Oh look it’s a story you’ve probably forgotten about! Can’t say I blame you... [The Darkened Halberd flies through the rift opening and is meet by a flash fire f white and teal light. It quickly subsides, revealing to the party a brown barren wasteland. Cliffs are scattered throughout the region, while the ground is all cracked. Within those cracks flows a teal-colored substance.] Ion: Land it there. On that cliff. Cady: Why so far? It’s bot like there are any life forms near us. I: Maybe they haven’t appeared on the scanners. Since interning this rift things haven’t been...stable. Aria: So what part of the rift did Command want us to investigate? The center? I: *points to a glowing rock* I think that’s the center. A: oh yeah? Why’s that? C: Maybe because thats where the teal stuff is flowing from. I: What do you to think would happen if we remove that glowing rock from this rift? C and A at the same time: Explosions! I: Call down you Megumins. A: Well, the rift would collapse to say the least. I: Still not what I want to here. *sighs* Well, I guess we have no other choices. Cady, prepare to open the hull. Ion sets the ship down off the cliff and exists it. He leaves it and brings with him a large canister to bring the rock and teal substance back with him. I: Cady, watch the analyzer and make sure that no hostile show up on it. Ari, prepare to run some... substance tests on the rock and teal stuff. I’ll be back in a few! *Ion stepped out of the ship and leaves.* C: So... when do you think he’ll slip up? A: Well with his boots I’d say it be almost impossible- get wait what does that supposed to mean?! ————————————————————— Ion jumps off the cliff and lands safely in a pit of the teal substance. “Bleh! What is this stuff?” The substance begins to cause him to sink. “Whaaa? Ok, maybe if I—“ Before Ion could finish, the substance pulls him in completely. ————————————————————— Who are you? I’m you, from the other side. Other what now? I write your life story. So you some kind of diety? Wait, why am I accepting this so quickly? Because I made you so. What do you mean you made me! I made you, Cady, Chiron... Aria... Impossible! To the quote “I think, therefor I am.” Have you ever contemplated that thought? ...No... Did it ever cross your mind that your life is so crazy is because I made it that way. Stop for a second, you’re going too fast. Let me play devil’s advocate. Ok. So, let’s say that you did make me, my friends, and my entire life. But, why? ...Bored? That’s not a good excuse. It’s enough of an excuse to get you to calm your self. That a threat. It’s open to interpretation. Meaning? You want the good or the bad reason? Both. *Sigh* I let you keep a generous degree of free will, but I also have the ability to put the good and bad into your life into action. How do you keep me from going against your will? I can’t tell. I can’t or you won’t. Yes. ... ... So this is what the Big Man looks like, huh? Not quite. Meaning? I take form of what you believe. But I believe in a higher power. I am, but I am not are. The heck? My existence is not determined your reality. Your reality is given meaning by my exisitance. I have given you the ability to determine your existence. Stop. You can’t. Stop! Why? Just... please... stop... Why? Please... stop... please... stop... ple- ————————————————————— “Easy there, Roanoke- I mean Rhodes- I mean Randy- I mean- Ion...“ “Ari!” “Woah, chill! That teal goop is a real nightmare. Apparently it’s not from around here, nor this reality.” “What?” “The rift was only able to open once. So, that goop came out. Apparently, it’s a life form. Feasts on causing its victim to question its reality. Once it takes over a planet, it waits there.” “How do you know this?” “It’s quite common around rifts. Only place you can find it is around there. Gotta say, this stuff fetches a high price with questionable scholars and philosophers.” “Is that how it spreads? Greed?” “Silly Ion. The goop just waits there. I still wonder, what must it think while it’s there. With its ability to manipulate the host, I wonder if it’ll has tried to answer its own questions, put itself in their shoes... that sort of thing.” “...Frayed ends of sanity?” “Always with the music quotes with you.” “Always.” “You dork.” —————————————————————