Post by Nathan Saniti on Apr 24, 2016 8:13:41 GMT -5
The Seeds of Life - Prelude
Nathan sat on a hilltop, which was next to a hill bottom, studied the black apple core he'd pocketed at the last Trauma in one hand, and the pinprick holes in his hat he held with the other. The holes in his hat weren't much of a concern to him other than this being the second time someone had dared lay their hands on his chapeau in recent weeks. It was the same, odd woman, who appeared that she didn't belong in the PCW reality at all, nor any he's seen before. Without his ability to enter Witzend, he may never be certain.
He raised his sights from the items, pondering the bipolar landscape of Balance, his only idea for a name for the world he and Kelli created through their rapturous love-making. This was a beautiful, bright, dark, and mysterious world he'd yet to really explore, yet his doppelganger N. Saniti, who resided happily in the more off-putting portion, seemed perfectly at home. Despite the circumstances of its creation, and some of the oddball creature inhabiting it, it still didn't quite feel like home to him unless Kelli was around.
She had her own situation to tend to. It was important for her to make peace with her problems before they got back together. Psychadelica was far from finished, and their love still burned as bright as ever, but his heartstrings strummed sour notes when she wasn't next to him. He ached for her, body and soul, and feared for her should this new messenger prove to be dangerous.
It had become obvious that Nathan was the target of these threats. The happenstances with his hat aside, the verbal threat sent to him to be aired on the fan podcast called The Pulse, made it abundantly clear: This... person, this offshoot of a Snow White, was either one of the ones wishing him ill, or perhaps she was merely the harbinger. Either way, she would likely have the answers he sought. He simply wasn't sure if he wanted to kick that hornet's nest. "It said I knew him," he muttered.
"May I sit?" The voice gave Nathan's heart a jump as he twisted his neck to find the source. Fate stood next to him, a smile mixed with emotion on his face. Nathan read his friend and mentor's face like a book, unsure of whether to smile at his presence or be concerned.
"Please do." Nathan motioned for him to gather a piece of real estate next to him. They both sat quietly as they overlooked the half clear, half cloudy sky above them. Nathan sighed heavily before breaking the silence. "As much as I'd love to visit with you, I know that you come here for more than a social call."
"What gave it away?"
"Plot contrivance, mostly," Nathan joked, "It also seems to be your modus operandi."
"Ah," was Fate's simple and unsurprised response.
Fate paused for a few seconds, either for dramatic effect, or while he searched for the words he needed. Had this been Witzend, they may have come to him of their own accord. The very thought gave Nathan's heart a homesick pang. Balance didn't operate that way. Fate had to allow his mind time to formulate what he was about to say.
"The Universe is in peril, Nathan."
"Perhaps that is why I'm with Kelli," Nathan thought, bemusedly. "Fate never sugar coats a thing."
"In a way, it's my fault." Fate's face grew sour. "I took away your world and your power. In the true nature of a Council member, you sought to regain a modicum of power on your own."
"Six of the seven Seeds of Death have been planted and are flourishing. At first, we thought we could contain it to your beloved PCW world." Fate stood up, obviously anxious over the conversation, so Nathan stood to ease his nerves. "Lord Chaos is trying desperately to find a replacement for his throne as the Nightmare King so that he may return to the title of Death and complete the Four Horsemen. If that happens..."
"...The end is nigh," completed Nathan solemnly, nodding his head in understanding.
"The Seeds of Death are scattered within the Realms, and we aren't sure just where." Fate breathed in heavily. "You are the one of the only people who have the capability to wander throughout the Realms without upsetting the balance."
"Currently," Nathan corrected, somewhat crossly, "I don't have that capability."
"That's what I came here for." Fate shot Nathan a look that a disciplining father must give his child before administering a cruel punishment. "I came here to correct that mistake."
Fate laid his hands on Nathan, blue electricity shooting from the spike-haired sage to his equally wild-haired pupil, both men convulsing from the power surge. The curious animals that had gathered about them, now fled in terror as the spell worked its way through Nathan's core. At the flattest part of the hilltop, a door materialized, the placard above the peephole indicating that it was the portal to Witzend. As the transfer completed, both men slowly resumed a seated position from the immense and draining effort.
Fate panted and heaved as Nathan stood on all fours, his body trying to decide if it needed to empty what little contents the stomach might have had. Nathan spat out the bitter copper aftertaste of the spell, an act he wouldn't dream of doing within eyeshot of Kelli for fear of a judgment that would never truly come.
"You must find the Seeds of Death before their influence is uncontrollable," ordered Fate.
"How do I fight them?" managed Nathan between heaves of breath and gut.
"You have to use the Seeds of Life, their polar and more powerful opposites." Fate continued to catch his own breath as he explained. "The Seeds of Death come from Man, who believes himself the center of the Universe, but the Seeds of Life come from Yggdrasil, as the Norse and Germanic tribes called it. It is the one true center of the Universe. That's why its seeds overpower all. They can even outdo Council members if need be."
"I take it you haven't a clue where to start on either end?"
Fate chuckled, finally regaining a bit of composure. "Wouldn't be much of an adventure if I did, now would it?" He paused in reflection briefly. "Your best bet would be to return to Witzend and see what's amiss." His bemused look turned solemn before he looked directly at his protégé. "Nathan, I can't stress enough about how time is of the essence here."
"Kelli may be able to travel with you through the realms once she's finished with her affairs. Splitting up could be an option as well to form teams." Fate punctuated his speech. "Naomi and Rasputin could be invaluable, but take care who else you recruit. You know as well as I do that the balance must be kept, otherwise the Tree of Life could wither and die."
"No more than three people per team, should we go that route," agreed Nathan, his own stability returning. "I have other matters as well."
"You mean the harbinger with the black apple?"
"Indeed." Nathan returned to a seated position next to his mentor. "I also have the Icemann Invitational Tournament."
"They are all interconnected," Fate remarked. "They always are."
"I'm facing the man known as Non Compos Mentis," Nathan continued. "I can't be certain, but I believe that Mr. Rhodes may very well have been able to see the happenings surrounding Miss Black and I when we fought. Not just the physical portion either."
"He may be a recruit of the Order." Fate nodded at the thoughts in his mind. "Take caution, Nathan. He's skilled enough to beat Grimm, a man you have had an equal amount of success and failure at besting."
"I'm not taking the former Hobo King lightly," Nathan reassured. "Order or not, that man is dangerous when he so wishes. It will be a true test of my abilities."
"Will you enter the Last Chance Battle Royal if you lose?"
"No. If my going forth is not ordained, then I shall set my concentration upon the eerie messenger haunting me of late."
"Take caution not to burn yourself out, my friend," instructed Fate. "You are far too important to far too many."
"As much as I appreciate the kind words..." Nathan trailed off as he looked, noticing that his friend had exited just as suddenly as he entered. "Not much for goodbyes. Never has been."
Nathan stood, opting to not waste another moment. He strolled over to the portal of his cherished home world, swinging the door wide. What met his eyes was in ghastly disarray, even for Witzend. A shadow of despair hovered over him briefly, but Nathan shooed it away as he steeled himself to enter.
The pathway that lay before him was even more topsy-turvy than he recalled, spiraling like a loop-de-loop, the checkerboard floor curling towards a vast, expansive hallway. The illusion, or something in the air, gave him a long forgotten sense of euphoria, a feeling he never experienced from Witzend itself.
He wondered, almost aloud, if he had gone through the correct portal. He retreated back through the doorway, closing it with a slam before reopening it. When it became ajar this time, it was his beloved Impossible Staircase. Across from him was another doorway, the door equal parts whimsical and horrific. The nameplate on the door proclaimed the land beyond it to be "Absinthe."
