Redemption and Regret; Remembrance and Revival

[Kaleigh Dactomb Nox]

The sudden change in setting was anything but subtle. From a heavily wooded nature path, filled with the sounds and smells of the outdoors, to the unknown world Kaleigh now found herself staring at. It had happened in the span of a single blink, between the time her eyes had closed and when they had reopened. She was faintly aware of a time in between, of floating paralyzed in a void with a voice speaking directly to her, but that now felt more like a dream than something that had actually happened. Yet, the difference in where she had been and where she was now was impossible to ignore. With some trepidation, she blinked again, expecting the world to shift once more. To her mild surprise, it didn’t. After a few more seconds of hesitation, she started forward.

In front of her was what looked like a private cemetery, one that belonged in a backyard somewhere in the country. It was currently devoid of people, and yet it was clean enough that someone must have visited regularly. The vegetation was in check, and the headstones and sparse decorations were kept up enough that there wasn’t any significant decay. The grass was green and well kept, and each tombstone was given ample space just off the path that wound through the area.

Kaleigh approached the black, wrought iron gate that appeared to be the only entrance past the matching fence that surrounded the graveyard. The lock was a simple latch just above the handle on the outside half of the gate, and it was easy enough to undo it. She gave the gate a light push, the usual squeal of metal on metal much quieter than she expected, and stepped onto the gravel pathway inside.

She moved slowly down the path, her footfalls making a light crunching sound with each step, glancing at each marker as she passed them. Something in her head stirred as she walked through the silent graveyard, a memory in the back of her mind. Like a word she knew the meaning of but couldn’t quite remember the way it sounded. It wasn’t the gravestones themselves, she was sure she had never been to this place before, and they weren’t unique enough to stand out on their own. They were unusual only in the way the names were presented. Specifically, every single stone held multiple names on them, sometimes dozens or more. One of the tombstones she passed had engravings on every side of it, and yet the names were still too small to actually read. In the very center of the graveyard, however, was a statue that stood out to her, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to take a shortcut through the grass to reach it.

The path made a complete circle just inside the outer edge of the graveyard, leaving only enough room for one row of tombstones between the path and the outer fence. The inside held many more, and she estimated that there were roughly three or four dozen total. On the opposite side of the graveyard from the gate was where the path finally teed off towards the center statue, but as she turned her eyes caught sight of something. An object at the base of the statue.

The statue itself was about a little larger than an average human, and appeared to be some sort of cloaked figure holding a scythe. No part of the figure depicted under the cloak was visible, and the statue itself seemed to be weather-worn until only the most obvious features could still be made out. Down near where the statue’s feet would be, somehow wrapped around the stone shaft of the scythe, was a solid black collar.

For some reason, Kaleigh’s heart jumped in her chest when she saw the collar. The memory that had been faint a moment ago suddenly flared up, struggling to reveal itself, and yet something else seemed to smother it back down. The opposing forces struggled in her head, like a raging inferno fighting the howling rain of a hurricane, and time seemed to bend and stall as she stared blankly at the statue and the collar wrapped around it. The swirling battle climbed higher towards a terrifying conclusion, a world-shattering epiphany for her only barely contained.

And then it stopped, the memory finally engulfed by the censoring force in her brain. She snapped back to reality as the memory left her completely and, for a moment, she couldn’t figure out where she was. She glanced around, slowly remembering her first semicircle around the graveyard. Try as she might, however, she couldn’t recall the memory that had fought so hard to make itself known. With a sigh, she turned and headed back down the path towards the entrance, no longer interested in the graves.

A short time later, Kaleigh stepped out of the graveyard and looked around, noticing for the first time how the world seemed to just end only a short distance away. Far off, on the edge of the horizon, she could see some kind of structures placed at precise intervals. Carefully, she traced the outer edge of the graveyard, where the world seemed to melt away into a white void, and tried to see what she could about the eight paths presented to her. Eventually, halfway through her second lap of the perimeter, she picked a path at random and started down it.

In her heart, several emotions stirred for the first time in ages. Excitement, curiosity, a bit of hope mixed in for good measure. This felt like a new beginning, the start of something grandiose and indescribable. For someone who had been for so long with nothing to look forward to except a final ending, this was a nice change of pace.

[Little Rose]

When Myst's eyes opened she saw darkness. For a moment there was nothing but peace.

No sound... No light...

Peace.

Before everything crashed against her mind like snow down from the mountain tops, crashing over her like tidal waves in the sea. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She was met with silence all around her.

She tried to move next, her hands reached out and smacked against something made of sturdy wood. She recognized the sound of her knuckles slamming into it. But unlike before, when she brushed the back of hearing hand along it she felt something soft to the touch. Her hand caressed silk lining. It was all so confusing until she put her palms on the soft surface and pushed.

Whatever it was, was heavy.

Her hand pushed again, she could feel it lifting if only a crack. Only for it to fall back down on her. The whole space she was in shuddered and caused her to eep out and bite her lower lip. Nevermind she never made an actual sound.

Cassandra was not the strongest creature on any planet, but something in her blood gave her at least enough strength to lift whatever was covering her up. She could hear ripping of the roots around her but to her, it sounded like the fibers in her arms as she pushed with all her might. Eventually, she was forced to sit up as the weight finally lessened and the lid of the apparent coffin flung open. Clumps of wet dirt fell into the silk cushion lined box where she laid in a pure white nightgown. Her feet in simple white slipper-like flats. Her red glasses still on her face, the tiniest crack in the corner where it won't prohibit her sight but constantly be in it. She noticed it as she shook her head to look around from her pink pillows.

Sandy saw the soft lush ground around her. A small mound around her own mound of earth. She saw only a few headstones that circled her ceremoniously, which gave her soul a deep chill. Her head was filled with a confused fog, but the ever curious french woman turned her body until she had to twist her legs in the coffin to look at where a headstone should lay with her name on it.

‘Here lies Cassandra Myst
1713-1728
A loving Daughter…

A foolish Friend…









A remorsless Murderer!’


Myst’s eyes widen past her glasses as she reads the last line. Her heart dropping as she twisted in her coffin and grabbed the headstone by the sides. She tried to shake it like it was a body. “LIES!”

Tears fell past her cheeks.



‘MYST!!’ Clownpiece’s voice screamed across time and zapping Sandra’s strength. The arms that had uprooted a portion of turf felt as though the couldn’t even hold a feather in them without falling off.

She could only remember failure…

The vampire lurched forward and began to throw up. What counted as her last meal flooded the headspace of her coffin and pooled past the pillow trying to reach her feet. She cried and choked on her guilt until there was no warning about what she planned to do.

Then suddenly with tears still in her eyes, she turned and ran. Not even looking at the headstones that had surrounded her, never noticing they held the names of her family she’d as matter of factly slaughtered two centuries ago.

[Kaleigh Dactomb Nox]

As Kaleigh bounded down one of the empty paths of the Nexus, she considered her plan for the future. Specifically, how she didn’t have one except to stay positive and keep moving. Each step was both advancing her goal and reminding her that she needed to think of something to do. Hope mixed with uncertainty, creating a confusing cocktail that swirled around in her stomach, occasionally bubbling up as fleeting instances of doubt that caught in her throat.

She stopped suddenly, pausing to banish the negative feelings that had somehow accumulated inside her. This was a new start, a new beginning; the last thing she wanted to do was to start it off with anything other than enthusiasm. With a deep breath, she let a wide smile escape her, and then prepared to begin again.

This time, she was interrupted by the sounds of rapid footfalls behind her, accompanied by the soft sobs of a person in pain.

She turned as she noticed the new sounds, just in time to catch sight of a girl running straight towards her, clearly distressed about something. Her head was down, her arms wrapped around her chest like she was afraid her feeling were going to physically tear her apart. Everything about how she moved seemed to be calling for help, some parts not as subtle as others.

Without hesitation, Kaleigh faced the oncoming girl and raised one arm perpendicular to the path. A second later, the girl ran straight into it, and Kaleigh quickly caught her and pulled her into an impromptu hug in an attempt to calm her down.

“Hey, wait-” Kaleigh tried, but the girl struggled and shoved the restraining arm out of her way.

“Non!” the girl screamed in response, pushing herself away and making it a few more steps down the path before collapsing to her knees.

Kaleigh stepped forward cautiously, watching the girl as she sobbed loudly. It was hard to resist holding the girl and trying to calm her down, to help her relax, but that had already failed once and Kaleigh wasn’t too eager to try again.

“What’s wrong?” She tried, genuine concern in her voice, “Maybe I can help?”

“I must…” The girl choked out, lifted her head to look down the path towards the gate she had started running towards, “I must… save my friends...”

Kaleigh’s heart jumped at those words, adrenaline pumping through it as a wide smile crept on to her face. Just when she had been doubting what path to take, one had fallen right in front of her. A way forward, just the thought was enough to revitalize her spirit! She watched the girl struggle to her feet, and as soon as she was standing Kaleigh put a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me help! Which way are they?” she asked, excitement evident in her voice.

The girl looked forward down the path, then slowly turned her head to look one at a time at the gates on the paths next to the one they were on.

“La mémoire est perdue…” she mumbled.

“What?”

“I said, ‘I do not remember.’” The girl repeated herself, a bit more understandable this time.

If this slowed Kaleigh’s excitement, it didn’t show. She put a little force on the other girl’s shoulder, moving them both forward.

“Well, no point in standing around then.” she declared cheerily, “Let’s just try and see where we end up.”

“O-oui… and if it’s wrong?”

“The only wrong choice is not trying.” Kaleigh responded confidently, “I’ll stick with you till we get it right, how’s that? My name’s Kaleigh.”

“M-myst. Cassandra Myst.”

[Beta Ray Bill]

Kolvo gave a horse grunt fumbling on the ground. His eyelids shut tight keeping darkness in as if it were a deep void trying to keep blinding light out. Unavoidably, his conscience came awake and his eyelids shot open. Shielding his red eyes from the light that seemed to surround the area around him. He stumbled to his feet his armor making various clanking noises in the process. Taking a moment to get his bearings straight Kolvo's vision started to adjust allowing him to observe where he was. His mouth under his golden mask drooped down in awe at the sight laid before him. Never in his long life of a hundred years did he see anything close to what resembled the ocean of white spanning at each and every corner his gaze could meet. The only thing he could thinking of that was remotely close to the nexus of empty white, were in the books and teachings of the Tribunal Temple and only then did they speak of cities of twilight and silver.


Taking a few steps Kolvo's mind started to wonder at the thought of where exactly he could be. If this Omni controls these realms then perhaps he is of Daedra a Prince never discovered before or lost by the course of time? This Omni could also be an agent of the Daedra such as working under the reign of Mehrunes Dagon to bring forth punishment to all those of defied him? That one would seem likely. Or is the Omni aiding Azura and the rest of the Tribunal to test Kolvo and see if his soul was worthy of an afterlife?


Taking a few steps, he turned giving an almost perplexed face under his Ordinator mask. Standing upon his gaze stood an elegant looking fountain with a stone slab shrine of the Tribunal just like the ones in the temples all across Morrowind. Such a sight puzzled Kolvo beckoning him to want more answers. The shrine could change everything or even furthermore that the Tribunal gods were testing him, judging him. Kolvo shook his head.


"No, none of this is right."

Gripping tightly with his left hand he was thrown off guard that he had been carrying his shield the whole time and that his spear and sword were on him as well.


"The Tribunal laymen and priests never talked about an Omni before and come to think of it I've never heard the word Omni before." He said to himself placing his shield over his spear that hung on his back. "The gods, they wouldn't have given me my mortal weapons if such a place were created by them."


Kolvo shoots his head to the side, right hand firmly held over his steel swords hilt. His awareness and caution on high alert, quietly he listened as a faint crying echoed softly in the distance. Without a second thought, like a game of follow the leader he darted off following the cry until coming to halt as he caught up with it. Two humans one standing above another, the latter seemingly being picked up from the colorless ground. Slowly Kolvo approached making his way as friendly as he could, even if he was in armor and carrying a mask.


"Sorry to intrude but I seem to be lost in this... Plain of Oblivion I'm at a loss of words for what is going on. You two wouldn't happen to know anything about this place and its master Omni?"

[Little Rose]

Cassandra had been so out of it when she’d been traveling with her fri- Associates. So now that she was trying to retrace her steps she found it extremely difficult. When they stood, she glanced around trying to remember which gateway she’d gone through with the big group. Surely someone had seen them as they passed through only a few hours ago.

Though Myst was underestimating how much time had passed through this verse, she knew she had to be wrong. She wished she had a clock now that she thought about it.

It was then that they overheard someone’s approach. It sounded like metal and leather. Too small for a horse, but just right for the size of a man she knew. Her heart swelled with unwarranted hope for who she would see as she turned on her slippered toes. “Dane!?” She cried out with relief mixed with a bit of happiness. Only for disappointment to flood into her veins not to find him but some other warrior. A man with shield and spear.

His voice was kind and polite enough, but it only left her depressed and worried. "Monsieur Omni? Non." She lowered in mood and stance. The girl's shorter brown hair fell like curtains around her heart. She grieved for a moment before pushing both sides back behind her ears and rubbing her tears away again. "I am sorry sir, but Je ne suis pas. Ze only people I know are lost to me."

"I understand, forgive me. A S'wit I am if I am not a burden to you anymore, but one of you must know something of this place. I must get back to Tamriel, I must aid my people and stop the Oblivion Crisis."

Kaleigh, determined to keep things in light despite the sudden dip in mood from her new companion. Obviously, she was the hero Cassandra needed. She took her position, hands on her hips and facing this newcomer. “Not one thing!” She said, triumphantly and confidently.

This left Kolvo feeling a bit on edge, but breathing a bit easier as she announced she knew nothing.

“Nous vous in the Omniverse,” Myst said, lifting up just a bit. “We are in ze Nexus. It is apparently where you are brought after death comes to you. Ze gates.” She paused, to point at the dots in the distance. “Zey take you to other Mondes. I went to a jungle and met Dane there. And then we went to a town where there iz a large beast they want to hunt. I died sa- I hope I died saving mon amies. If they died as well, I cannot live with myself.” She lowered her finger sadly.

Kolvo and Kaleigh eyed each other as she dropped like a wilting flower.

“Je ne suis pas past that,” Myst said, curling her arms around herself, her tears returning. Her feet overlapped one another. What was she going to do?

[Kate Hunt]

Kate couldn't run any faster. Her entire lower body was on autopilot, propelling her through the forest on instinct. She couldn't have slowed down if she tried. Her boots absorbed most of the impact as she sprinted through the forest, slapping over dirt and leaves, but that did little to prevent the pain in her heels and shins. Her lungs burned and her thighs ached with exhaustion. A glance back at the four men behind her, the fear on their faces, and the crashing bushes behind them told her she was far from safe.

 Bursting out from the thick underbrush of the forest, a shape moving too fast to define tackled the man in the middle. He screamed, but the shout was instantly cut short as he disappeared into the bushes. Kate felt her heart panic, both with grief and fear. They were here. They had taken Garfield. She was next.

 Her footsteps were joined by two new, heavy sets. Flickers of silver and obsidian danced along the edges of her vision and it took all of Kate's strength not to look. She needed to focus. Keep running. Just keep running. Her right hand started to burn more intensely than before, her brain only noticing what had dulled into a distant throbbing now that the monsters were so close. Then she heard another scream, and it sounded exactly like Garfield but… wrong.

 Tears welled up in Kate's eyes. She could hear him begging, like listening to him die through a tin can. She knew he was already gone, torn limb from limb by the twisted creatures that hunted her. Still the beasts tortured her, whispering her name with his voice.

Kate. Kate please. Kate save me. HELP ME KATE!

PLEASE GOD HELP ME!

 Kate screamed and threw herself to the side to escape the bloodcurdling cries, tumbling into a rough dip in the landscape. The dirt inclined downwards, following the harsh angle of the hill, into a deep ditch. She instantly regretted her rash decision, the uneven ground slamming into her body. Her ribs absorbed as much as they could, pressing into her lungs and knocking the air out of her body. She grunted in pain, the last sound she would be likely to make until she had the chance to inhale again. She rolled down, covering her body with her arms and tucking into a ball. A sharp rock cut her forehead, eliciting a breathless scream that choked out into a gasp as her descent stopped short courtesy of a dead tree. The rough bark tore through her jacket and shirt, shredding her stomach. Everything felt broken, the world distant and lost in a haze of sepia tones and dulled sounds.

 The muffled cracks of gunfire sounded off behind her at the top of the incline. Metallic screeches and twisted bellows followed by more screaming accompanied the rapid fire. Kate tried to lift her head to the ridge above. One of the men, Faraday, leaped onto the incline, sliding on his backside all the way down to her. His dingy olive shirt and checkered neckerchief were splattered with dirt and dried blood and his face was a frozen mask of empty fear. Before her made it even halfway down, a blur galloped across Kate’s hazy vision and dragged the man into the darkness, leaving a messy streak of blood and a useless Liberator rifle on the leafy earth. More gunshots from the top of the hill, rapid and panicked, accompanied by Menendez screaming dragged her partially from her stupor. The gunshots cut short, the screaming carrying on for a few more seconds before Gabriel burst over the top of the incline and slid downwards like a surfer. The silence from above signaled Menendez's demise. Focused, Gabe came to a stop beside Kate. He grabbed her arm, yanked the girl to her unsteady feet, and dragged her away from the incline.

 "Come on, Kate, we gotta move!" Gabriel pulled her quickly, the girl struggling to find her footing.

 Scraping and synthesized snarls reminded Kate that they were not alone in this forest. Her head finally clear enough to somewhat focus, she glanced back to see two creatures at the top of the ridge, staring down with dead expressions on their blank, ebony faces. The third leaped down onto the flat ground level with Kate and Gabriel, slowly bringing its own face around to watch them limp away. She could almost hear it laughing at her. Gabriel yanked Kate around behind a tree, turning her by the shoulders to look at him.

"Katie, you have to go."

"W-what?"

"You have to go. Just keep running, I'll lead them away."

"No... No! Gabe, they'll kill you!"

"They'll have to catch me first." He smirked, the dirt and blood caked over his sun-tanned face cracking. "Now run."

"No! Nononono, I can't!" She fought against his grip, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Katie, yes you can. The people out there need you. Go."

 His sincerity silenced her. She stared into his deep, brown eyes, a stalwart hope in them. That was the same hope everyone who died for her had, the hope that they would die saving a hero. She wasn't a hero. They were all dying for nothing. She couldn't let Gabriel go, but his face was so sure. He hefted his rifle, making the decision for her, and turned back around the tree. The beast stalked slowly across the leaves in a mocking replication of respect for the pair's last moments together. Kate opened her mouth to beg Gabriel to come with her but he spoke first.

"Run, Katie." He fired off a few shots, the bullets trailing sparks as they deflected off of the obsidian hide of the creature's shoulders.

It screeched, the other two at the top of the ridge jumping down and galloping forward to join their comrade. Gabriel fired again, small bursts to conserve his ammunition, and shuffled to the side to draw its attention. "Come on you son of a bitch!"

Kate took a few steps back, finally realizing that Gabe had no intention of coming with her. The beast roared and refocused on Gabriel. Its mangled voice replicated his like a broken radio. "Son of a BITCH!"

Gabe glanced at Kate, frozen where she stood. He screamed, forcing her to run. She turned and bolted halfway through his shout, more gunshots and alien bellows permeating the air.

"RUN, KATIE! RUN!"

She did, tears flooding her eyes. It shouldn’t have been this way. They shouldn’t have had to die. She should have been the one to die. She didn’t deserve to outlive such loyal people, honest people, good people.

“RUN, KATIE!” The lines repeated, this time tearing her heart in two as the voice buzzed in her head from the blank face of a monster. There was almost a smile in the upturn of the second verse. “RUN!”

Kate ran, and she didn’t look back.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Suddenly she was painfully awake. Her brain no longer stuttered over the slightest stimuli, her palm no longer felt like it was dipped in lava, and her lungs no longer burned with exhaustion. The world around Kate was blank and empty. It was a true void, pitch black and directionless. Ahead of her was a single form, almost childlike, and grinning. It glowed alabaster in the emptiness, bringing a feeling of dread with it. Then it spoke, its voice in Kate’s head.

“My name is Omni. This is not the world you know. This is the Omniverse. You interest me, so I have made you part of it. The Omniverse is a place that reflects the wishes of those who are part of it. But! There are rules. I will explain them only once, so listen carefully.”

 Kate found it hard to listen through her tears and pounding heart. She could still hear the screams, echoing in her mind, and the figure before her did nothing to ease her primal terror. ‘Omni’s’ hand extended, a rippling orb of most every color imaginable in his hand.
“This is Omnillium. It’s what ties the Omniverse together. Without it, you are nothing. With it, anything you desire can be yours. But you will need more than this. If you desire it enough, you will find it. You will find that it comes naturally. Just think of what you desire most.” His terrifying grin didn’t falter. “You will not be alone in this Omniverse. There are others. Of course, they too desire Omnillium. Do not fear death. For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn.”

 Kate tried to speak, but choked on her own emotion. The being did not respond to her pain, instead ending its tirade.

“That’s all you need to know right now. You’ll figure out the rest soon enough. I’ll be watching…” She could have sworn it smiled wider. “And waiting.”

 Then it was gone, the grin lingering as it was seared in Kate’s mind. As the blackness faded to an endless sea of white, she felt the familiar crunch of leaves. Dirt pushed up into the creases of her boot soles, the scent of mud wafting into her nose. Kate pushed back her unkempt brown hair, palm scraping away tears, and took it all in.

 She was in a cemetery, with archways and ivy and headstones. She glanced around, confused. The dirt, the smell, the breeze; it all made her think of the forests outside the Bellingham camp. Her eyes drifted to the headstones lined up ahead of her.

Garfield MacDonald.

Adam Faraday.

Julio Menendez.

Gabriel Jimenez.

 She felt her body react piece by piece. Her throat closed up, her ears burned, and her eyes kickstarted their production of tears. Her heart felt shattered, each piece falling down an infinite pit in her stomach. Pure agony ripped through her soul, ravaging her resolve and weakening her knees. With a whimper, she dropped to a kneeling position, her already filthy jeans soaking in mud and grime. Tears streamed down her grubby cheeks as she sobbed silently.

 Dead. Gone. Forever. Because of her. Now this, this Omni was torturing her. He was just like the machines: sadistic and hateful. Monsters. Kate fell forward, digging her fingers into the mud and grabbing handfuls of the cold, wet dirt. Shoulders shivering, she screamed. Her eyes squeezed shut and her stomach clenched from the force of her pain. Her scream bounced off of the tombstones, echoing around her like a chorus of punishment.

Her fault.
Her fault.
Her fault.

 It took all of Kate’s will not to just drop and accept death, to curl up in front of the graves of the only people she could still call family and join them in whatever Heaven awaited life after this Hell. With what strength she could muster, Kate pushed up off the dirt and stood up. Her legs were still putty and she found it hard to steady herself. Eventually, still sobbing, she turned away. She had to move. That was her training. Stay mobile, the monsters couldn’t find you that way. They can’t kill you if they can’t catch you. You can’t suffer if you run… right?

 So she ran, just like Gabriel had told her to. She ran through the archways, past the headstones with names she remembered too well. She broke out of the ivy and pain, covered in dirt and moss and pain. Blood speckled her jacket, saliva and tears stained her shirt, grime and mud stuck to her body and face like glue.
 Kate picked a random direction and kept moving. The empty white expanse lay uncharted before her, something to be lost in. As she ran she lost the energy to cry, her tears drying into salty furrows in the grime on her cheeks. Her vision cleared and caught sight of three dark shapes. They seemed as confused as she was, or at the very least directionless. Her training kicked in, the voices of drill sergeants and watch commanders screaming at her to find cover and gather information. She didn’t listen, much like when she had heard all that for the first time. She tried to ignore the fact that Gabriel’s voice was among them, the only voice telling her to trust her instincts.

 The girl couldn’t care less how hellish she looked. Her face was plastered with mud, her hair an absolute mess, her jacket and shirt torn, and dozens of scrapes and bruises adding color to her otherwise monotonous wardrobe. She slowed her sprint into a jog and her jog into a walk. Kate focused on breathing, calming her fears, and approached the group. She tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. Thankfully they didn't hear her break, and Kate was able to gather herself for a second attempt.

She managed a deceptively strong and confident tone. “Hey! Anyone mind telling me where we are and what the hell is going on?”

The taller one turned first, a golden mask covering his expression. Kate blanched internally, but she kept her outer facade strong.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you!”

 She rolled her shoulders, feeling the weight of a rifle on her back. Kate remembered dropping hers, when the Reavers had first attacked, but she wasn’t complaining as some semblance of confidence filled her chest. Then the other two turned, both girls. One look about Kate’s age, wearing an alabaster hoodie and a determined expression. The other wore a sad expression behind her glasses, seemingly caught just as she had found something to cry about. Kate instantly regretted her forward approach. Her voice softened.

“I just… I don’t know what’s happening…” Her tears had worn out back by the cemetery, but her voice still broke with sorrow. “Please... Help me.”

[Kaleigh Dactomb Nox]

Kaleigh was having a bit of trouble following the different language, a language that she was pretty sure was French, so she only caught about half of what Myst was saying. Despite that, she was pretty sure she understood the meaning behind it all. The paths led to gates, the gates led to… Mondays? Somewhere different, anyway.

She stared down the path that Myst had been pointing, folding her arms and taking a moment to think about the situation. She was still convinced that moving forward was their best option, the addition of one other person didn’t change that. Before she could act on that thought, however, another thought came to her head first. She turned to address her newest companion.

“So, you with that intimidating mask… are you evil?” she asked seriously, setting a hand on her hip as if to punctuate her sudden distrust of him.

There was a pause as the gentleman in the golden armor seemed to consider the question. To Kaleigh, that was suspicious, although it was difficult to gauge just how suspicious without being able to see his facial expressions. Finally, he answered.

"Evil?” The man questioned, an eyebrow raising far enough that it almost looked like it raised on the mask itself, “I am an Ordinator of the city guard of Vivec, upholder of Imperial law and protector of the Tribunal," the man responded sternly as he adjusted his stance, moving as if he was being called to stand at attention.

Kaleigh nodded knowingly at his answer, as if he had just explained something deep and meaningful. Truthfully, it sounded like more French. She was getting the feeling that he was in some sort of military, but what side he fought on wasn’t clear by any means.

“Right… but are you evil?” she asked again, just to be sure.

There was another long pause before the man answered again, this time deciding to use a more familiar phrase:

“No.”

Even with his mask on, Kaleigh had a feeling the question had annoyed him, or at the very least the way she had asked it. There was a sudden tension in the air that anyone would recognize, except for someone incredibly oblivious maybe. However, his answer satisfied her enough, and she smiled at him as she clapped her hands together.

“Well, then we can travel together to help Myst.” she decided, ready to get going before he could argue otherwise. Unfortunately, her master plan was foiled with the arrival of someone else, someone a bit more demanding.

(Repost of Kate’s dialogue for ease of reading.)
[spoiler]Kate focused on breathing, calming her fears, and approached the group. She tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. Thankfully they didn't hear her break, and Kate was able to gather herself for a second attempt.

She managed a deceptively strong and confident tone. “Hey! Anyone mind telling me where we are and what the hell is going on?”

The taller one turned first, a golden mask covering his expression. Kate blanched internally, but she kept her outer facade strong.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you!”

She rolled her shoulders, feeling the weight of a rifle on her back. Kate remembered dropping hers, when the Reavers had first attacked, but she wasn’t complaining as some semblance of confidence filled her chest. Then the other two turned, both girls. One look about Kate’s age, wearing an alabaster hoodie and a determined expression. The other wore a sad expression behind her glasses, seemingly caught just as she had found something to cry about. Kate instantly regretted her forward approach. Her voice softened.

“I just… I don’t know what’s happening…” Her tears had worn out back by the cemetery, but her voice still broke with sorrow. “Please... Help me.”[/spoiler]

Kolvo was preparing himself to respond to the girl, mentally readying himself to deal with a second distressed female, when he felt something brush past him. Before he could properly react, Kaleigh stepped past him and embraced the new girl, leaving him standing there staring.

“Whatever happened, you’re safe now,” Kaleigh assured her, squeezing her tight in a hug, “I will keep you safe, promise,” she added, not fully knowing why she was saying what she was saying. It just felt like the right thing at the moment.

Kaleigh held the hug for several seconds, trying to squeeze the fear and uncertainty out of the girl. She had only known the girl for a few moments, but everything that Kaleigh had observed about her had silently told her story. From her distraught look to the pain in her voice, the girl looked like she had been through a hell that most people couldn’t even imagine.

When she finally pulled away, Kaleigh grabbed one of her hands and gave it a squeeze, cementing them together with a firm grip. She was still reluctant to fully let go, but they needed to move.

“Come on, we’ll find a place more comfortable to relax,” she suggested, pulling the girl along. As she passed Myst she took her hand too, leading them both away from their pasts and into the future. A few steps later, she twisted her head back to call out to their last companion, “You too. If you ever want to find a way back to your Vivec, you gotta start somewhere.” she suggested.

Kolvo considered his options carefully, weighing the pros and cons of traveling with this group. On one hand, he was completely lost, and this was the only direction he had. On the other hand, it felt like he was getting into something troublesome if he went along. Truthfully, there seemed to more cons than anything, but his duty pushed him to assist those in need.

Finally, he made his decision, the heavy footfalls of his armor bearing a stark contrast to the lightweight females in front of him. He would travel with them, for now.

***

It was a two-hour journey to their destination, one that was filled with an awkward, uneasy silence. Despite that, however, no one verbally complained at any point. Whether it was because they were used to long trips without knowing their destination or because they had no better plans, Kaleigh couldn’t know. She was just grateful they stuck together; having company was something she wasn’t used to, and it wasn’t something she wanted to end too soon.

As the walked closer to the snow ice covered archway that made up the gate, Kaleigh turned to Myst, searching her face for the recognition that would show that this was the right direction. Instead, she found the familiar uncertainty that seemed to be running rampant in their group. She sighed and brought them all to a halt, examining the entryway that they would soon be passing through.

“Man, I wish we had some camping gear or something, we could just relax here for now,” Kaleigh announced out loud, turning to the group expectantly. She went from face to face, hoping someone would speak up and say they had some.

“Ah, we could faire venir some?” Myst suggested helpfully, “Um… Summon them, yes?”

Kolvo grunted at that.

“I’m not sure whether your foreign tongue or your English is harder to understand.” He exclaimed, “How would we summon equipment like that? Are you a mage?”

“Non,” Myst frowned, remembering now that the armored man was new to Omniverse, “It is done with the Omnillium. You just think about what you want and voila,” She finished explaining, moving her hands in a theatrical motion to emphasize her point.

There was a pause as the group attempted to comprehend this, each of them struggling in their own way. Kolvo seemed to dismiss the idea as outrageous, while Kate seemed too distracted to really care. Kaleigh, meanwhile, was trying to figure out the specifics of what Myst was saying, like where she was supposed to get the Omnillium to summon stuff with. She remembered the rainbow-like stone she had been handed, but it had disappeared as soon as she had taken it…

Before she could be too lost, however, Myst stepped up as their savior once more. With a practiced hand, she started to summon something right before their eyes, the usual rainbow-colored shell drawing catching the eye of her companions as they watched with interest. A few minutes later, and a pink tent with white frills decorating it suddenly appeared before them.

“Zee? It is that simple,” she said with a smile.

***

Sometime later, the quartet sat around a summoned fire pit just off the path headed to the gate. Each of them had practiced summoning in some way or another, learning first hand just how simple it was, and now they waited for the food that was slowly cooking above the fire.

“So, now that we’re all relaxed… this is a good time for introductions and stories.” Kaleigh decided cheerily, “Anyone want to go first?”

[Beta Ray Bill]

Kolvo's red eyes left the fixation of fire finding a new target. He raised an eyebrow at Kaleigh's question. 

"Tell stories and introductions?" He questioned taking his golden mask off revealing his Dark Elf features for the first time to the group. 

"Yeah, you can go first," Kaleigh said in a cheerful tone. 

"I... I don't have time for such things! My world is on fire raving in madness as Daedra roam freely slaughtering all in there way." 

"Mon Dieu, That sounds terrible although... I've never heard of such a thing," Myst said showing concern.

Kolvo felt even more confused from Myst's response. How does someone not know what such a thing is? The Daedra have plagued Tamriel since the dawn of time. Is this Omniverse separate from any realm known to men nor mer?

"The Daedra... They are monsters, creatures bent on destruction and enjoy the torment of mortals, they are a challenge best not dealt with." 

Kolvo took out a canteen he summoned moments ago from his side taking several sips in the hops of something calming him down. 

"Could you tell us more about your world and yourself, it might help us in helping one find a way back home?" Kaleigh implied as she took up the food from fire passing it around to everyone. 

With a low sigh, Kolvo took his food taking several bits before answering. 

"Very well." He took another moment to gather himself. "I was born on a continent, a continent most consider dangerous, harsh and cruel. It was Harsh enough that it even earned the title of The Arena. Tamriel was her name and I lived in the far east in the province of Morrowind born upon a large island called Vvardenfell." He took a second observing the others as they began listening to his introduction. "I Kolvo Galvus is part of a group of special solder/guards known only as the Ordinators. Ordered to guard and protect the Tribunal Temples and as well hold the law of the land. I guarded the great city of Vivec protecting it from dangers of any kind. My world, almost completely controlled by the Cyrodillic Empire was at peace, that was until the Oblivion gates began to open." 

"Are those the Daedra you keep talking about?" Kate interrupted. 

Kolvo slightly turned his dark-skinned head to face her, lightly nodding in response. 

"The Daedra came so unexpected pillaging cities north of the island before reaching south to us. From what I heard other cites all around Tamriel experienced the same issue." 

"Well, what happened?" Kaleigh asked. 

"I got word from a messenger that some bold adventurer closed a gate in Kavatch near the heartland of the Empire. So desperately looking for some way to stop the monsters and save my home and family I gathered as many men as I could muster and set off for the gate near our city." 

"What happened?" Kate asked her face perched up with curiousness.

Kolvo fell silent bowing his head sighing a few times before raising it back up. 

"I don't know... I think... I died." 

Everyone fell silent for a moment, taking bits of their food and sipping their canteens filled with water. 

"So..." Kaleigh perked up. "Who... Want's to go next?"

[Kate Hunt]

Kate listened to Kolvo intensely, but her body language betrayed her detachment from the conversation. The stories around the fire reminded her of better times and were a pleasant reprise from the walk to the gate. Kate was sick of long walks. She had become familiar with that, a skill she had been forced to learn on long treks and boring patrols. Taking a seat around a warm fire with some fresh water allowed her to relax somewhat. As Kolvo spoke, Kate glanced around at the other members of their party.

The other girl, Kaleigh, still baffled Kate. The wanton care and support lavished by her was unexpected and unwarranted. Kate wasn’t sure if it was the pain of losing her friends and her world or the panic of being seen as something more than a speck in the universe that made her feel worse about it. The last thing she wanted was for people to care about her, not again. She tried to forget about the hug and focus on Kolvo’s words, but it was difficult to push her thoughts out of her head.

Eventually, the Dark Elf’s story came to an end, and Kaleigh once again catalyzed positivity.

“So…” Kaleigh perked up. “Who… wants to go next?”

Kate glanced at the third girl, Myst, hoping she would pick up the slack. Much to the young rebel’s chagrin, she did quite the opposite.

“Perhaps our newest ami should share her story,” Myst suggested kindly.

Awkwardly, Kate shot her gaze to the ground and brushed back some hair stuck to her grimy cheeks. Despite having summoned a canteen of water, Kate hadn’t taken the time to clean herself yet. After all, dirt and blood were all she had to remind her of the Hell she had left behind: her home. Kate racked her brain for a decent response to Myst’s suggestion, and she managed to generate something passable.

“I’m… uh… From Washington… I think. There were… monsters that hunted us. The people I mean. Humanity. I… fought them sometimes.” Her palm itched as Kate’s brain wandered through memories. “I was fighting some with my frie-... I was fighting some when I showed up here.”

Kate found it surprisingly easy to squelch any emotional response this time. She chalked it up to shock and took a swing of water from her canteen. An awkward pause followed. The long silence was meant to punctuate the end of Kate’s story, but the Dark Elf beside her knitted his brow.

“Surely, that is not the end of your tale?” Kolvo leaned forward, elbow on his knee and canteen in hand. “You appear as if you have been through Oblivion.”

“Yeah, I probably look like crap, huh.” Kate dragged a thumb across her cheek, pulling it away smudged with grime.

She tightened her lips, feeling the grit between her teeth, and took another swig of water. Then, she tilted the canteen and poured some onto her left hand. The clear liquid cleared away the dirt that caked her palm, revealing the symbol burned there. Forcing herself to ignore it, Kate cupped the water in her hand and splashed her face. After a few passes, she managed to wipe away the outer layer of grime. Blinking away droplets that gathered on her eyelids, the young survivor glanced at her new traveling companions. Kaleigh was still locked in, listening intently, and Kolvo seemed to share her interest. Myst, directly beside Kate, was just outside of her field of view. Kate had made it a point not to look at her. There was something about the girl that scared her, not as a threat but as a potential friend. The sadness in her eyes was all too familiar. Then, the girl in the white hoodie splayed out her hands, mildly exasperated.

“...So? Keep going!”

The young soldier sighed, picking at the hair tucked behind her ear and staring at the fire. There was no reason not to share, except maybe out of fear and pain. There was a lot of Hell to remember, and a lot she couldn’t. Kate bit her cracked lip, breaking the skin, and closed her eyes. After taking a breath, she spoke again.

“I’m Kate Hunt. I’m from California, which is… well, it’s a place where I’m from I guess. It’s hot there sometimes. When I was six, the monsters came. Aliens, some people think. Big metal things with sharp claws and empty faces. They killed my parents, slaughtered the soldiers that tried to save us, and started just taking over the whole world.”

Flashes of the vile beasts flitted through her mind, false shadows flickering at the edge of the fire as her memories forced themselves to the surface.

“People say they can steal your soul, that they eat whatever the spirit is made of when you’re just about to die. It’s like hell, forever, trapped inside a monster’s mind. I think I’ve seen it but…”

Her voice cracked, and Kate took another sip from her canteen. Myst placed a quiet hand on Kate’s shoulder, giving the girl the strength to continue. With a weak smile to the French woman, Kate continued.

“When I was eight these things came and took me from the people who were protecting me. They dragged me really far, to the point where I don’t even remember. I don’t remember anything really. I don’t remember much of anything else until I turned 14.”

Dark visions of terrified children, screams, machines, and symbols racked her brain. Her palm started to burn at the misted memories. More Watchers like the ones who had taken her floated about the clinical environment her mind conjured, tentacles long and terrifyingly sentient. Fragments came and went, and Kate elected to keep what she could remember to herself.

“Then a bunch of survivors picked me up in Washington, which is way north of California. I stood with them a while. They taught me how to fight and survive, and we avoided the Dogs for a few years. I met some really nice people too.”

Kate’s passing memories of Gabe’s face was supplemented by the way that she could almost hear his voice, laughing just a camp over at something Faraday had said. She shook off the near hallucination and smiled sadly. The voices faded, replaced by her crushing guilt and despair. She glanced down at her palm thoughtfully. The burning along her mark had sunk into a dull throb. She wrestled with the idea of sharing her mark, self-conscious as she was about it. Reavers hunted her for it. People had died over it. The last thing Kate wanted was to drag anyone else into her personal war with the Reavers.

However, in this Omniverse, there was no reason to believe they were even here. The damned Screamers had probably been left behind in the forest… feeding on her friends’ corpses. Kate swallowed back her apprehensions and looked up. Across the fire was an invested Kaleigh. The flickering flames lit up her concern and interest. The other girl’s eyes flicked to the hand Kate gripped like a vise and her brows tilted curiously. Against her better judgment, Kate held out her branded hand. A dim greenish glow pulsed from the dark lines in tune with her thumping heartbeat.

“Then this started to burn, and the Reavers started coming again.” She said, feeling the heat of the campfire intermingle with the burning of her scar.

“What is that?” Kolvo inquired.

Kate retracted her hand hastily, burying it in her jacket. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”

Kaleigh tilted her head. “So the dirt and blood and stuff; were you in a fight?”

“Yeah. A bunch of Reavers attacked my friends and me while we were on patrol.” The gunshots and screams haunted her. “That’s actually the last thing I remember before showing up here.”

She exempted the fact that the monsters had been after her, drawn to the mark on her palm, and that her friend’s deaths had been her fault. Kate slapped her palms on her thighs to signal that she was done talking and stood up.

“Anyway, I’m gonna get some air.” Kate picked up her rifle from beside where she had been sitting and slung it over her shoulder. “Have fun.”

“Where are you going??” Kaleigh called after her.

“Just.. for a walk. I won’t go far.” Kate glanced at the massive gate beside them. As long as she kept it in sight, she could make it back.

[Little Rose]

It was truly disturbing to hear such tales of what her new friends have gone through. Kovol’s strange words and titles, names, races, all of it made so little sense as things she knew from history. However, she fully understood what tragedy was and how full of it his story had been. She pitied him. Sandy could understand completely that lost feeling and the urgency of wanting to get back to someone she cared about to help in any other way she could. Clownpiece came to her mind immediately, but she would like to help Dane and China despite the harsh words the golem had said to her.

The golden armored warrior may be completely unaware of how relatable he was as she was afraid to say anything sympathetic in fear that she’d come off as insensitive to him. She just stared back at his lifted helmet with the saddest look a girl could give you behind red-framed glasses.

She didn’t know now why she hoped that Kate’s story would be any better. She was covered head to toe in mud, gunk, grime, and everything else that disguised the blood and sweat from her senses. It wasn’t like she understood what was going on either, so it isn’t like she came from a particular verse…

She wasn’t just left heartbroken but left with nothing to say. Sadly she could empathize with Kate as well, given her situation.

She understood conquests and fear for the family and loved ones on her side. None of them she had anymore. The gravestones that had surrounded her own when she'd respawned reminded her of that. She has desperately tried not to think about her family and what she'd done to them if only because her master had told her not to dread over it for the guilt would be too overwhelming and would kill her. He stated that she was far too sweet to be consumed by negativity.

No, it wasn’t the exact same thing but she felt the eyes of the ghost from her past staring at the back of her skull, perhaps even wishing the worse for her. It would seem that in this world she would not just die a thousand times over for each mistake she made in the past, but another thousand for each one in the future.

Myst stared down at the black liquid that swirled ominously in the pristine white china cup that sat on her saucer. In her lap lay a few treats, specifically a croissant with butter, a few cheeses, and a small bunch of red seedless grapes. She stirred the small silver spoon around the circumference of the cup. Kate’s story had left the air too thick to discuss anything, let alone her own past. It felt pale in comparison to the American girl and the Dark Elf’s.

She waited for Kate’s return, who apologized once more about the inability to hold such intense feelings inside. She got nothing but headshakes and concerned eyes from them all. That she was justified in feeling what she had.

Once again silence fell upon them, Kaleigh - apparently uneasy by this - spoke up again. “And… You?”

"Je m'appelle... My name iz Cassandra Myst. I am alone. My family had been devoured by a vampire who was part of a bigger plan to wipe out my town. I am zee only zurvivor." She said, neglecting to explain that she was the vampire who did such horrific things to her own family. If any past experience has told her anything about admitting this to mortals, it was that it was a bad idea. "I come from a world with a country called France. Zat is my home, my language." She lowered her eyes to the fire.

Death in flames used to be one of the only horrors she kept, but now she did not fear it at all. Now that she has experienced death here, she wasn't sure what she should fear either. "I only had ma famille, mon frère." She cleared her through. "How do you zay... Brother? He was my only anchor to my world and zen he..." Steam still poured from her cup of coffee. The dark liquid reflecting the brightness all around her. Sandy stared into it thoughtfully.

"Zat was a long time ago, I have been without anyone for a while now. I waz on a walk through town as I did from day to day when I was swallowed up by zis monstre! It brought me here. Here where I met a man name Cade, a man name Jacob, and a woman named Angel. But I 'ave no desire to go to ze beach, as I cannot swim. So, I got to ze jungle where I met a man named Dane. He had with him ze little girl name Clownpiece."

She jumped up as if she'd forgotten something, looking up. "And Renko, she was my first encounter zere. Clowpiece also had a pet, his name was China. He was huge!" She stopped when she remembered China's words. They ricocheted through her mind and she wondered at that moment if she should even attempt to find them again at that moment. "China did not like me, he said that I was annoying. Perhaps... Maybe... I am?" She seemed to shrink from the group.

"Non." Kaleigh cried out, in her best French. It was a simple word. "Not at all." She reached over and touched her new friend's shoulder. "Whoever this China is, he doesn't know what he's talking about! You've been so helpful to us, so he clearly doesn't even know you!" Her passion exploded from her.

Myst looked up at the others, Kate didn't say much but her look said she was grateful for someone who could explain this place better than that Omni guy.

Kolvo didn't look particularly impressed or unimpressed by this, but he also seemed grateful for whatever assistance she provided.

"Merci." She mumbled, looking back into the cup. "I should explain zomezing I also discovered about zis place. I died trying to protect mon amie. However, just now. I was brought back. I don't know what happened, but I believe zat us Primes will resurrect if we ever die. Perhaps zat iz what Omni meant..."

"Resurrection...you mean like necromancy?" Kovol asked. The French woman had mentioned vampirism...

Kate turned stone quiet, her jaw falling somewhat as the initial wave of knowledge hit her. Then it turned over like the ocean breathing on her and it slammed into her once more as she realized what that meant. Everything she knew about death meant nothing. Did this Omni figure bring her there just to mock her so openly?

"I've never had to worry about death myself." Kaleigh interrupted thoughtlessly and abruptly "So that doesn't mean much to me."

"No-" Myst went to answer Kolvo but found herself being interrupted by Kaleigh. The way Cassy looked up at her, the fracture in the corner of her glasses could be seen much more clearly. As if that statement had broken them itself.

The woman in the white hood had spoken so bluntly that the group around her stopped and looked at her now. They now stared at her with a mix of emotions, but the base for these looks was confusion. She looked from one to the other, like a dog trying to contain her excitement at having so many good people around her. After a short period of time, she realized it was her turn. “Oh!” She barked unintentionally, “My turn?”