001st Promotion ♛ The eternal search

[promotedpawn]

[You're drowning. You must be drowning because you're surrounded by water, falling deeper into this vast sea, or are you going up? Whether you look up or down the sight is the same, darkness spreading while wrapped lovingly in the water's embrace. Is this how are you going to end? Drowning in an unknown sea, for an unknown reason? But that's

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[waterfell]

[It reminds her of the galaxy cauldron. It reminds her of the princess' dream. No sea holds any terror for her, and she finds herself looking at the lights (sailor crystals...?) as though she could identify the stars she knows among them.

They're different. She turns her head to see more of them, and again to see still more. She has a feeling of being surrounded that's worse than the possibility of drowning now that she's thought of them as senshi.

The man who speaks is the first person she's seen in this dream, and her head turns towards him sharply.]

What's going on here? [Her voice comes out demanding.]

[promotedpawn]

[The world displays itself on the sides of the fragment, unraveling its tragedies, its miracles and all its secrets to him. But it's no good either, a world like this won't be able to serve as a gameboard against those two witches, neither it holds anyone on his agenda to worry about. The fragment is tossed to the side, floating away untouched by the magic of the wizard, untainted by his world.

He reaches for another one as he hears the voice. It makes him pause, not because of how ridiculous the question is, why would anyone who doesn't know what this place is be here? But because of the voice itself. He shifts lightly, golden eyes flashing as he looks at the woman, an arm still stretched to reach for another fragment.]

That's a good question... How did you find your way here without any help, Mercury-san?

[waterfell]

[It's a crystallization of what she's done, of the poison she's brought into so many worlds, this search for one to use. In the dream, she only vaguely understands it as such.

He knows her name. That gives her pause; it's a name that's become a byword for betrayal and darkness in many worlds, but one like this?]

The borders between worlds aren't as strong as most people believe. That's all.

[promotedpawn]

They never were. Still it's strange... To think I would see you in the middle of the sea of worlds rather than on one untied to any other world.

[He pauses, turning to face her a smile on his lips. It's a sarcastic, angry and hurt smile, all at the same time.]

But of course, I doubt you even know what I'm talking about, do you? It would be too much to ask for.

[That's not really said to her but apparently to this sea itself as he gives the crystals floating a wry look.]

[repudiationist]

[ She's drowning, that's all she knows. She's drowning and that feeling is enough to wipe away all concerns, to make all memories blur - memories of travelling with her loud bodyguard, memories of fighting by her older brother's side, memories of talking to an author of mystery novels and memories of some place beyond that world, where multiple worlds collide. And she doesn't even seem to mind, instead just closing her eyes as she feels like she's sinking deeper, letting go

[promotedpawn]

[The sea of fragments isn't a private place, not even a private club, really. Someone being there isn't a surprise by itself, he barely pays attention as he observes the fragment that has fallen on his hands. He observes it intently, hands holding it by touching the surface, making sure it won't go anywhere, rather than just letting it float above them untouched.

The crystal reflects it all to him and he doesn't miss even a single detail, even a single blink of the blue haired boy reflected on the surface. He observes him talk with his friends, make new friends, form bonds, reach higher and higher on the elevator that's his life... Until it all ends and the boy lays down on the lap of a dear friend, exhausted from fighting, from living, ready to give in to his self-imposed duty.

He frowns feeling disappointed, hurt even. This world wasn't it either, one formed simply because of a few distant different tangents compared to the one he searches. It was so similar. So close. But it wasn't his. He lets it go as another one floats to his

[repudiationist]

[ She could almost swear her heart was skipping beats here, or that it was nearly impossible to breathe, and she knew it wasn't because of just being in this place, surrounded by fragments - yes, she knew what they were, and she realised what this place was too. The only strange thing, the thing that made her so shocked and confused, was that other person here

[promotedpawn]

[The fragment he was holding falls to the depths of the sea, not crashing, eventually just drifting away without being even observed. He has no interest on it now, only on the girl in front of him. He didn't expect that name to ever came from her lips again. Not so easily at least.]

W-what did you call me?

[He can't believe it. How he could. It's almost impossible for her, for her, to be here all of a sudden. To call his name, his old name, his forgotten name, so easily and naturally as if she had been saying it just a minute ago. Specially when her voice stating "who are you?" still rang in his ears even now.]

Do you... Do you remember me? Keiichi?

[auncyenhalig]

It's beautiful... [ Breathed out, cupping her hands gingerly around a crystal with a soft white glow. She doesn't completely understand what she holds, but she senses something in it: life. ]

They're all good. They're wonderful.

[promotedpawn]

[Life is always there, even in the fragments that show nothing but death, because in order to die, in order to kill something, there had to first be life on it. He doesn't mind the presence at all, he doesn't own the sea, he doesn't care if those two witches come to see what he's doing, even though he doubts they will. The words, however, are something he can't ignore. They cause him break into bitter laugher.]

Some of them are, some of them aren't. Most of them will never be.

[auncyenhalig]

[ ffff the slowest ._. ]

[ She turns slowly to look at him, canting her head. ]

...What are they? Possibilities?

[promotedpawn]

Worlds.

[It's the most simple and real answer after all.]

Each unique and different even for the human eye they may seem the same. Some worlds are drastically different from the rest, others are so similar that it's almost like watching the same story from a different perspective. But they are still worlds, plain and simple worlds.