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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:55 pm 
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Destiny swiftly leads Chandi, Asch and Harmony through the hallways and into a sealed off room. Inside is a glass observation area where some random Etherial Scientists stand guard, monitoring the Collapsed Core on the other side of the glass. Destiny nods at them, "You are all dismissed. We are going to dive into the bomb and the Elders are going to arrive soon to watch us." The scientists all bow and leave.

Destiny turns to the three women with her, "This is not going to be easy by any means... but know this. As long as you are with me, you will be relativity safe. If there are traps, I have enough control to cause a Time-Slip - literally pushing you backwards in time by five seconds to save your life. Stick near me, so I can react." She leads the team into the glass room - a large black core hovers above the ground, now the size of a basketball... just being near it is enough to make even the most Stalwart Goddess shiver.

"Normally the inside of a collapsed core is plain, peaceful, and filled with sleeping Mortal souls. I doubt we are going to find that within." She approaches the core, "Before we enter however... I know I've given you little reason to trust me; but we're in this together. Ask of me what you will, I will not be insulted. I understand that all seven of us Elders are suspect in this."

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:00 pm 
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Harmony gives Destiny a short nod. "I'm glad someone thought of that possibility. Then, if I may ask, as I'm fairly sure Asch and Chandi wish to know as well... why are you immune to the bomb's tethers? And how do you know Athena?"

As she waits for an answer, she looks into the Core of Utopia... and listens. And hears... nothing.

"...and you're right, there is something wrong. I don't sense... anything from the Core. I hear... nothing."

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:11 pm 
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Chandi merely nods at Harmony's line of questioning as she gazes at the collapsed core. She takes a deep breath and readies herself, then opens her third eye to see what she can see within the potential bomb.

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:22 pm 
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Asch enters her thinking stance, and, now openly as opposed to confidentially as she had been on the way to the Elder's Councilroom, activates her Mystery Rune, a blue aura emanating around her.

<Level 2 Mystery Rune - Investigation Mode; Record all testimony as though it were under interrogation, gather evidence as it is looked upon>

"Proceed with your line of questioning, Harmony." She then tries to expand her aura once again, focusing her eyes on anything that seems off or suspicious and trying to catch conversations.

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:32 pm 
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Chandi stands before the bomb and opens her third eye... and what she finds is... nothing. Literally nothing. Looking at the collapsed core with her third eye is like looking into a hole in space. It almost feels like it's going to pull her in before she reflexively shuts her third eye.

Asch turns on her Investigation Rune full blast as Harmony begins to question Destiny. "I am immune to the Tethers due to my powers over time... I've developed a reflex when something is cast upon me unexpectedly - though I did allow Asch's rune to make contact. I slip out of time for a few seconds; the Tether lost it's lock and it hasn't tried again since - at least so far as I have noticed."

Asch doesn't detect anything false in her statements.

"As for Athena... well I am her replacement on the Elder Counsel. I started on the Counsel about the same time you were taking your final exams... so it's been a hell of a week for me too. I was friends with Athena for a while beforehand however; we've both been students of Magus, though I was in a more recent year than she."

She then raises her arm and her Shift appears, a shining blue scythe on a long pole with intricate lace-like designs on the blade. "Forgive me but... I have reason to suspect all of you as well. Information on the Black Crystal is uncommon... and while Athena trusts you all, I do not know you." She concentrates and the lacework on her scythe begins to glow brightly and hum, "I am now synced to your past. If you speak falsely, I will know. Did you, or any of your team, collaborate with the person responsible for the Black Crystal on Utopia? And do you know who or what that person is?"

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:08 pm 
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Chandi shudders at the feeling of emptiness emitted by the core. "Should a core feel like nothing at all? I do not think it should be this empty." She turns her attention back towards the small, group, eyes landing on Lady Destiny's scythe. "To clarify, you mean collaborate of our own free will, and can we describe the person, correct? If so, the answer to the second question is yes and no."

Destiny glances towards the core, "I can feel it's quite different than normal... so no, it should not feel like that. And yes, I mean did you aid that person on purpose? And what do you mean yes AND no? We really dont have time to waste here on puzzle-speak."

Chandi continues, "We did not aid on purpose, though we were struck by the blight in a way akin to what Athena described. Harmony suffered the worst of it, though resisted enough to cut off control. As to the and, we know who it is. We cannot describe him or say his name however, much as we've tried. Alexis even let loose a snippet of his voice during the meeting, but it went unnoticed by the lot of you."

"You mean that gigantic loud 'I...' he shouted?"

Asch actually snickers. "Well, that's unexpected."

Harmony, meanwhile, is tapping her feet... before she finally sighs and says, "In the interest of saving time, should I simply just show her?"

Chandi's muscles tense, and her eyes widen. "You heard that? No other god has been able. Not even Athena. Only the ones who saw him have been able to hear or see him." Chandi nods at Harmony's statement.

"That'd be the easiest way to see if she was immune to the effects." Harmony shrugs.

Destiny blinks, "What are you all going on about?"

Asch gives a slightly dramatic sigh. "Go ahead and show her. Just don't say the name. Apparently that's illegal."

"Here. Allow me to make this much simpler." MUSE comes forth, popping out of Harmony's body.

"This is the God who is responsible for what happened at Utopia. He is more than likely at Asgard right now."

She shows Destiny the image of Tiranade.

"You should have met him, at some point. As close as you were to Athena. He should, in fact, look quite familiar to you."

"Hmmm..." Destiny looks the image over, "He's totally covered in a cloak. How am I to recognize him? You are saying that other people you've shown this image cannot see him?"

As Destiny says so, the conversation between Harmony and Tiranade at the Utopia barrier begins to play out. "Can you make out any details in the form? The eyes? Any facial features? The voice?"

"...that scar." She sticks her face as close to the image as she can, "...is that supposed to be Tiranade?"

"In the flesh." Asch replies.

"So he's real..."

Chandi nods. "As are the other two."

Harmony's eyes narrow. "Indeed he is. Apparently you have sidestepped more than the effects of just the Core's tethers."

Destiny looks at the group in a new way, "...the other Elders told me Athena was losing her mind. That she created those three first students to cope with an accident that scarred her like that. They said she invented them and firmly belived in them so much that to correct her could possibly unravel her... and you are saying you've met those three?"

Asch holds up two fingers. "Two."

"Two?"

"It is impossible to meet the third."

Chandi asks, "She's told you the story, correct?"

"Ah... the one called Eevee. Unraveled yes?"

"According to Athena and the one who referred to himself as 'Makosan', yes." Asch replies. "I'm not convinced, to be honest."

"...you've met Makosan too? You've seen them both?" Her eyes are burning for information, "Are you sure they aren't illusions? Disguises?"

Harmony shakes her head."You didn't see his memories, Asch. He was who he said he was. You can't fake that."

She holds up her left hand - specifically the back of it.

"Destiny... would an illusion give me a Soul Scar? Allow me to SEE his memories?"

Asch turns to look at the core. "Can't fake it, huh..."

"...by the Gods and Goddesses..." Destiny holds Harmony's hand and traces her fingers over the scar, "...they are real..." She looks at Asch, "Memories can be faked... but Soul Scars... that's another matter entirely. What we have here are either two extremly powerful fakers that are trying to fool and trap Athena... or her stories are real."

Harmony gives Destiny a grim smile. "That was part of the reason why I asked him to Scar me, as foolish as it may seem. And I synced into his Shift as he did it. I saw..." She shakes her head. "Well. Suffice to say I have seen enough to believe that the being I spoke to was, in fact, Makosan, Athena's former student."

The Goddess in the blue robes begins to pace, "If what you say is true... then there is some very POWERFUL Memory Rune magic going on here... because the entire counsel is convinced that they are fake. There are no records of them in the school, no trace of them. And yet you met them... took a Soul Scar by one..." she continues to pace, "Now we have a large bomb threatening the school and Athena trapped by Tiranade and a large black crystal. This is all too convinient..."

"Tell me. Is there any way to visually see the tethers from this core?" Asch asks questioningly.

Even as Asch asks, Harmony comments, "There is one more thing that is bothering me about this. According to what I saw on Utopia, and what Makosan himself testified... Tiranade doesn't attack souls. No matter what else he's ever done, he's never deliberately targeted and damaged Weave. The Black Crystal back at Utopia was specifically programmed against it."

"Yes. Just focus on your Souls, reveal them. Viata did so and I saw the Teather attached to her." Destiny then considers what Harmony claims, "...so he's either changed his method... or are you really suggesting that this bomb is a bluff?"

"Or there is a third party who triggered it." Asch replies grimly.

Destiny frowns. "I don't like that option at all..."

Harmony frowns as well. "Neither do I. Especially since it... implies a traitor - a powerful traitor - in the Arbiter organization itself."

Destiny sighs, "Oh the tangled webs we weave..."

"Indeed." Harmony sighs with her.

Asch continues, "And those tangled webs are the ones I wish to see. I do not have the time to check every arbiter in the headquarters one by one." Raising her hand and focusing the mystery aura, she says, "It might be easier to put a tracer on the source and see where it leads."

Hesitantly, Harmony also adds, "There is one more thing... When I was on Utopia, I myself was Blighted. Under the Black Crystals influence. Through the aid of my teammates, I was able to fight off the Crystals influence, sever its connection with its guardian. When I came back, Athena checked me over to ensure that the Blight was completely gone, but..." Harmony looks worried.

"Hold on a moment Asch." Destiny turns to Harmony, "But what?"

"What if Tiranade used me as a trojan horse. Hid something in me - a trigger, or a program of some sort..." Harmony rubs her arm unconsciously.

"Hmmm... there's a way I can find that out. But I will not lie. It will be painful, and you'll have to trust me to do it." Destiny pats her scythe, "I can stab you with my Shift - it will read your past. I will personally search you and your Shift for any traces of the Blight -- we may even find out WHY you are all immune. But again... it involves impaling you and I know you have no reason to trust me as of yet."

Asch cuts in. "I would not advise that right at this moment. If need be we can, however, there are other avenues to explore first. Trace - on." With that, she projects the mystery aura in to the core, attempting to illuminate the thethers and map where they go within the school.

As Asch does so, Harmony syncs into her Mystery Rune. There is a soft theme from MUSE as she does so. While Asch does her search, Harmony prepares to actively defend the Rune from outside interference, or any attacks from the soul tether.

The moment Harmony and Asch attempt to scan the Core, the void that Chandi felt comes screaming back into the room... but this time the entire group can feel it. There's no resisting the pull as all 4 Goddess are pulled into the Core... they land hard, alone, in pitch darkness... each of them cut off from the other as something begins to creep up thier legs...

And then they are outside the core again - Destiny's hair has gone jet black and her skin white as pearl, her Shift is shining as the group begins to fall inside again - but this time Destiny reaches out, grabs a hold of Asch, Harmony and moves the polearm of her Scythe around her back for Chandi to grab hold of as they are all sucked inside.

This time they land inside a deep cave, surrounded by purple slimy walls... there is a pulse to it, as if something is running through the veins in the wall. It's like a heartbeat. Destiny stands and dusts herself off, "And that, my dears, is why I am the one Defusing this bomb. Is everyone alright?"

Harmony takes a good, long look around her. "What's that phrase MUSE always said... Oh yes."

"I've got a baaaaad feeling about this."

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:17 pm 
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Asch scratches her head... and promptly brings up her database to see if her rune managed to gather any data at all before they were sucked in. "Apologies. Well, we're here now. Here's hoping something came of that."

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:12 pm 
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Chandi's hand nearly slips off of the scythe's handle, but she manages to hold on long enough to reach the strange room with the others. She brushes herself off, taking a moment to check that Aja is still with her. The little dragon shivers as it crawls out of Chandi's sleeve, a bit frightened, but present and no worse for the wear. "There there, little one." she says softly to the dragon. "Now Aja, I need you to reach into your spirit and remember how you were. Can you do that?" She asks the little dragon. There's a moment of hesitation and the dragon nods, before slithering down Chandi's arm and biting her bracelet. There's a moment of silence, then a flash of ether, as the golden shapes and draconic form twist and blend into a sharp zigzagging shape, that seems only barely able to hold form, but emits a light bright enough to aid the Arbiter's vision, a golden bolt arcing with blue electricity, one end slightly curved like a lion's fang, and the other pointed and tipped like a dragon's tail.

[Bracelet of Aja: Lightning Bolt]

Chandi holds the bolt up into the air, letting the light shine across the room, looking for possible places to move. "Can that ability of yours take us back to before someone does something stupid? I'm prone to those kinds of actions, you see." She says to the Elder.

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 Post Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:45 pm 
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As the group looks around, they appear to be totally sealed inside this odd beating cave. Asch takes a look at her database that reads only two words, "Danger; Trap."

Destiny's hair and skin fade back to their normal blond and pale tones, "So long as I can catch it within five seconds... I know it's limited, but I'm sure you all remember where we originally ended up... I don't like dark creepy places." She looks around, "I don't know about any of you... but I don't see any Souls in here. This isn't right. Be careful and stick together..."

She gently presses a hand to the pulsing wall, "...there's Ether flowing in these veins... which means the souls are in here somewhere. I'm open to ideas..."

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 Post Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:04 am 
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Harmony doesn't respond at first. Instead, she listens intently, even going to far as to put her hand on the flesh-like wall. But she doesn't hear anything. Just the constant, dull, throb of the heartbeat.

"It's quiet in here... I'm cut off from the musica universalis. It's its own little world in here. I fear that the best I will be able to do is sync into your Runes..." Harmony murmurs softly to herself.

"Destiny, Asch, Chandi... can you tell which way the Ether is flowing? Surely it is going somewhere, and I think that will best get us to the... heart of the matter."

Asch gives a grumpycat frown at the results. "Well no s*** it's a trap. Stupid rune."

Perking up at Harmony's suggestion, Asch paints another mystery rune, stares at it saying, "WORK this time," and tries to sense which way the ether is flowing.

Chandi pauses for a moment, then uses her elbow to hit Destiny's arm. "Be ready to go back a moment. This may be one of those stupid things I'm prone too. But if it's not, I maybe be able to see the ether trail."

Once again, Chandi takes a moment to breath deeply, and then lets her third eye open, hoping to spot the Chains of Memory, and the subsequent flow of Ether.

As Chandi and Asch use their respective abilities, Harmony closes her eyes... and attempts to sync the two together, before crescendoing the effect into something greater than the two apart.

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 Post Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:54 pm 
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Destiny flashes a quick smile at Harmony, "Heart of the matter... hehe."

Asch gets a good scan this time, seeing that each of the veins in the wall are leading deeper into the structure. The Ether in the wall feels very strange as well, but she cannot place her finger on it. It almost feels like the same sort of tugging she felt battling Senkoumaru.

Destiny nods and readies herself, hair fading black again as Chandi works. This time, however, Chandi's eye opens with no traps going off - there are no Chains of Memories present within the core, and she can confirm what Asch read about the Ether... something is very very off about it. It seems, for lack of a better term, hollow.

Harmony pitches in, turning the two together and cracks what feels so strange about the Ether... it's not that it's hollow per say - it's that it's clean... really clean. All traces of the blight are gone from it, and there's also no sign of the three Goddesses that are supposed to be in the core as well. The Ether in the veins is made of a super-condensed Mortal Weave; a planet full of souls compressed into a faux-ether beating within the veins of the bomb, leading deeper into the chambers.

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 Post Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:29 pm 
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Harmony listens intently, then nods. "Seems like the veins are sending the Ether that way." She looks off down the cavern. "I suggest following the flow of the Ether, if no one has any objections."

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 Post Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:37 pm 
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Chandi aims her bolt towards the cavern Harmony pointed towards. "I'll see what I can do about lighting the way." She says, muscles tensed, and ready for anything.

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 Post Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:29 am 
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"A moment, Harmony." With that, Asch brings up her database, cross-referencing data from the last few days.

"Do you recall in our encounter with Senkoumaru that 'tugging' that was upon his soul? At the time, I assumed it was because of the shapeshifting rune. However... a recent piece of information about Senkoumaru challenges that assumption. In the Elder's chamber, we learned that Senkoumaru is a half-sentient shell.

"Think for a moment about what that means. A normal shell is... well, I guess it's kind of like an empty book. It is a canvas on which to 'adapt' a part of yourself, pour yourself in to, conveying a new idea with the same concept of 'you.' A sentient shell, on the other hand, is a book that writes and reads itself on its own, requiring no input from an 'author,' what humans of long ago might call 'a divinely inspired document.' However, a half-sentient shell is somewhere in between; it's a book that shifts its form based on the reader, adapting to their input- but it still requires someone to read it to realize itself.

"In other words, a Half Sentient shell can act on its own, but must still be connected to its 'writer' so it can adapt to its 'readers'. This results in a tug on the soul- Senkoumaru's soul was connected to Magus' at the time."

Closing her database, Asch says, "A similar kind of tugging of the soul can be felt here, where we are now."

Adjusting her hat, she says, "This leads me to two hypotheses on the nature of where we are. Either we are in a shell... or a shell was created with which to store the memories that are suspiciously missing." With a smirk, she finishes, "This level of reasoning is possible for a Mystery Breaker such as myself. Well? What do you think, everyone?"

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 Post Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:53 am 
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There's a short pause as Harmony thinks. "Yes, I remember. I had already spoken to Magus about it when I last visited him. He also said that the key to a Sentient Shell is in the Shift. Senkoumaru was an imperfect attempt at a Sentient Shift. He tried to use the Black Lightning of his Shift to create him, but it only went so far. He... puppeteers Senkoumaru through that. It would be limited to line of sight, save for the system he has installed on the planet." Harmony looks around the cavern. "This does, I have to admit, vaguely remind me of when I took over the Shell that Magus gave us. But back then, I could still sense things. Here, everything is locked away... like a prison."

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