Sunrise to a Sunset

[Moon]

"Yeah, we were all brought here the same way. Probably." Moon replied, as she glanced around toward the other members of this little group they'd found themselves in. Certainly an odd one, that's for sure. But hey, at least she wasn't alone! That was a start. 

Her happiness had faded nearly as soon as it began, however. The man who introduced himself as "Father Anderson" started to approach Vic, blade in hand. Now, she wasn't too versed in this type of thing, but she was fairly sure that equated to a murder weapon in the making. It only took a moment for her to realize that the man was in danger. Her hand instinctively fell to her belt, where only one Poke Ball remained. Wait, what? Eyes widening, the girl lightly patted her side, trying to find her partners. All of them were gone, but one. Only one. She could tell, it was Litten. Maybe it was the slightly charred feel to the ball, or maybe it was the connection they shared, but she could feel it. And it was terrifying.

Maybe she should forget about this. Maybe it was best to leave with her dignity intact. Doubts filled her mind as she assessed the situation. Even through this, she still felt that tug to help. That feeling that had brought her into this adventure in the first place. The will to help people. So with a clenched fist and a locked jaw, she took off running at the "Father", stepping in front of him.

"No," she muttered, glaring at the man. A previously unseen malice was clear in her eye. Moon was not going to let him kill this innocent man. The priest raised an eyebrow.

"But, my chil-" The girl simply cut him off, not bothering to hear the rest of his explanation.

"No! What, do you think we're stupid? You were about to kill him!" She gestured backwards, toward Vic. Well, he wasn't exactly being subtle about it. "And I won't let you." 

Her stance was set. Now to wait for his response. All she could hope for is that he would step down.

[Summer]

So he’s one of those types, huh? The sudden appearance of the invisible man had been worrying enough. Not many people mastered, or even attempted to master invisibility. The ones that did, usually weren’t pleasant individuals. One could say she wasn’t exactly a fan of them. Of course, her dislike paled in comparison to the raw hatred coming off of the priest. Truly, he was a man of god. Convert the nonbelievers, purge the sinners, all that fun stuff.

Chronoire took an unconscious step back, smile falling off her face as she vaguely wondered if she should try and keep her familiar out of sight. Familiars tended to be a telltale sign that witchcraft was being practiced. She spared a quick glance towards Sebas, off to her side. The lumbering croc stood stoically, observing the proceedings with a blank expression. There wasn’t really anywhere she could hide him, though. It wasn’t like he could just duck behind her. Sorry, you’re on your own, Sebas.

Turning back to the duo, the witch tensed up as she noticed a third person now between the two. Moon had, bravely and idiotically, thrown herself into the middle to try and defuse the situation. Right in between a crazed, knife-wielding catholic and his target, a place you really didn’t want to be. She threw a glance towards Usopp, who was watching the events with a look of horror on his face.

“Hey!” Ready to intervene, Chronoire tried to grab his attention with a stage whisper. She’d need backup if she didn’t want a religious fanatic on her ass. The boy, incredibly on edge, jumped at her sudden interjection, quickly turning to face her. “We don’t need anymore casualties,” the redhead began, stepping up to him and rifling through her coat pockets, “So let's help her defuse this.” With a happy, and almost sinister grin, she pulled out a large, wrapped candy, and presented it to Usopp. “And if that doesn’t work, eat this and go wild.”

[Malon]

It was almost ironic that Harlan had come back after Malon had left, their positions reversed just like that. And Malon was not aware in the least of the brewing battle... quite the opposite, she was simply hoping that Anderson had recovered and that those other people were also doing better and getting along. What would she say if she came back to see the situation as it was now?

Well, thanks to the strange forces governing the Omniverse, while a pair of minutes was all that had passed in the vicinity of the fountain, Malon had traveled for over an hour and was now approaching what she presumed to be where the guardsmen had come from. It was a... a door of some sort. A big gate with swirling energies, and a pair of guardsmen in the same uniforms as the ones she had met, standing guard. When they noticed her approaching they visibly tensed up and raised their weapons, once she then got into the range of their crossbows one of the guards shouted: "Halt!" and Malon obliged. Her heart was pounding out of a sudden... this was it, now. She could not afford to do a wrong move or say the wrong thing or she would have her body pierced by a bolt in an instant. She stopped the horse and raised her hands to her sides, to show she was unarmed. The guards, visibly surprised that a Prime was actually following their orders, eyed each other, then one of them walked closer, his spear at the ready. "You have several crossbows trained on you, girl. If we so much as suspect a wrong move you'll be dead where you sit."

"Yes... yes sir. But please... I came to tell you something."

"Why are you sitting on a Camelot horse?" asked the guardsman, now with the speartip against Malon's chest. Only then did he notice the body and gasped. He pressed harder and Malon nearly fell backwards. "And WHAT is Heinz doing there?! Speak!"

"I... he was killed. He's dead... a, a vampire did it. Please, check the body. There's bite marks on his neck."

"Why did you kill him?" the man asked coldly.

Malon shook her head but took care not to lower her arms. "I didn't! It wasn't me! It was a man, I can describe him to you! Please, I don't want to..." Suddenly she remembered the words that she'd pondered on her way here. "W-why would I bring his body here, and ride his horse, to you, if it was me who killed him?"

"Maybe you DID kill him and you're doing all that to make us think it wasn't you. You're not fooling anyone, Prime", the guard snarled.

She had not considered that... then again, a real killer may have done just that. "I could just have fled the scene... nobody would have ever known it was me, if I killed them."

"Them?" the guard asked. The other man added: "Yeah, Heinz wasn't alone on the trip. He had, uh... oh right, Ulf, accompaigning him."

"Right. Then tell us, where's Ulf? And what about his horse?"

"The vampire that... that bit the man I brought to you... he also killed the other man. He used a... a small item, made of metal I think, he pointed it at the man, there was a loud blast and... his chest burst open and spilled blood everywhere. He - the vampire I mean, he also stole the other horse. He went very close and said something, I think, and it bucked and threw its rider off. I think it was the one that also got bitten."

The guardsman pointing his spear at her grunted and withdrew the weapon a bit. "Get off the horse, nice and slow."

"Okay... I just need to move my hands down to hold onto the saddle while I dismount, okay? I'll move my legs now, to get over the side... and I'll jump now." By describing her actions like that she ensured that the guardsmen had no surprises. As soon as she was down the man with the spear stepped closer and stuck a gloved finger between her lips. She mmph'ed with widened eyes at the sudden invasion, but he withdrew his finger after just a pair of seconds, having bared her lips and checked. "No fangs. Either she's good at morphing her body or she's telling the truth." He put the spear aside and pulled out a dagger. "Your backpack."

"Okay... I'll need to move my arms to get it off, but... please be careful, my sickles are on the side. They're sharp." She removed the backpack as instructed and hoped that they would not keep it. Not that there was a lot in it, but there were a few personal items that she cared about, and useful items that she could not afford to lose, including her provisions. The guard however just tossed it to his friend, who went through the contents, then handed it back with a shrug. It was put down near her, but she was not told to pick it up and she wanted to avoid moving. Her life was still hanging by a thread.

"You say that the vampire had a metallic item that made a blast. Describe that."

"I'm... not sure how to. It was... small, maybe twice the size of my palm. Very dark-colored... with this long piece that he pointed at the other man. I think there was also a little explosion at the tip of it when it made the blast."

"Did he hold it with both hands, with just one?"

"Oh. Just in one hand. Kind of weird, his finger was through this strange loop now that I think of it."

"Sounds like a pistol alright... okay, then let's say that you are speaking the truth and that this man really exists. What did he look like?"

"Uh... let's see. He looked kinda young, older than me though, with very smooth skin and a little pale. He was... about as tall as you Sir. And he had round ears, I remember that distinctly."

"Human ears then."

"Hey, I'm a human too", protested Malon. "But I don't have round ears, they just grew this way as they do for all Hylians. Anyway, uh... his hair was also black, like really black and kept short."

"What about his clothing?"

"That was really odd. He wore a black jacket of sorts with a white shirt underneath that, and a... something around his neck that went beneath the white shirt's collar, and then hung on his chest. And black pants, and very shiny shoes... oh, and a black hat with a round top. But everything looked very, uh... impractical for manual work, it was very fine craftsmanship."

"Sounds like someone from more modern times... if he had a pistol that'd make sense. Any special traits that you noticed?"

"Er... he did speak in a very weird accent. 'Yer far away from 'ome, is that roight?' Something like that. And physically... he had no beard and no scars, but his nose looked like it's been broken before. And his skin was a little pale, like I said. He also had kinda yellow teeth but he didn't show them much even when smiling."

"Guess he was hiding his fangs from you. Did he mention a name?"

"No... he never introduced himself. I have no idea... sorry."

"Well, it ought to be sufficient to put out a wanted poster. Oi, Jasper, did you jot everything down?"

"Yeah I did. Sounds like one of Dracula's underlings alright, but we don't have any reports of vampires matching that description."

"And you say he killed two Camelot guards and stole a horse, is that about right?"

"Yes, exactly. I don't know why he left me alive either... he was behaving in a nice manner until those two men came. He just... turned around completely."

"Heh. Anycase... we'll go back to check on Ulf, see if your story adds up. We didn't find any gun in your backpack and you don't smell of gunpowder either... and you don't have any fangs, so you're probably telling us the truth."

"O-okay... can I accompaign you? There are other people there that I want to return to. Near the big fountain I mean. Or I guess it's not a fountain anymore... it turned into a big hourglass."

"You're coming along one way or another, lady. We'll check your words... and if it turns out you were lying we'll just have to arrest you. Or maybe banish you. We'll see." The way that he said "banish" made Malon shudder involuntarily. That didn't sound like something good. After some fifteen minutes a group of six guards came out of the gate, all of them riding horses, wearing knight armor and equipped with swords and spears. A fully-fledged raiding force. The guardsman that had held her pulled the corpse off the horse as they gathered around them and spoke: "You go in the middle. Remember that we don't like sudden moves... you're allowed to ride your horse, and we'll bring your backpack along. If you told the truth then we'll give it back with an apology. Otherwise... well, you won't be needing it where you'll go."

Malon nodded and climbed into the saddle, feeling much calmer now. She WAS telling the truth after all... and Anderson would ensure that nobody moved the body, right? She had told him about the situation, he would surely understand the importance of not tampering with the evidence. Surrounded by seven mounted Camelot soldiers she also felt much safer... the vampire would not be able to go up against six of them. Two he had caught by surprise, but those were six and they were well armed. Plus she could warn them if she saw him anywhere.

With these thoughts drifting through her mind, putting her at ease, she matched the speed of the horses around her and embarked on her return trip to the Nexus and the people there.

Anyone can feel free to write my return to the Nexus Fountain with the "escort" into their post if they like and use those Camelot soldiers for recruitment speeches or what have you. Otherwise I'll just write the arrival into my next post!

[Harlan Higgs]

The priest had a hungry look of violence in his eyes, the same righteous fury that all vampire hunters had. It was sort of smug condescension that came from someone very confident in their abilities, in their experience of turning hunters into the hunted. But it was hard to tell. Most of the time that look was just pure bravado that turned into a sniveling look of fear as they pissed themselves, seconds after they felt claws digging into their shoulder. But this one....he was the real deal.

Harlan raised one palm in a stop gesture. "Well Father, it's readily apparent yew wanna kill me." He chuckled and tipped his hat in a 'you caught me' gesture. "Well, oi ain't gonna deny it. Oi 'reek o' death' cuz oi'm dead. Comes wi' t' territory, see? But, ah, this is a new place, roight? Maybe let go o' yer old hatreds."

And then the girl threw herself in between them with stupid courage. Harlan was a bit more than surprised, before stepping forward and gently pushing the girl out of the way with a gentle nudge, gray nails and sallow skin crinkling the cloth of Moon's outfit. "Dun be a hero, lass. Oi'm not worth it. If t' good father 'ere wants to kill me for bein' somefin he deems evil, well. 'At's between me an' him. Not nuffin to get yerself hurt over."
 
The Ravnos stepped forward, playing the noble demon since it seemed to be working. He'd already gotten the girl on his side, and the rest of them seemed less than eager to indulge in vicious slaughter than the overeager father. If he had to submit to some sort of 'justice', well...he'd done time before. It really wasn't too hard, and judging from the giant crocodile hanging out from the side, a vampire was nothing special.

The vampire straightened his hat and bowtie, and bowed slightly. "I'm no innocent. I killed the guards. I regret it. But this Omni brought me here from the brink of death. I was half crazed with hunger. But you..." Harlan reached behind his back and pulled out the still warm hand cannon, leveling it at Father Anderson and causing him to cease his advance. "I will not accept your justice. You and your God have no authority here."

[Malon]

Malon had expected to return to the Nexus for a peaceful retrieval of the dead soldier, perhaps for questioning of the present individuals which would reveal that none of them knew anything, and little more. But when the Nexus drew close and closer she noticed that Anderson was wielding his odd blades. It was unmistakably him, his large and imposing form stood out, as did the light reflected off the shining metal. And he was facing a figure that Malon wasn't certain about... until she saw that he wore a black suit and was drawing an item that she had seen before.

"Ehm... Sorry? I have something to say", she said while looking around herself, wary to not make sudden moves. "The vampire..."

"Is he there?" one of the armored knights asked without looking at Malon. They were all facing forward. They stopped their horses and the one who'd just spoken handed Malon an odd item - a long tube made out of several segments that fit into one another and could be pushed together to shorten it, with glass on either end of the tube. "Put this in front of your eye and tell me what you see."

The Hylian did as told and gasped as she saw the man much closer before her! He was right in her face... but when she lowered the tube again he hadn't moved a bit. "What... is that some magic item?"

"Just technology. It's called a spyglass, with it you can see things that are far away as if they were closer. Now point it at the Fountain and tell me what you see."

She needed to adjust herself to the weird feeling of suddenly seeing everything this close, but once she had the hang of it she pointed it towards the indicated area. Yes, that was Anderson as she had suspected before... and he was facing the vampire, who was pointing that same item that he had previously used to kill the soldier at the priest. "The- the man to the right, the one with the black clothes - that's the vampire, the one you're after. But he has that thing in his hand which he also had earlier. He killed that man with that item, I'm pretty sure."

Two of the other knights had produced spyglasses themselves and raised the visors of their helmets to use them. They saw the same as Malon did. "The one with the round hat and the revolver in his hand?"

"Y-yes. I mean, the round hat, yes. I don't know what a revolver is."

"Got it. He seems to be ready to engage in a fight with another unknown individual, possibly a Prime as well. Visibly armed, but he may have more weapons concealed under his clothes. There's numerous other individuals around the fountain as well, likely Primes. And Ulf is on the ground at some distance. It's hard to tell but he's covered in blood... really gruesome display, Sir. It's likely that he was shot."

"If I may... the one to the left, that's Mister Anderson. He arrived way after the vampire was gone, but I told him about the events. He's on our side, I'm certain. And those other people, they arrived after the vampire too, but I didn't get to speak with them. None of them behaved hostile though." She handed the spyglass back. Nothing else that she could tell them now.

"Got it... captain, if we leave those two Primes to fight it out the vampire's gonna wear himself down and we can still move in if he wins, before he can cause any damage", one of the guardsmen remarked. Another retaliated with: "But if we let them fight that will stain the Kingdom's reputation. Now's our chance to move in and make a good impression in front of an entire group of Primes!"

The captain frowned and massaged the bridge of his nose between his index and thumb. "Graham, the evidence points to that the young lady here is innocent... give her the backpack back."

"Yes, Sir!" the knight spoke and extended the pack out to Malon, who eagerly took it into her hands.

"You're free to leave. We'll take care of the rest from here... you can ride the horse to Camelot or the Tangled Green but please leave it at the checkpoint there so we can return it. The rest of you, ready up. We're going to..."

Malon did not hear what orders he gave to the rest of them as by that point she was already headed back towards the gate that they had departed from, with the wind around her ears drowning out all other sounds. She could not wait to leave this horrible place behind. And she certainly did not want to meet the vampire again.

Cliffhanger?
Nope! I'm leaving the group of six Camelot knights to your care, Harlan and Anderson! Up to you to decide whether the captain orders them to barge in and break up the fight early, or stand by and see how it unfolds.

Malon is out of the Nexus and leaving to Camelot. Was fun writing with you all!

[Serraph Quarrere]

"Did you two stop and think about where you are now? Look back on the Smiling One's words", The pale Arrancar would say, his frail body standing from his position. If these two weren't stopped, this whole situation could blow out of proportion. Out in the distance even Serraph could spot the contingent of men heading their way, probably on part with the murderer in the group's presence. It wasn't good and there was no way to tell if their intentions were good or evil. In either case it was probably best for them to leave and settle this another time. 

 His eyes would glance upon the flash of silver, two long bayonets brandished in each hand. This man sure was a man of faith, even if that faith had no true hold in this place. The murderer was indeed correct here, but he failed to recognize the replacement. This was Omni's realm and they all were essentially his playthings. This conflict was no doubt one of these orchestrated events, challenges the group would have to overcome.  The Arrancar would sigh, the feeling of sliding paper becoming inscribed with the events was a tedious one. Beneath his fragile skin he could feel the messages being sent to his palms in which long sheets of paper would feed out and begin folding rapidly. The form would grow and continue shifting in shape until the form of Anderson's blades were copied. The process was nearly complete. The boy would channel his little bit of Omnilinium through his body, rewriting the rules of existence these paper copies lived by. Soon their color and composition would shift towards something resembling the originals until they both became exact replicas of Anderson's weapons. Serraph tested their weight, Twirling them between his fingers. The size was quite awkward for his thin fingers. These weapons were truly made with Anderson in mind. However... his experience with a blade was more than enough to use them  to at least that standard. They would have to do for now until he could obtain something else later. He'd step between the two men, pointing a bayonet at each to halt their advance. 

 "Now men.. lets be reasonable. There is a squad of soldiers heading our way... surely they know of our little Murderer's wrong doing. They might be understanding and let us innocents go.... or they could not give a rat's ass in Hueco Mundo what actually happened and take us all in.", he'd say, glaring down the spine of the bayonet he pointed at the face of the murderer. "I suggest we all leave now. Those.. lights on the horizons may be an indicator of sorts.", he'd say, lowering the weapons. "In any case... I'll be leaving with King Usopp here."
 
The boy would  twirl a silver blade by its spine, offering the copy back to its originator, Sir Anderson himself. Surely he'd know if there really was any difference. Serraph heavily doubted this as his work surely was masterful. If he copied it correctly that is. The Heavenly man should not be able to tell the difference. If he couldn't, then that was just another tool under Serraph's belt. Serraph would grab the "King" by the wrist, giving it a quick tug to jog him from whatever day dream he was having.
 
"For now at least. Where-ever you are going, I'll follow. I have a feeling you will make this journey quite interesting."

[Roger Smith]

He came to a stop. Wordlessly, the Judas Priest stared at the goings-on before him. The clear admission from the vampire. The attempts to impede him. The attempts at playing nobility and fostering sympathy. The further attempts to sway him, and another stepping in between him and his prey.

He took several deep breaths, his expression twisted into an ugly scowl. A harsh glare of blue light glimmered on his glasses, masking the crazed stare in his eyes. Where his gaze was directed was uncertain, but given his previous statements one would not be hard-pressed to guess.

His breathing stilled, going quiet. He lowered his head, arms slowly falling down to rest at his sides. His deathgrip on his bayonets loosened, their points angling down toward the blank ground. The messages stitched over the back of his gloves relaxed as the fists unclenched, the undoubtedly white knuckles relaxing and letting blood flow resume. A long exhale of breath, hissed out through clenched teeth, sounded. A cloud of steam wafted out from the corner of his mouth, the grim scowl relaxing into merely a displeased frown.

As much as he hated to admit it, everything that had been said was correct. There was far too much he did not know about this new world. He was still unsteady from his rough arrival, on top of that, and felt strangely weak. With a flourish of both wrists, the bayonets in either hand vanished, with only a flicker of silver. He straightened his posture, standing straight-backed and staring resolutely forward, over the youth interposed between himself and the suited vampire, revolver still leveled squarely at the towering priest. The harsh glare on his spectacles had softened, to merely a dim blue haze, letting the pale green of his eyes show through. A tired, dour look had settled on his face, creasing his expression with the deep frown, and still-clenched teeth. His acceptance of the new situation was almost palpably reluctant.

"Keep yer wits abou' yerself..." he muttered, his stare lingering on Harlan. "Whether you accept it or not, justice will come tae you. By my hand, or that of another." Without shifting his gaze, he took the copied blade as it was offered to him by the pale arrancar. He held it up, the blade slowly rising until it was pointed toward Harlan, mirroring the stance of the gun holding steady toward him. For a few, tense seconds, he held his ground. Then he broke off, and with a deft movement, hurled the blade aside, where it stuck, embedded deeply into the non-ground of the Nexus.

With a last grimace, the assassin of God turned away, pacing away with slow, measured strides.

[Harlan Higgs]

The Ravnos watched as the aggravated priest underwent several facial expressions, each more grimacing and unhappy than the last, before finally 
relaxing his body and standing down. The imposing Scotsman mumbled some nonsense about justice and raised the recreated weapon he'd accepted back at Harlan, causing the Kindred to raise the gun again with finger on the trigger. But that intimidation tactic was clearly revealed after a few tense seconds, and both men lowered their weapons. "Ah. Well, Father. Glad to see we could come to a nonviolent solution," Harlan mused as the priest backed off. "But I really must be going now...those gentlemen in the distance do not look like they would be so inclined to have an amicable chat. Ta, friends. I hope to meet you all again under better circumstances."

The still warm Colt Python went behind his back and was stowed comfortably in the hem of his pants. He turned smartly on a dime, his vampiric sense picking up the thunder of hootbeats, a full six horseman riding towards the fountain. Chainmail and swords clinked on their outfits, and it didn't take an idiot to figure out they were here to avenge their fallen comrade. He heard one of them give a shout as they spied the gathering, the man yelling to his fellows to increase speed and run down the Ravnos in the suit. Harlan broke into a run.

Ah, what a thrill! He hadn't been chased down like this in, oh...20 years! No small amount of time for a mortal, but to him it was as a drop in a bucket. Although, the feeling of his dead muscles pumping, the hot vitae inside him forced to circulate to power his unliving form, it was still quite the rush. Something about this place had sapped his powers, and he was slightly perturbed to discover that the horsemen were beginning to gain on him, the shouts and metallic noises of men drawing blades as they closed in ringing in his ears. To work, then. He shook out his sleeves and flexed his fingers, reaching subconsciously for his new power source. Omnilium would be shaved, minutes amounts extrapolated into fantastical sights and sounds.

All of a sudden, the man they were chasing exploded with a loud crack, a whirlwind of small, thin squares spinning in a circular pattern before dispersing in all different directions. Playing cards had replaced the vampire's form, and they all fell in different directions. Clumps of the red and white squares found each other once more, and spun in a dizzying pattern until they reformed into perfect copies of the gray suited vampire. All four of the figures took off running in different directions, and the confusion wrought from such an unexpected tactic bought Harlan precious moments to increase his lead. It didn't take too long for the horsemen to regroup and split into pursuit once more, although their forces were thinned. The Ravnos could feel the insistent tugging connection to his illusory clones, beginning to feel the familiar mental strain of maintaining multiple illusions. And it was about to get worse.

Behind two of the clones, the ground suddenly opened up and gouts of flame spewed from the cracked white floor of the Nexus. Horses stopped on a dime and reared back, startled and spooked by the sudden eruption. The two that hadn't been protected by an emission of fire were swiftly caught up with, their true natures revealed when swords simply went through them and they disappeared in a smoky puff of unbelief. Harlan dismissed the remaining clone with a snap, it already having served it's purpose. The clones and the fire had brought him precious time to concentrate, running hard with his eyes closed and starting to feel the strain of such strenuous illusion casting. But he could see the gate ahead of him, men in shiny white armor manning a guard post and watching the approaching chaos through high tech binoculars.

SCREEEEEEECH

A smoky, half see through car suddenly rumbled out of nowhere and pulled up alongside Harlan, driven by a younger version of himself that was also simultaneously shooting a Thompson submachine Gun wildly out of the back window. With a mighty leap, the real Kindred jumped onto the old style Ford's trunk, slamming the trunk as it accelerated and a crossbow bolt embedded itself in his hat, nearly taking it off. "Fuck!" The man swore as the car flickered in and out of reality, the horsemen nearly close enough to give him a haircut.

But it was too late. As the car finally gave up the ghost and disappeared from existence, the momentum flung Harlan over the guard post in front of the Coruscant gate, brightly colored laser shots arcing from behind the barricade towards the Camelot guards. Both sides traded projectiles for a few seconds, but the pursuers were already turning aside and riding outside the range of the Stormtrooper's laser guns. The captain of the horsemen shook a fist, and called out to the prone Ravnos. "You had better hope your new friends protect you, vampire! Camelot's finest will be hunting for your head!" They turned as a unit, and trotted back towards the fountain, Harlan panting on the ground behind the Coruscant barricade and giving his new shiny white friends a winning smile. 

"Sanctuary?" He asked meekly.

[Harry Potter]

Harry Potter sat on the brim of the Nexus Fountain for a rather long time, wearing his invisibility cloak, and watching a rather chaotic scene unfold.

First, he had been startled by the sudden appearance of a vampire, who had drank the now blood-red waters of the fountain from a goblet.

He was less surprised when the pretty elf girl emerged from the fountain. Harry listened intently as the two fresh Primes remarked on where they might be and how they ended up wherever they are now. Harry was less concerned, having had these same questions on numerous and occasions and eventually coming to the conclusion that it's best not to ask.

Perhaps the least surprising thing of Harry Potter's entire day, not counting his breakfast, was watching a vampire rip a man off a horse and suck his blood out through his neck.

Harry was more hungry than surprised when a third figure rose from the fountain, now formed into the shape of an hourglass and filled with ash.

Harry was starting to get bored and considered getting up when a human figure fell out of the sky and landed in the floor of Nexus, before comically deploying a parachute.

He summoned a sandwich as the fountain again changed into a granite pillar, from which emerged a flurry of parchment and ink that quickly formed itself into a rather polite young man.

The fountain again became the smooth, clear waters Harry had known, and another figure emerged, this one a girl barely old enough to attend Hogwarts.

Harry was quiet interested in their conversations despite himself, but still did not feel the urge to reveal himself.

Harry was once again surprised when the Fountain began billowing smoke, and then he was mad at himself for his surprise. He edged away from the monster-like Prime as it walked out of the fountain.

Harry had finished his sandwich and was neither hungry nor surprised when six guards arrived to pursue the vampire, who had been languidly observing the different gates and chatting, looking for a new home.

The most surprising part of Harry Potter's day, not including his sudden abduction into an alternate universe, was watching the vampire turn himself into a playing card and play a beautiful game of three-card-monty with the pursuing horsemen. The second most surprising part of Harry Potter's day (again not counting his abduction) was watching that vampire jump into the trunk of a speeding ghost car driven by a transparent version of himself and disappear into one of the gates.

Harry sighed deeply, and removed his cloak.

He was a lean young man with a thousand yard stare in his bright green eyes, glinting behind a pair of shining spectacles. His untidy black hair came down in front of his hard face, failing to conceal the jagged lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry walked towards one of the mounted guards calming his horse. His black wizard's robe stayed close to his body, and his right hand held his holly-and-phoenix-feather wand casually.

"Excuse me," Harry asked the guard politely, as the guard tried to reign his horse in. Harry waited, perhaps less patiently than he would on another day, but the guard did not acknowledge him.

Harry cleared his throat, pointed his wand at his neck, and murmured 'sonourus'.

"EXCUSE ME," Harry repeated in a thundering voice, spooking the guards horse further. Harry stood on the rim of the fountain as he waited for the guards and interested Primes mulling about to form a kind of small group around. Harry dismissed his speaking spell and addressed the group.

"Is there someone here who has been in this universe for more than an hour?"

***

Harry (and perhaps some of the other fresh Primes in the vicinity but to be fair he wasn't really paying attention) listened as closely as he could as the Camelot guard gave his garbled version of Omniverse history, trying not to feel like a History of Magic lesson taught by an American redneck.

He learned about Primes, and Secondaries, and Omnillium.

He learned about the war between Aragorn and Palpatine, and thus, Camelot and the Empire.

Of all the events Harry Potter had experienced that day, including his abduction, by far the most surprising event was hearing that Albus Dumbledore was currently living in Dalaran.

***

His ears were ringing. His eyes were filled with light. His forehead felt like it might split open.

In front of him was a monster. It had giant eyes the size of dinner plates, and long ropey tentacles that pulled at his robes. He saw himself reach out a hand, and tickle the monster.

The monster giggled, and released its grip. He watched the giant squid sink back down into the lake. He felt himself walk over to the lake and lean forward.

He saw the warm, handsome face of the young Tom Riddle staring back at him.

***

Harry removed himself from the conversation awkwardly, stumbling to the gates of Camelot and falling to his knees. He stared at the gate, and asked himself questions only Dumbledore could answer.

When he rose to his feet, it was with the conviction of a man who took every test Albus Dumbledore could throw at him and passed with flying colors. It was with the conviction of a man who, for once in his life, can choose his own destiny.

And Harry Potter felt his destiny lay elsewhere.

[Crocodile]

“W-wait... What?!” Usopp asked incredulously, blinking in the suddenly harsh whiteness of the Nexus. Something... something was wrong. Just a moment ago, he'd been surrounded by people, a couple of whom were about two seconds away from smashing each others' faces in. The long-nosed sniper had been petrified by the scene unfolding before him. For all his bravado and posturing, he actually hated confrontation. Rarely would he set aside his cowardice to fight; only when there was no other option. So, when he'd inadvertently set off a showdown between the invisible dude and the giant priest, Usopp had been about to piss his pants spectacularly.

So, he wondered where everyone could have disappeared to. The sniper knew he'd been frozen in fear, but he'd never before been so out of it as to miss everyone leaving him behind. Could it have something to do with this 'Omniverse' and how it operates? Maybe he'd been locked in time while everyone else finished their business, left to wait until the moment Omni felt like he was interesting again.

“Wow...” Usopp mused softly, tapping the side of his nose with a finger. “I never knew I was so philosophical.”

He looked around a bit, trying to figure out his next move. Until now, he'd always been able to rely on Luffy, Nami, or one of the other Straw Hats to pick a course of action. He was support, after all. He'd almost never had to come up with his own plans; not since his days as the leader of the Usopp pirates. The Sniper King pulled his goggles down over his eyes, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. A couple of the arches dotting the edge of the land seemed to have a lot of folks around them, but only one of the arches really caught his eye: a couple of palm-trees bending to meet each other at their canopies. Tears filled Usopp's eyes as memories of his own flooded into his mind. He really did miss his friends and their adventures. Unconsciously, his feet began their trek towards this portal and he felt hope again. Hope that he might find his friends beyond that mysterious archway.

NECRO'D!!!

[Malon]

Hijacking for Malon's revival

...
Where am I?

Who am I?

You are Malon of...

A voice spoke to her, but its words were distant. Most of what was said she did not hear. But she understood that she was Malon... of somewhere.
Her eyes hurt greatly when she opened them, for she was blinded by a bright sky stretching endlessly wherever she looked. She shielded her face from the light, but her arms ached. Every bone, every muscle in her body was hurting.
... am I dead? Is this the afterlife?

Vague memories shot through her brain, reminding her of the concept of life after death, of an afterlife. Of a sacred land watched over by the three goddesses of Hyrule who received all good souls and... wait, Hyrule? How did she know that name? What was Hyrule? The name of a land? Yes... that sounded correct. Was this Hyrule where she was from? Was she Malon of Hyrule?
Her view was obscured when a figure cloaked in dark shadows leaned over her, and the bright light seemed to form a corona around its silhouette. Three green eyes stared down at her but the figure did not move to help.
"Who... are... you?" Malon asked. Her throat felt sore, and each word sent a stinging pain through her neck. She rubbed the spot... it felt like a row of holes lined it where it hurt most. Had she been... bitten? Was she dead after all?
Surely you will recognize me, Malon, the figure said with a patient tone.
"You are... no, I do not remember your name."
Slowly she pushed herself into a sitting position while her eyes got used to the brightness around her. The figure withdrew and waited among others which stood around her. Without counting, she could tell that there were twelve of them.
Your mind is affected by memory loss, Malon, the cloaked figure said. The other figures nodded in silent agreement. The expressions on their faces were... varied. Most seemed benevolent, friendly. Others were visibly content to see her injured and weak.
"Who are you all?" she asked.
We are figments of your memory. Each of us you have met before your death. Each of us has met you.

More figures appeared, these were all women with the same rusty brown hair that Malon herself had. They were clothed in various attires ranging from common working clothes to exotic oriental dresses. These all looked at her with benevolent smiles, and they stood before the other twelve figures as if to shield her from them. The one closest to her she recognized immediately.
"Assassin... that's you, right?"
That was quick, the familiar voice replied, resonating inside her head instead of through her ears, like the other ones. Malon could hear out a sort of amusement.
"What's happened?"
Your memories will return over time, the girl responded simply. It would seem that you died - yes, that spot you're rubbing on your neck is where the death-bringing wound was inflicted on you - and that a new incarnation of Malon took you. She pointed behind herself. The twelve figures were walking towards each other and as their limbs touched they began to melt into an amalgamate of each other.
I am Tearen Wover, the black-cloaked figure said as it liquefied. I was a good friend and ally to you in the past fights.

I am Harlan the vampire, spoke the man with a funny hat and long teeth. He was one of the ones who had smiled mishievously at her. Ya met me first 'ere in the Omniverse, luv. I mighta been the one who killed ya... guess ye'll find out, eh? He vanished into the amalgamate with an evil laugh.
I am Alexander Anderson, a tall man with glasses spoke. I hunt for unholy brood like Harlan, an' ye told me 'bout im. Should we meet again, I'll be a friend.

I am Carmelita, said a bipedal fox woman clad in a blue uniform. I aided you with a great trouble, and you aided me. We are great friends.

I am Sera, spoke a young human girl. As Carmelita, I am your friend and ally. We went through hell together and escaped it... I look forward to meeting you once more.

I am who you nicknamed beetle-knight, spoke a black figure with a big white mask. I never told you my name. I was your enemy because we pursued the same conflicting goal. I know not how we will stand to each other when we meet again.

I am Gildarts, now said a tall middle-aged man with a mechanical arm. We met as enemies on the battlefield, but we may not be anymore now. I advise you not to stand in my way, for my strength will break you easily.

I am known as the Humble Sage, said an old-looking man. Though we fought on opposite sides I am devoted to Master Tearen and defended you from your opponents. I call you an ally in battle, and a friend outside of it.

I am Illidan Stormrage, a purple-skinned being spoke. Another of the ones who had looked at her with ill intent. I battled you in the past and I will do so again, for you have roused my anger. Do not cross my path, you will regret it.

I am who you nicknamed black-armor-man, said a man who was wearing modern black armor with stylised ears, and a large cloak. Though we fought as enemies it is not my wish to cause you harm. Only a new meeting will tell if I call you friend or foe.

I am Cell, spoke the third of the ones who had given her evil looks. This was a strange green bug on two feet with a lengthy tail. Ssuch a deliciouss body, wasstefully killed by ssomeone elsse... I would have sslowly killed you had I been able to and drunk you, but you esscaped me. Nexxt time you will not be ass lucky.

I am Archer, the last of the group said, a handsome man wearing peculiar clothes. He, too, had given her an evil smile. At Cell's side I fought you and was defeated, but I may harbor a thirst for revenge. Perhaps I will attempt to kill you when we meet again.

After all twelve had merged into one blob of white mass, that blob condensed and compressed before gaining shape and color, and turning into an exact lookalike of Malon who joined the other women and girls standing around her. I am the first Malon of the Omniverse, and I am all the memories that you are missing. Over time you will remember that which you have forgotten as I am drained into you once again.

Malon's head spun as she pushed herself to her feet. So much information. Friends and enemies, curses and blessings, dangers and hazards... a lot was coming back to her. But among the twelve, the one who had spoken first, Tearen, stood out to her. She felt that she had to meet him, but how?
Check your backpack, said Assassin. And so Malon did. Inside was a crystal ball... a large sphere. She did not think consciously, simply relied on her instinct as she activated it and, with movements of her hand, navigated through its magic force. Tearen was in there. She could contact him from afar with this.

[Malon]

The crystal ball heated up in Malon's hand as the fog within dissipated and revealed the face of the man who had introduced himself as Tearen Wover when he was one of the figments of her imagination. A voice resonated through the crystal: "Yello?" it asked, faintly. She brought the sphere up to her ear to hear it better, and spoke.

“Ehh, hello… is this Mister Tearen Wover? [...] Uh… this may sound weird, but I understand that we were allies in the recent past? I was hoping if you could explain what that was about. I remember snippets of you and of other people, but nothing solid. [...] Again? … I don’t know why but something tells me that I’ll make sense of it. Listen, uh… you’re my strongest lead right now and I feel that there were things that we had to tell to each other, but didn’t get to. Would we be able to meet somewhere? In person I mean. This crystal ball thing is confusing me. [...] Tangled… no, that rings no bells. I’m in a large white expanse right now, I vaguely remember it to be… Nex-something. Nexus, maybe. There’s other people here that I can ask. [...] The crystal ball? Maybe… alright, I’ll see if I can find this Ambrosia place, and call you once I get there. Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Wover!”

After a few moments she just held the sphere again and waved her hand over it, following her muscle memory. Tearen's face dissipated and impenetrable fog filled it once more.

The Tangled Green, he had said... well, now the issue at hand was to get in touch with people. There were a few individuas around the fountain that didn't seem to take much note of her, and for some reason her gut instinct told her to steer clear of everyone. There were other people near a structure of sorts off in the distance, who she could maybe speak to. They looked official. It would take a while to get there though...

You can summon yourself a horse, said one of the Malons. This was the one that everyone had previously merged into. You don't remember this but it is a power that you as a Prime have. Just visualize the thing you want to summon.

Right... she sat down, back against the fountain, and closed her eyes. The thing she wanted to summon... or rather, the horse. No need to think much about this one, she wanted Epona! Oh, and she'd need a saddle and bridle... and a few carrots. Taking deep breaths, she blurted out the outside world for a while and visualized the mare with everything she needed as best as she could. For a while, she felt silly trying this, but then a warm puff of air on her face that felt very familiar made her open her eyes. There was Epona, standing before her with her snout lowered to her face. The saddle and bridle were already on her and the pouches attached to the saddle were filled with carrots, some of them poking out.

"Hey you... it's nice to see you again." She stood up and stroked her favorite animal companion for a bit, a show of affection that Epona returned with a happy neigh. She took one of the carrots out and fed it to her from her palm, then after making sure that the saddle and bridle were properly in place climbed on. Epona broke into a gallop that made Malon's eyes water: she was far faster now than she had ever been before! Faster than any horse would be, really. They seemed to fly through the Nexus and swiftly arrived near a large structure of metal that was guarded by a group of men in white armor, which were the same that Malon believed to be officials of some kind. As she came close she slowed Epona down.

"Greetings!" she called to get their attention. One of them turned to face her. "I am looking for a place called Tangled Green... could you point me to it?"

The white-armored man pointed out a direction. "Over there. It's the overgrown Gate."

"The overgrown one? Thank you!" She turned Epona to the designated direction and began to gallop again. Now on horseback and slowly getting situated, she found that she was regaining her cool very quickly. Tearen had told her... fuzzy memories were a thing when you "come back to life", but she could feel things slowly returning to her. Memories of places, of words, images, people. The figment that was "old" Malon was gradually merging back into her memories. Such she kept thinking when she approached the indicated Gate and Epona simply walked through, teleporting them to another verse.

The full conversation:

[spoiler]
“Yello?”

“Ehh, hello… is this Mister Tearen Wover?”

“Oh! Hi Mal. Glad you’re back, you must be confused. What can I do for you?”

“Uh… this may sound weird, but I understand that we were allies in the recent past? I was hoping if you could explain what that was about. I remember snippets of you and of other people, but nothing solid.”

“Sure. Primes like us usually have fuzzy memories when we come back to life. Everything should return in time, but to summarize, we were both part of a deadly survival contest. I did my best to keep you alive, but in the end…”

*conspicuous pause*

“...well you’re alive again, anyway.”

“Again? … I don’t know why but something tells me that I’ll make sense of it. Listen, uh… you’re my strongest lead right now and I feel that there were things that we had to tell to each other, but didn’t get to. Would we be able to meet somewhere? In person I mean. This crystal ball thing is confusing me.”

*another pause*

“Sure, we could do that. Let’s see…*under breath* no...no...ah. *normal* Can you meet me at a place called Ambrosia? It’s in a jungle called the tangled greens. Do you know the way?”

“Tangled… no, that rings no bells. I’m in a large white expanse right now, I vaguely remember it to be… Nex-something. Nexus, maybe. There’s other people here that I can ask.”

“Nexus is correct. I’m sure people will be happy to guide your way, or your...whatever you’re calling me on right now can probably get you directions. If not, just feel free to call.”

“The crystal ball? Maybe… alright, I’ll see if I can find this Ambrosia place, and call you once I get there. Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Wover!”

“Sure thing, hon. Er…”

*Click*
[/spoiler]