Ana frowned as Saleme mentioned the last time he'd attacked her- he'd never really changed, and that was so long ago. It made her heart ache for a moment, as she thought of the state of the planets. She heard Sukob make a comment about her appearance, and smiled. She knew she didn't look like much. She smiled as Saleme started to explain more about her, but she held her hand up.
"That's not important right now. What's important is..."
The banging and shrieking at the door distracted her. She glanced at Salame, as the black veins travelled down his arm.
"They've found us. Okay, it's time to relocate. I hope none of you were attached to...this bunker." She smiled, before holding her hands together, activating the portapetal hardwired into her body.
"What is tha-" Eideara begun, before they all found themselves in a forest clearing. It was late afternoon, and eerily quiet- no birdsong, no nothing.
"So." Ana begun. "Now that we have a quiet moment, I can explain. The worlds are being infected with world eater blood, harried onwards by Rosalyn and Camomile; two of the remaining Gardeners. Gardeners are people who ascend to the rank of diety, and achieve insane powers- myself and Saleme were once capable of wonderful things, but the infection has stripped us of all our powers, and our forces are split across the planets. Currently, we're on Lavender."
As she said this, a tree behind her fell to the floor with a crash, its trunk filled with black sludge. She didn't flinch.
"Lavender was a world of magic and natural phenomena- and it's being rotted from the inside out. Similar issues exist across the planets..with Thistle, the wild planet...bearing the worst of it."
At this, she looked down, crestfallen. "It's currently ran by two emissaries, named simply "The Twins". The planet currently isn't safe enough to land on with the forces we have now, so I can't confirm who the Twins are, but..." She glanced at Saleme. "We have our suspicions. We're sorry, Hera." She whispered this last part.
So, in order to save the planets, we've gathered you and your essences from various Multiverses - although some of you are native to this one - to help us fight. It was a last ditch attempt, but you're all reknowned warriors and great thinkers from your own timelines. Please say that you'll help us- I realise what a huge ask it is. If you accept, our first challenge will be to liberate some familiar faces."
She paused, then looked at Larry, and Eideara, apologetically. "In this timeline, in the current state of Flora, Queen Mira is alive."
= = = = = = = = = =
Mira's water bubbled and hissed as she sat in the direct sunlight in the terraced gardens of the royal palace of New Aquarius. The city was a mere bustle, sounding much further away than it really was. Her water began to heat up, and she closed her eyes. New Aquarius was still in the desert, perched atop a huge oasis, filled with underwater districts that only the Mer and Sha could ideally frequent. It was definitely getting hotter. The World Eater's influence, egged on by the gods of cruelty themselves, clearly planned to smoke them out.
"My Queen!" Huffed a voice she'd grown to loathe.
The Elf King Alfheim shuffled over to her, his smile as smarmy as ever. "My dear, it's too hot a day for you to be in the grounds!" he reached out towards her, and she moved away before he came close. He flinched back, but he was used to this. Their marriage was one of political convenience, and her love had been gone for years- she beleived him to be dead. In those years, her city had gone downhill, overrun with nectar pushers and slavers- Alfheim didn't care what people did, as long it lined the royal coffers.
"Everyday is too hot, Alfheim. Would you rather I sit in the indoor pools all day, listening to nothing but the inane gossip of the elven handmaids?"
Alfheim bristled, but smiled. "Ah, My Queen can spend her day as she wishes, of course. But I do wish that My Queen would address me as Her King." She smiled wider.
Mira looked him dead in the eyes, and smiled back. "But Alfheim, you will never be My King."
As she departed past him, the edge of her water bubble caught his royal cloak, soaking it in hot water. He flinched and frowned, and she smiled wider as she returned to the cool shade of the palace. Two staff members approached Alfheim, and he nodded to them.
"You. Follow the Queen and watch over her. And you- send a message back to The Twins alerting them that we, New Aquarius, Authority of Lavender, stand by them and want to join their forces." He smiled smugly.
"Did...did the Queen also approve this?" The servant asked, as the other hurried after Mira, to watch her from the shadows.
King Alfheim looked away. "It's in her best interest."
= = = = = = = = = = =
"So, we're just never having customers again, right?" One of the ghosts aboard the Cratevan Satellite grumbled.
"We will. But first...there's something we need to do." Reasoned Andro55, Satellite Commander. "Everyone!" She shouted.
The assorted robots and spatial spirits located around the casino halls looked up at her notice. She continued.
"We've all noticed that the living beings in the planets below are fighting some form of infection. As none of us are organic, it has yet to affect us, and likely never will. We could watch, and wait, and see that they all die out....but what will that accomplish?"
She paused a moment, and a few suggestions rang out, to raucous laughter.
"Peace from the mouthbreathers!"
"Maybe a prettier ghost lady- no offence girls but it's slim pickings up here!"
She smiled, and continued.
"Without the...mouthbreathers, we will live in a dead solar system. No money means no maitenance, no maitenance means we'll just become a floating mausoleum- the last tomb to fall. Wheras, if we help the humans fight the infection...well. Imagine the rewards. Imagine the life we'd lead!"
This got some excited muttering.
"Also...allow me to get deep for a moment. This will give us true purpose. The mouthbreathers below have scrapped us, disregarded us, and we got them back for it by robbing them blind. But imagine if we save all of them- not for their benefit, but ours- not because we want them to know they're wrong, but because we know we're right. This will be our first step towards becoming our own sovereign people- spirits and robots, side by side, creating a life AFTER life had told us we were done."
The room grew silent.
"So...who is with me?"
The room was soon roaring with approval.
= = = = = = = =
The menacing sound of talons on tile signified to the troops that The Twins were approaching. They straightened up, the black veins in their arms pulsing.
The Twins walked in unison, until one held up a wing, and they both stopped.
"Sister....what is that?" The twin spoke, his voice hoarse.
She looked over, and saw it, on a cliffside in the horizon. The majority of the originally lush Thistle savanna landscape was now covered in thick, black protusions and vines- the planet was being choked. The black tiled palisades the Twins were currently walking on seemed to be build from the same material- the World Eater's cradle for his only children.
The cliffside, however, remained untouched. No black vines there. The site was simple- there was an old fashioned hut, adorned with dried out, dead flowers, and huge feathers, while fresh flowers grew all around it, seemingly in spite of the desolate, black landscape all around them. At the door of the hut, lay a few objects- a spear, thrust into the ground; a pirate scimitar, and two crossed guns, placed deliberately and delicately in front of the hut.
"It is...an eyesore, brother. Why hasn't the great cleansing been able to touch it?" The sister spoke, practically spitting her disgust.
"In time, sister, I'm sure that site can be abolished."
They walked together in unison, not realising or knowing that they'd just been staring at their mother's final resting place.
