Re: Origins Unknown

[Ethereal]

Location: Archer Hangar

The three blackwings returned to the archer to resupply. They were supposed to head home after accomplishing their task but Raven could not continue flying anymore... not in his current state anyway. Jumping down from their cockpits, Gaeus and Muriel immediately headed over to the lone blackwing that botched its hangar landing. Some of the crew were busy fighting the small fires it had caused and the others were clearing debris.

"Master Raven!? Master Raven are you alright?!" Muriel cried out in panic after seeing a nearly smashed cockpit.

With immense force, Gaeus immediately tore off the canopy of Raven's blackwing and inside, they saw the man, covered in blood and barely breathing. "You fool! Why did you cast a forbidden spell?!" Gaeus roared as he pulled Raven out of the cockpit. "Muriel, heal him quick!"

"R-right! I"m on it!" Muriel responded and flopped down beside Raven to begin healing him.

"Master Raven, you know we have to cast a teleportation spell, the manna it consumes alone leaves us next to nothing for combat and yet..." Gaeus said while holding Raven steady.

"I know... I... just... ghhh! I don't... want them to... look down on us..." Raven replied in labored breaths.

"You didn't have to do that! Our mission was to simply know the extent of their capabilities!" Muriel cried out, tears forming on the sides of her eyes.

"A first... level Meteora... that was all... I could manage... if it was... up to... me... I would have... hit them with a... full powered one...."

"Then you would have died right there on the spot! You truly are a fool!" Gaeus roared.

"Hehehe... I did that... for him..." Raven managed to mumble before losing consciousness.

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The cuffs had been released. Emiri immediately felt her power come back to her. The manna surged around her, wind dancing violently as she channeled her manna to intercept the forbidden spell. The blue marking on her face began to glow and turn red, her hands were spread wide open, fingertips flickering with manna. Soon, her eyes began to glow and miniscule sparks escaping from them at random intervals. She turned around and looked at the two who were escorting her to meet with the Elders.

"You might want to step back a little..." she warned.

As expected of Master Raven... I never thought a first level Meteora could be so potent... she thought to herself and began to intercept the spell. She could see the meteors beginning to fall, some of them looked like they were suspended, the Elders doing most likely. But for the others that were left unchecked, a new power obliterated them out of the sky. One by one the meteors got destroyed even before Emiri could neutralize them. But soon she felt the other power wane. That was her cue to intervene.

"Haaaaaahh!" she cried out, raised both hands towards the skies and unleashed the tiny sparks from her fingertips.

Her power shot up to the sky with incredible speed, neutralizing the remaining meteors on impact as well as the ones the Elders were desperately trying to hold back. When the skies cleared, Emiri fell down on one knee, panting heavily in a desperate effort to keep her fatigue hidden.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Who dares to stand before my personal gate?"

The voice rang clear in everyone's heads. However, there was no form of communications line opened between Victor's fleet and the massive ship before them. Victor could only think of one thing. Is this magic?

"Speak up! I have no need for petty toys. I can hear your voices just fine from where I am!"

Victor's crew turned to him, bewildered at the sudden development but mostly by the voice ringing inside their heads. Victor then walked forward, telling his crew to stay silent.

"My name is Victor Wolfe. I believe we have met once on the battlefield long ago." he said out loud.

The voice responded. "Ahh! I remember you. The young wolf! Have you come to hunt me down? Has the wolf finally grown to seek out its prey?"

"No. I did come here looking for you but that is not my concern right now. I wish to cross this wormhole to get to somewhere I need to be as soon as I can."

"Oh? For what reason might I inquire?"

"My brother. Right now, he is facing a great threat from the Empire. I wish to get there in time to help him."

"Were you not a dog of the Empire yourself? Do you take me for a fool?"

"I will not deny that I was once a soldier for the Empire, but not anymore. I have seen the Empire's true face. It's time somebody put a stop to them."

"And you think you are that somebody?"

Victor paused for a moment. He closed his eyes and searched deep within himself for the answer.

"No. It's not me, it's my brother, and that's why I have to make sure he survives."

It took a while before the voice spoke again, but everybody was surprised at what it said when it did. "Very well. I will help you get to Sector P112. Only my Excalibur can stabilize this wormhole. It was created specifically for my use. If you follow my ship, you all should be able to cross safely."

With wide eyes, Victor could not help but ask. "H-how did you know where we're headed?"

"Your heart. I have looked into it and saw the truth. Long have I waited for a man such as yourself. Someone who knows where they stand and is not foolish enough to risk their lives for nothing. I would also like to meet your brother, The Chosen One. I felt that he had passed the trial. I have something for him."

[Ruu]

Sigarda felt Christian's powers flow throughout the atmosphere around Homeworld, and it seemed to her that he easily shattered the meteors that had begun to stream towards the unprotected towns. Yet, when it seemed like the threat would be averted, Christian's manna signature grew weak, and she felt a few meteors continuing on their course of destruction. Without warning, a second surge of power neutralized the remaining threat. The manna felt so familiar...yet she couldn't place its source.

With the threat past, however, she returned to the slow task of trying to unravel the spell that held Luminara in its clutches. Whoever had cast the spell was immensely powerful. How else would they have been able to cast it over a vast amount of space with such intricate detail? And...why would someone do this to Luminara? What threat did she pose to anyone? She was a gentle person, always seeking to heal rather than to harm. She was always searching for ways to improve the lives of others. Who could possibly have something against her? Sigarda shook her head, realizing it was beginning to ache. She needed to stop thinking on it and to focus on the task at hand. The best thing she could do now was to find a way to help the one who had once saved her...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taren and Rita looked up as they felt the surge of the Chosen One's power, and a triumphant expression crossed Taren's face.

"As you can see, the Chosen One is no myth," he said, his voice somewhat smug.

Moments later, however, a look of fear crossed his features as Christian's power waned and a few of the meteors were continuing their unrelenting course. Emiri wasted no time in gathering her energy to zap the meteors to dust. A look of awe could be seen where once incredulity had been.

"That was...amazing," murmured Rita, "Your energy signature is so close to the Chosen One's. Together...you were able to stop a Forbidden Spell."

"We are...in your debt, Emiri. If you are willing, I would take you to the Council to tell them of the great deeds you have done today."

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Kraden, Pierre, and Kordjan could feel the hopelessness of the situation. They had spent their power in their attack on the Empire's invaders, and had little left to combat a Forbidden level spell. When all hope seemed lost, they felt the power of the Chosen One shattering the meteors to their core. But just when they thought the danger was averted, Christian's powers suddenly flagged and some of the meteors still remained. Only a foreign power was able to avert complete disaster. All three of the Council members opened their eyes on the same time.

"Who was that, I wonder?" murmured Pierre.

"I do not know, but the energy signature is clear. This person must be descended from the Ancients," said Kraden, "I have studied them extensively."

"It appears the Chosen One has passed his test and gained the powers of the Mox Ruby. Why did he not have the power to merely countermand the spell?" mused Pierre.

"That would take time, time he did not have. And he had just been through the trial," replied Kordjan, "I could feel that the Oracle's test took quite a toll on him. As it is, I am amazed he was able to do what he did. Think of what his powers will be like once he is rested and once the Mox Sapphire is in his hands."

"Quite right..." mused Kraden.

"Ah, I am receiving communications from Taren and Rita. They are bringing the one who...destroyed the meteors to us," Pierre interrupted.

"Good..." said Kordjan slowly, "I would like to meet this...savior of ours. And I would like to know exactly why she was on the run from the Empire. And why...if they had the power of Forbidden spells, they had so much trouble catching her..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christian stood slowly, taking a few deep breaths, "Why...why couldn't I stop all of the meteors? If it hadn't been for...whoever that was, innocent people would have been killed."

"You were weary from my trial," the Oracle said simply, "And you would have done better to use a countermand rather than blowing the meteors to dust. I did not correct you, because I knew there was another who would intervene. Once you have been rested and once the Mox Sapphire is in your hands, you will be unstoppable. But remember...with your great power, you will be tempted. And even your power is not limitless, no yet. You would do well to pace yourself. And to prepare yourself..."

"If you are...me from another future...Do you know who helped me back there?" asked Christian.

"I have a suspicion, but I won't be able to tell for sure until we come face to face. Come...let us meet this...savior of ours," replied the Oracle, beginning to head back to where the Council members were gathered.