With a mutter of her sound silence, he continues his chanting before the wall glowed in a holy light of white. As blinding as it looks, it slowly revealed itself as a doorway towards another dimension of sorts. Calling out to Mary, he asks for her hand as he enters it halfway. 'Come on, hurry up.' This was the third time, he called out to her. A little eager to find proper shelter.

Accepting his hand, she was pulled into a garden of wondrous eden. Greenery everywhere, flora of multitudes of hues and small insects, commonly known as bees or flies. 'They are not extinct?' She asks herself as she was dragged slowly pace by pace.

'Pretty isn't it?' William asks Mary as he lets go of her, nearing a home, embroidered in lilies and daisies. Dressed around it were lovely roselles that perversedly looks through the window panes that were between a simple wooden door. Knocked with nails, were a sign written in a cursive signature. From afar it was just garbles of blinding affairs. but nearing it, it displayed the name.

'Leutenegger.'

'Is this who I think it is?' Mary asks as she nears the door, looking at the sign. NZ nodding back, he excuses her aside before knocking the door slowly. 'Stal? Are you there, Frau Stal?' He normally called out.

With a sound of struts and a nearing timely footsteps, the door unlatched itself of its lock as it swung open softly. An elderly maiden with slowly whitening hair. With a soft exhale, she raises her head to greet the visitors at her door.

'You have come after so long, Will. Come on in.' She gladly invited them as they invited themselves in. Removing their cloak and coat with the help from the lady herself, she hung it over an old wooden coat rack. 'And who is this, pretty Fraulein? Your daughter?'

'Me?' She blushes a little as she crosses her hands a huge 'X'. 'No no, My name is Mary. I am from an allied tribe as NZ's .....apprentice.'

'Apprentice? That's interesting.' She glances at NZ. 'Nice to meet you Mary. Come take a seat, treat yourself at home. I am sure it was a long and terrible journey.' As she guided them to the living room, the two individuals were greeted with an aromatic smell of lavender. 'I have made some tea, warten Sie, ich werde ein paar Teetassen für Sie nehmen.' She replied with a mix of English and an unknown language.

With a confused look, Mary looks at NZ. 'What did she say? I haven't heard that language before.' A little embarrassed for her lack of knowledge of out-land languages.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

'She said to wait, she will bring some tea cups for us. Its German, a language from Germany. Well, before it got wiped out.' NZ replied as he takes out a chocolate biscuit that he pulls out from a jar. 'Want one?'

'No thanks. But, wipe out? Did something bad happen?' She asks.

Heading back to the two individuals, carrying a tray of cups and a slice of cake on a golden laced plate, she lays it in-front of them with a silver plated fork. 'Yes, a bad thing happened. Long long time ago. Here have some cake along side with your tea.'

Shuffling herself in her robes, she sat down on the couch opposite of the two, as she lights up a pipe, smoking it bit by bit. The sunlight from outside rays itself into the house, keeping it warm and cozy. 'She kinda looks like USP, Will. Is it her daughter?'

William nods at the elderly woman as he sips his tea that was being magically poured in by a floating teapot. 'Yeah, she is her daughter. The only one though.'

'Ahh, I see. No wonder her face looked so familiar. So, tell me Will? Have you come all the way here to complete the decision you made ages ago?' The lady asks as she loosens her robes a little as she exposed her cleavages, crossing her legs for a little more space.

'Still thinking about it, but yeah. It's also because of that. Actually I came here to ask for some help of my own too, Stal.' William scratches the back of his neck with a slight chuckle.

'Tell me, what is it Will? I have all the time in the world since I am here most of the time.' With a puff of smoke, it formed a circle as it flew towards NZ's face, itching his throat and making him cough a little.

Cough cough~

'I want you to help activate Mary's Guardian Crystal. She doesn't realize that the thing she holds is a powerful tool for the better future. Other than that, I would like to have access to your teleporter.' William explains as he looks at "Stal" and then towards Mary who was confused and holding onto her necklace with the contained crystal.

'That's it? To use the teleporter... For a second, I thought you wanted me to follow you to do some long journey for some mission. Sure, you are allowed too.' She replied.

'Really?' He looks towards "Stal" with a smile.

"Stal' about to reply was interrupted by a sudden shout.

'Wait wait wait, hold on! NZ, you are telling me this crystal is actually something?!' Mary answers with a flabbergasted reaction.

'Yes.' Both William and Shanina replied.

'I never told you about it because I originally just wanted to give it away to forget about the past. But upon finding up an old document, I found in a file. I found out that this crystal was more powerful than you think. It's a tool to help us all, including the whole world to bring back our normal lives. The life before this desert of loneliness.'

'You got to be kidding me. All this time I held a fucking key to solve the world's solution? What am I a hero? This isn't a fairy-tale Mr.NZ, so you better not be joking.' Mary shakes her head in a confused tone.

'He is telling the truth. Maybe the reason why he gave it away in the first place, was because he is slowly losing his aura vision and me, who is still strong with it especially with this whole pocket dimension, it only proves further for my help.' "Stal" replies as she looks at the crystal from afar, noticing a glimmering aura of absolute void and purple. Even darker than the aura then the one NZ resonates from his right arm.

'NZ is loosing his Aura vision? Is it because of his lack of communication with his guardians?' Mary asked.

"Stals" nods as she crosses her arms. 'An incident happened, that caused them to separate slowly in contact. It would be hard to explain as I will have to start all the way to the beginning.'

'It's ok, Stal. She would know slowly over time. Anyway, would you help her? Time is of the essence after all, as you always say.' NZ interrupts and asks "Stal".

'Sure, I will accept it. As I said. But in one condition.' She got up from her couch as she nears NZ with a puff of smoke in her lungs.

Exhaling it out before her reply, NZ's eyes burned with the smoke. "Ahh, What the fuck.' The smoke itched his eyes, a small punishment for leaving "Stal" alone all this years.

'What the 'Shanina' of ages ago made plans with you with the mission, will you promise to complete it, Will?' She asks as she snickered, her eyes slowly glowed green as her smile got slowly bigger and creepier. Her actions a little seductive.

Looking straight into her eyes with seriousness, he nods back. 'I will, as per we contracted.'

Grabbing Shanina's free hands, he gave a smile and a confident shake.

Seeing his smile after so long, she presses herself onto his face as she flicks a wooden doll of the cabinet behind the couch NZ and Mary sat on.

Covering her face in childish embarrassment, she sneaked a peek with a small slit of her fingers. Noticing nothing odd was happening, she uncovers herself and sighs. ('And I thought, they were going to kiss.') She thought to herself in absolute defeat.

As the doll dropped, the house suddenly made some small rumbles, a shake here and there like an earthquake.

'Don't worry, it's part of the procedure.' Shanina tells Mary with a smile, as she cheekily kisses the cheek of NZ before snapping her fingers. With that, she was wrapped in a set of a suit. Similar to an old and familiar uniform from the days of Continuum but a little altered, consisting of reddish stripes and a shoulder plate with medals.

'Los gehts...' She calls as she directs her gracious arm gesture towards the set of stairs that suddenly appeared on the ground from thin air. As she starts taking steps, the lights of the stairs started glowing slowly one by one.

NZ ensuring Mary that it will be safe, Mary squeezed herself to NZ's left arm as she clumsily gets guided down on the stairs. After a few seconds of trampling about, they were greeted with a door. What blocked it were a metallic gate and a device on its right which beamed red lasers and a hand scanner.

Scanning an ID card that Shanina pulled out from her breast pocket, she asks NZ to scan his eye. Widening his eyes, he scans a pupil by looking into the annoying red laser. Confirming the identities, the gate dispersed some steam as it pushes itself back into small wholes where it was pumped from.

With a twist of a knob, the door was opened which greeted the three with advanced machinery and various contraptions. Other than that, there were a few guardian crystals which were floating around and magically carrying around materials and resources transporting them from place to place.

'What is this place?' Mary asked the two in a very excited tone, curiously inspecting the strange gadgets that lay on tables here and there.

'Definitely not Tomorrowland, that's for sure.' He smirks as he follows Shanina to a familiar looking device. 'Mary, come!' He called out to her as she was curiously rubbing a floating crystal that was curious with her. Though not responding to anything, the guardian inside it felt a little ticklish for sure.

'Coming!' She responded as she keeps up to the two. Waving goodbye to the crystal she was interacting with. Being greeted by the familiar machine, she looks at it with a sudden change of face. 'This is....no, it can't be.'

'It is...what you think it is.' Shanina looks at Mary with a smile, willing to know her guess. 'Come on, tell it.'

'The...Test machine?' She replied. 'Right?'

NZ nods in responds to her guess, she was correct. It is what it is. The Test Machine. Once used a way to communicate with the guardians residing in the crystal. Now, it is just a varied machine used for many other reasons.

'Exactly what it is and still in good shape. Though, it had some alterations over the decades.' Pointing towards the strange circle that was behind it with some spikes sticking out of it, all the while being connected with multiple pipes and wire lines.

'It now works as a doorway for those who want to enter the crystals forcefully to visit the guardian residing in it. Safety measures assured, you will be protected from getting injured if the residence well, ever get aggressive.' William added on.

'How?' Mary asked, a little surprised by the part of aggressive being possible.'

A little magic...and science.' Shanina explained. 'Just a term to explain the confusing elements used that mixed both guardian and human technology into one.'

'I see, I see.' She nods herself with reassurance. 'So what now? What am I suppose to do?'

'Well. we're using the teleporter yes? Well, you.' Shanina points to Mary's necklace of a crystal before pointing to the machine. 'You will enter the crystal, contact your guardian whether passively or aggressively and activate her. NZ here will do the same for his own crystals und

Ich werde aufpassen, falls etwas furchtbar schief geht.'

'She means, she will keep watch in case anything goes terribly wrong. She would force us out whether a failure or a success.' William covered up the translation for Shanina as she nods at his reply.

'I see.' Mary nods as she slowly removes her necklace. 'So how are we going to do it again?'

'Simple, take the crystal and put it on the small container here, then close it with the slide lid. Other than that, Shanina will take care of it.'

'Are you sure, it will work?' Mary asks in a worried fashion.

'It will, it always will.' William answered as he signs softly.

In a strange and odd premonition of holding on the crystal, she felt she could trust the two adults one way or another. Nodding to herself, she walks towards the machine as she places the crystal into the container that was laid on the middle of the machine.

With a flick and press of a few buttons, the crystal started to glow as it floats slightly. Upon reaching an amount of magic, the circular device in-front of the machine started to moving about with a mechanical clunk.

The spikes from the circle emanated some electrical sparks before fluidly wavelengthing itself to a more balanced pulse, it form a warp-hole of sorts.

Nodding to Shanina, William looks at Mary and pats her head gently. 'Good luck and hope for the best, curious gal. Prove me you can save the world with this one and only chance.'

Mary accept his pat as she looks back at him. 'I may just a very dumb kid, I may not be a hero nor a professional in anything, not even a measly job but in the name of my tribe. I, Mary Welter, will proof my master, NZ, no, William Endicrite, that I can save the world even if it may leave out an underestimated outcome!'

Stepping onto a platform, she turns around to the two with a wave and a confident salute before falling herself backwards into the machine. 'Seeyah later alligator'.'

As she entered the warp-hole and dissipated to none, The machine closes the pulse before it resets to zero. Looking at a screen, Shanina looks towards the data given by the machine as she thumbs up to Will.

NZ nodding, he pulls out his two crystals on each of both of his arms and places it into the container too. 'Well, here goes nothing.' He muttered under his breathe.

Shanina walking towards NZ, she kisses him on the lips before activating the machine. Being distracted from the kiss, he was then pushed down into the warp-hole.

'Pass auf...meine lange verlorene Liebe auf.'