Hymn of Harmony (Worm/Ar Tonelico Crossover Alt Trigger Taylor) (Complete)

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Seventh Arc 7.3



-May 20, 2011-



-Hebert Home for the Terminally Strange-



I swear someone out there is laughing at me. That might sound paranoid, but it doesn't mean it's not true. My body was still somewhat stiff. By this point it was becoming bothersome. I know why it felt like this. Days of forced inactivity in a coma followed by flooding my recovering body with energy? I could at least make it around the house alone. Finally. I was the only one at home today. Dad was still out of work for another few days. He, Kat, and Sonata were running some errands. They planned on being home sometime this afternoon. Despedia and Cocona still had school to attend. What damage the attack caused was far from the schools so both were open.

Endbringer attacks and school was barely closed for a day. Teachers are truly frightening creatures.

I flopped down on the couch bonelessly. The damage reports all said the same thing. Don't do that again. To put it in perspective, with just one core I exceeded the power behind Replekia. A satellite that could receive and amplify the power from multiple Reyvateils. It was used to create a continent. I was still trying to wrap my head around that. That was just one core. Now I have nineteen? I was honestly overwhelmed. No one should have this kind of power, but by my own actions it's mine. The alternative was allowing the cores to activate and killing the Endbringers one after another. There would be nothing left of the world by the time it was done. If we even survived. The energy would have still had to go somewhere. For all we knew total core destruction would have caused all that power to release at once. Good bye solar system at least.

I had a couple plans to safely tie up some of this power. If I could bind it up in multiple high energy workings that would greatly decrease my strain. Now to figure out exactly how to do it so that I could still access the power. The thought of just bringing my Tower into Brockton Bay occurred to me. It wasn't a bad idea really. Make an artificial island in the bay and then dimensionally shift it over. Using the device that Sasha developed to send Cocona here. Artificial islands were fairly easy to make. They were just time consuming. Make enough robots and automate the process, however, and it would be done in no time. Well give it a few months. I needed a quicker solution. Actually it would be vastly simpler to make generators to extend the range of my Interface Field. Make it self sustaining. The power draw for it would be hideous even with my current generation of Sol Reactors. However tying a core's worth of energy to it would allow the field to exist indefinitely. Of course the sheer area of it would be mind boggling. Extending the field straight upward would keep it from needing too much space to stabilize on the ground.

Okay that part was easy. When you effectively have an unlimited power budget it becomes easier to cheat the system. Mother would approve. The devices for helping me regulate and manipulate the power would still take some time to construct, but not months. I could send the request over the large fabricator to begin production. Oh and there's Lisa telling Dragon my plans. Am I in the damn chat channel again?

"Yes, yes you are." The blonde informed me cheerfully.

Oh who cares? Dragon has more large fabricators than I do and can do the job. Probably better than I can. Now the hard part was going to be getting permission to do all this. I could see the PRT bending over backwards at this point, if the Triumvirate actually explained my upgraded status. If they didn't then getting the permissions would be harder to get. That was just the PRT. Then came Brockton Bay. Well actually that might not be so difficult. I can't believe that I'm thinking of leveraging what happened to Behemoth for this. The worst part is that the plan isn't bad. Brutal self honesty compelled me to think just what the boost in reputation meant. I was a worldwide celebrity. If I said it didn't make me feel giddy, I'd be lying. If I didn't say it went to my head, I'd be lying. Then I hear their melodies. My family. I then remember not to be so hard on myself. I'm only fifteen still. Let that sink in for a minute. I'm a fifteen year old girl with nineteen spiral galaxies worth of power, the technology of a hyper advanced civilization, and my mother figure no selled a Goddess on her home turf when she was a kid.

Now I just scared myself.

Though that was a wonderful reminder that I'm not a bad person. My plans are the same as they've always been. Help the world rebuild in a more stable manner. We don't have a functioning society anymore. Not the way people think. The end of the world came and no one recognized it when it happened. His name was Scion and he ended the world. It's a little dramatic, but still accurate. When capes came, the old world died. Civilization adapted and a new world was born. It still looks like the old world, but it's clearly not. Now it was moving towards another growth. There would be a tower when I was done. Frelia had a Song for supporting land. She just needed a lot of power. Tyria's Tower was a Song Magic construct if I remembered correctly. Whose to say I couldn't just BS everything? That would rather neatly tie up much of that extra power. If I used the structures to indirectly link to the cores they wouldn't overload me.

"Mom...stop bending physics over the table." Sonata said over the channel.

"SONATA!" Several voices echoed. Some were scandalized while one of them was laughing. Love you, Mom. Totally love you.

"I don't get it..." Frelia said in a bewildered fashion. "I can send the Song to you at anytime, Taylor." She still didn't get what my dear sweet girl was talking about.

"I don't see why you can't look over the notes for my Tower, but it was my body that was the construct." Tyria didn't see a problem with it. Clearly she was trying to move past that startling statement.

"I hate to interrupt, but just how did you end up with that much power?" A familiar voice asked. Casty hadn't been heard from lately. It was good to hear her voice again.

"Apparently each Endbringer had the power of a spiral galaxy within their core. I think the Entities have more power than sense. Oh well their loss is my gain." For reality spanning beings they were remarkably stupid.

"If you like there's an entire library of Songs and other things that might be of use to you. I could send the data." She offered. Ra Ciela and Ar Ciel were ridiculously advanced. With the first planet edging the other out by a wide margin. Casty was offering me an unbelievable gift.

"What would you like for it?" I asked just to clarify. It was a wonderful gift and I was willing to respond in kind. If I could.

"If you would allow me to come to Earth Bet and personally study your Tower once it's constructed that would suffice." Casty replied. I tried to wrap my head around that.

"I know there would be an Interface Field, but accidents happen." I did not want Shurelia's friend going boom from a violent application of waveform to particle physics.

"Taylor...you've already solved that problem..." Lisa informed me gently. When did I do that? Wait. The design in my head for the Interface Field generator. Scale it down and it would make an Interface Layer. The person would still have to wear it outside the field, but holy crap. I did just solve that problem. My head hit the end of the couch with a dazed thunk.

"Mom just did a headdesk." Sonata said sweetly.

"Nope. I did a headcouch. Big difference." I was kind of in shock. Judging by the silence on the other end the others were as well. I could actually meet these people face to face in the physical world. Actual interaction was possible. Holy shit that's huge.

"You broke your own brain. I have no idea how you did it, but you did. Taylor honey? Snap out of it!" Mir barked and I leaped up into a sitting position.
"Yes ma'am!" I desperately tried to get my hear rate under control. Okay so that was scary. Sue me.

"Just imagine the possibilities. From Ar Ciel to Earth Bet and then to Ra Ciela. We could truly connect to one another." Shurelia said wonderingly.

"Don't pass out, Taylor. Your melody is behaving oddly." Despedia's voice broke in with concern.

"Let's just step back and give her some space. Honey? Close the channel on your end for now. Okay?" Cocona suggested. Good idea.

"I'll catch you later once my head stops spinning." A chorus of goodbyes and well wishes heralded my departure. I sighed. My head really was spinning. The ideas swirling around were like a maelstrom threatening to sweep me away. Back when it was just me and I was limited to technology, energy and materials were a concern. Even with the fabricators I still needed more of a support structure. Quite a bit of the more useful things I knew from Ar Ciel needed more energy than was readily available. Everything I constructed was designed to amplify my energy. Maximum gain for minimum effort. Now my problem was more energy than I could use safely.

No one knows just how close I came to dying. I used the healing Song after waking. It hurt so much to heal and not reveal a trace of the pain. The Song was stupidly powerful and put me back on my feet, but the energy draw left me sore again. I was recovering from healing myself. The thought of crafting a passive Song to grant myself endurance flitted through my mind. How would that work? My body was still fleshy. If I enhanced it too far the build up might just make me explode. That was not hyperbole. So I broke the problem down into parts. My energy channels were sore which was making my body hurt. The first thing that needed reinforcement were those. Once that was taken care of the issue with my body would be solved as well. Channeling that much power for any great length of time would result in me shutting down. Death. Reyvateil I may be, but invincible I'm not.

Reinforcing the energy channels would ease the strain on my body. From there I needed to enhance the myself to withstand the power draw. I refused to tweak my Interface Layer even though it would be a great shortcut. It would be great right up until I accidentally blew myself up. Something that would permeate my body. The flesh and bones needed shoring up.

"I'm going around in circles! All this spinning my wheels crap is annoying. If I don't plan it out..." I trailed off. Why was I worrying so much? Intent and emotion. Feeling. Isn't that a Reyvateil's greatest strength? What did I intend to do? Not die from accidental overload. There were underlines, asterisks, and bold font on that directive. In that regard I knew exactly what needed to be done. The Song would have to woven into my natural melody. I could keep one line of thought Singing it until it became instinctive. Actually having several lines of thought Singing would be more effective. I would need a couple days to put it together. It wasn't like I needed it right away. The last report on Leviathan's position placed him in the middle of the ocean. Completely unmoving. I had plenty of time. Once that realization passed through my mind I started to relax. The van pulled up in the driveway. How long was I lost in thought? The door flew open and a humanoid missile dived on me.

"Hi Mom!" Sonata cheered as she snuggled with me. I held her tightly.

"Welcome home, Sonata." I kissed her hair. A camera flashed.

"That is just so cute. Total Kodak moment." Kat said with a grin.

"Only that's not a Kodak. It's a Sony." Dad teased her. She elbowed him playfully. I was struck suddenly by just how good they looked together. It wasn't like I hadn't noticed they liked each other before. They wouldn't be dating if they didn't. I was finally seeing it without a thousand other things clamoring for my attention.

"Grandpa's gonna teach me to make meatloaf." My daughter beamed at me.

"Don't get too excited. He's just trying to get out of making dinner." The older woman ruffled Sonata's hair. She responded maturely by sticking out her tongue. Stubborn, willful, and cute as a button. Where did I go right?

"Where did I go right?" I murmured aloud. Sonata rested her head on my chest. The front door opened as Des and Cocona got home from school. A faint warmth resonated inside of me. Whatever happened tomorrow at least we had today and that was enough.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Interlude: Hope and Despair



-Eidolon-



It just didn't seem real. Nothing did at this point. He could put on a brave face for his friends, but in private it all fell apart. To find out that he was, however unintentionally, at fault for the Endbringers? It was a bitter pill to swallow. He sat in his home, out of costume. The broken man just stared straight ahead. The focus of his gaze was a picture taken in happier times. Four people stood side by side and mugged for the camera. Four heroes that were going to make the world safe again. Alexandria, Legend, himself, and Hero. Hero. Killed by Behemoth. One of the Endbringers that he was indirectly responsible for awakening.

He might as well have killed Hero himself.

No one was blaming him. That's alright. He had enough blame for himself. Cauldron had relied on him to aid in the fight against the Golden Man, Zion, but his power had been on the decline. Each time he went out to fight, more power was lost. A dark certainty had started to develop that he was running out of time. Eventually there would come a day that he was unable to draw another power. That thought had lead to many sleepless nights. He still wanted to be a hero. He still wanted to do good for the people, but right now his heart was locked in ice. His mind in stone. His body felt like lead. He took a swig from the beer bottle in his hand and wished for something stronger. How long had he sat like this? Days or weeks? It didn't seem real.

His traitorous mind took him back to that meeting.

Weakened and exhausted, Aria had still faced them down. The reports were clear. She had just awakened from a coma-like state and had immediately faced Behemoth. Her white and gold armor armor gleamed as if with an inner light. She was magnificent. There was nothing in her demeanor to suggest that she was weak, let alone a child. He could clearly see her joining their ranks in a few years. Her record spoke for itself. Clean energy, medical tech, materials technology, and food. All ways to improve the human condition on Earth Bet. That didn't even take into account the weapons and defense technologies that put a normal on par with a parahuman.

He and Legend hadn't agreed with Alexandria on holding this meeting. It could have waited for her to be fully recuperated. Somehow he had the feeling it wouldn't have changed anything. The meeting was still a disaster. She deflected Alexandria's tactics with a brutal frankness that hit like a gut punch. Nothing she said was delivered to cause harm, but it also lacked any restraint. There were no flowery words or signs of the diplomacy she was known for. The revelation of the true source of the Endbringers was horrifying. He had simply become numb. Dimly, David realized that Aria had broken the news to him with sympathy. In desperate denial, he used one of his powers to read her. The answer came back immediately.

The Endbringers were his fault.

It didn't matter that his friends told him later that it wasn't his fault. Contessa had even confirmed their words. The terrible things were weapons crafted by Eden to stir up conflict. None of it mattered. In a sudden fit of anger he whipped the bottle across the room. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. What was he going to do now? His power was even lower than before this all started. Where did he fit in anymore? He was no longer Cauldron's best hope. He wasn't much of a hope to begin with. A smile made it's way onto his face. Aria would be able to take over. The thought was strangely freeing. They didn't need a broken down tool. A knock at the door interrupted his spiraling thoughts. He experienced a flash of irritation at the disturbance, but still got up to see who it was. The door opened to reveal his friends.

The thought of just shutting the door crossed his mind and was quickly discarded. Something in their expressions warmed him slightly. He stepped aside to let them inside. Sometimes that was all you had to do.



-Uber, Leet, and Dragonzord-



Uber and Leet stared at their giant friend. He was in shambles. His outer frame had to be removed due to radioactivity. It was a bitter pill to swallow. They knew that fighting Behemoth was not going to be easy. Their entire plan had boiled down to protect the city and not die. With the help of Mecha Godzilla and Motor Boss they did something few others could ever claim. They locked down the Endbringer. Denied him access to the city. They held him down while Alexandria and Despedia carved him like a Thanksgiving turkey.

"It just doesn't feel real." Leet finally said. His face was a confusing mass of emotions. Uber gripped his shoulder.

"He didn't go out with a whimper. He went with a roar." The other man said. It was painful. Dragonzord had made it back to base, but something was gone. When they tried to fire him up to test his systems, nothing. His internal systems were a mess. Damaged servos, artificial muscles destroyed, his inner frame was weakened severely. The only thing that had kept him moving was pure spirit.

Uber and Leet were used to the Tinker's inventions eventually failing. Dragonzord had even started as a failure before becoming a resounding success. It had become a he and he had become a friend. They were just trying to figure out what happened. Did the mighty dragon suddenly go the way of all Leet tech? No. That couldn't be what happened. Did he die out there? His mighty spirit keeping him going until the very end with the only desire to die at home?

"You did good, big guy. Behemoth was kept out and the city is safe. The day was saved thanks to you and Mecha Godzilla." Leet managed to say, but his voice was suspiciously thick. Uber put an arm around his buddy's shoulders.

"It's hard to believe this happened. He came into our lives suddenly and left just as fast. Just look at his track record. Undefeated champion." Uber's tone was subdued. Oh they could rebuild him. However, the spark that made Dragonzord, Dragonzord, was gone. The Thinker handed his friend the Dragon Flute. "Don't send him off into the dark without a light." Leet nodded miserably before bringing the flute up to his lips and playing the familiar song. The notes changed by the sorrow, but also the joy. He lowered the instrument.

"...Goodbye friend..." Leet said softly. They bowed their heads. The boys that dared to dream felt a bit colder. A bit lonelier.

A pulse...

A beat...

A gathering force...

A mighty roar shook the heavens! They suddenly stared in surprise at the wreckage of Dragonzord, but the voice wasn't coming from there. From the monitors and computers came the savage sound. Leet stumbled as he hurried over to a terminal. He hit several keys in wonder.

"What's going on...?" Uber spoke softly as if by saying it louder the miracle would disappear.

"He...he offloaded himself...he offloaded himself into the network! Buddy! He's alive!" Leet grabbed Uber in a bear hug.

"Holy shit! Ha ha ha ha! Nothing keeps you down, huh!?" They stared at the monitor showing a rapidly compiling blueprint complete with model of Dragonzord. The Tinker stared as a strange pulse raced through him. Connecting. Joining. Harmony with the system. On the next screen the schematics for the White Tigerzord appeared.

"...It looks like he brought a friend..." Uber stated in stunned amazement. Through faith and friendship all things are possible. All you have to do is dare to dream.



-Motor Boss-



It just wasn't rational. She was an ex-junkie who was used to seeing things that weren't there, but usually drugs had been involved. Dragonzord had become like her white whale. Uber, Leet, and Dragonzord had somehow shaped themselves in her mind into an obstacle. It just didn't make sense. She would never be a woman of pure logic, but dammit it there should at least be some! Machine spirits, heart of the cards, all that mystical bullshit just infuriated her. There was no proof that any of that shit existed.

There was no proof that it didn't either, a traitorous part of her mind noted.

She wasn't going to deign to respond to her hind brain awareness. At least, she refused back then. Instead she poured her entire being and disdain into crafting the ultimate war machine. Mecha Godzilla was a master craft. A deliberate insult to the gaming duo. They wanted to parade around with their little toy? She'd just have to smash it. Unfortunately, the smashing proved easier said than done. Oh sure, she could always blame the construction mech that helped, but honestly that dragon was built tough. Tougher than her own machine. She might have lost Mecha Godzilla I, but she got a sample of Dragonzord's nigh invulnerable armor. The secrets of a greater machine were within her grasp.

It was steel. Just steel. There was no secret process or technique. It was just fucking steel. She railed, she raged, she blew shit up, but nothing changed that fact. Somehow the damn thing was just made of steel. The large fabricator that she had produced stronger metals than that, Mecha Godzilla I was constructed of them, but the steel dragon outperformed it by miles. Just remembering that still made her fume.

Motor Boss just said screw it and rebuilt her machine. Bigger, stronger, and more massive. Mecha Godzilla II was unbridled power given form. The black box from the original was used since the combat data was so valuable. She was ready for round two. Whether those gaming hacks were was anybody's guess. The battle was shaping up nicely. Oh sure, Dragonzord was faster than before, but the armor on her machine was even better. She was going to show those punks who was boss.

Then came Behemoth.

Terror like she had never known before gripped her. This was the Hero Killer and all she had was a tin can that was feeling more like a coffin. She blustered well, but the fear was real. Her fingers refused to work. Motor Boss was suddenly Squealer once more. Terrified of every little sound and needing drugs just to function. She hated remembering that time. When the drugs became her courage. Coil was a bastard, but he had carefully rebuilt her self esteem. Got her cleaned up. All of that progress was gone.

Mecha Godzilla's roar surprised her. She was shocked back to reality by the powerful machine moving without her input. A hot rage burned inside as she suddenly hated Behemoth with all of her being. That bastard made her remember. Made her remember clawing her way through trash. Made her remember all the times that Skidmark treated her like shit. He made her remember when her life was not her own. Her mech almost seemed alive. The very thing that she had scorned Uber and Leet for was suddenly not so impossible.

Behemoth never set foot inside the city. He never made it past the metal dragons. The victory that resulted from their actions made her feel warm inside. Validation. Now she was back in the hangar as parts of Mecha Godzilla's armor were being removed. He would be repaired. She had planned a full overhaul of everything, including his logic systems, but decided that was too much. You didn't mess with what worked after all. Even at your lowest point there is always a way out. If you have the courage.



AN: Someone wanted to see how Eidolon handled the revelation. Somehow this turned into an exploration of Hope and Despair.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Seventh Arc 7.4



-May 21, 2011-



-Outside of Brockton Bay-



Day 1



Today was the first day of practice for my new Song. I know roughly how it's supposed to work, but the implementation will be hard. Cocona, Despedia, Sonata, and Lisa were all at a safe distance. They insisted on coming out with me just in case I needed assistance. No way was I going to disagree. The area was fairly large as I was using force field generators to make a one hundred foot radius dome. It was for the best that no one wander into it accidentally. My family each had a device to let them walk through the barrier and the monitoring equipment was recording everything. I wasn't expecting it to go perfectly on the first try. My seat was one of those sinfully leather chairs just because I could. Also this wouldn't work if I had to worry about falling down.

The mental checklist included reinforcing my energy pathways, reinforcing my body, strengthening my bones, and enhancing my flesh. Four goals to meet. I was going to have to do them all at the same time which would require four different Songs. At least at first. Once I figured out the exact method then combining them into one was the next step. In order to avoid killing myself I was going to use my Tranquil Song. Healing and regeneration in one package. It was probably the only Song I felt safe using at this time.

First Step. Tranquil Song

My body flooded with healing energy. It had nothing to do at this moment, but that was fine. I waited a few minutes to let the momentum build.

Second Step: Reinforcement: Energy Pathways

I started a new tangent line of thought. The basic idea behind reinforcement was to create a stable shell around what you were trying to enhance and then fill it with energy. Deceptively simple and diabolically complex. My voice wove the energy carefully. I used a bit of extra energy for Oversight. Ugh. It was taking more and more energy to force it as I aligned more to this dimension. I dedicated a single Core to fueling Oversight and my mind expanded once more. I felt my inner strength improve. It felt a little bouncy, but I could iron it out later. The inner heat from using this power cooled, but didn't affect the flow.

Levels holding steady. Body condition green. If I move, it will still screw me over. Right now I'm balanced.

Third Step: Reinforcement: General Body

I started a third tangent line. For this step I was going to focus on a full body reinforcement. I wasn't going to focus on one specific area until later steps. Instead of wasting time with Oversight, I simply allocated another Core and hooked it up. There we are. Much more efficient. The energy flowed through my body. It seeped into my muscles, bones, and skin. Enhancement was at two hundred percent and holding. Today wasn't the day to push my luck. A faint sensation of pain crept through my body, but it faded soon after. Right. Gradual increase it is.

Fourth Step: Reinforcement: Skeletal Structure

I started a fourth tangent line. In order to contain the power my flesh and bones needed to be stronger. It would have the added benefit of giving me a nice Brute package. I connected Oversight to a third Core and allowed it to guide me further. It was a strange sensation as my bones hardened and grew denser with energy. I felt like my body was being pressed into the chair as my weight increased. The leather creaked in mute protest. One hundred percent increase and holding. A stronger sensation of pain arced up my spine, but it faded. Ugh. I needed more practice.

Fifth Step: Reinforcement: Musculature

I started the fifth tangent line. My body was starting to heat up, but I could manage this. The healing song cooled my body once more. The other enhancements were making it easier. That was good to know. They were already working. Oversight was connected to a fourth Core and I felt something spear my brain. Uh oh. Too much too fast. I didn't even get a chance to scream before a literally plume of fire shot straight upward. The chair was destroyed and my body crashed to the ground. I couldn't stop twitching. Oh that was nice. The healing song was still going so the worst injury was to my pride.

"Taylor!" There are worse things than injuries to your pride. Worrying your loved ones.

Day 1: Steps One through Four: Success. Step Five: Failure

Notes: I smell like barbecue.



-May 22, 2011-



-Outside of Brockton Bay-



Day 2



Initiating the first four steps happened as they did yesterday. I wasn't going to attempt step five yet. For now I was just going to grow more accustomed to the sensations. At least today I didn't need to spam Oversight to get to this point. Once it was done, the progress remained. Unfortunately the words to the Songs weren't coming to me. They were just wordless melodies. If I hadn't shown my family that there were no injuries, today's tests would have been scrapped. Without my input. Okay. No pain. Everything green. No excess heat.

Fifth Step: Reinforcement: Musculature

I started the fifth tangent line. The heat spiked sharply. I waited until my internal temperature dropped once more. Keep it stable. Connect the Core to the Oversight. Raw pain shot through my body as the energy slammed through me like a herd of horses wearing spiked shoes. I used more power for Tranquil Song. The heat and pain lowered, but persisted. My muscles hardened until they were as stone. I couldn't move. My lungs, diaphragm, and heart were paralyzed. No. Not paralyzed. Hardened muscle. Shit shit shit! All at once the tension in my body ended and everything failed. I was half delirious from lack of oxygen. Thank goodness that nearly asphyxiating could save my life.

"What the hell happened?" Cocona demanded as soon as she was within range.

"Cocona...let her breath." Lisa tried to calm my girlfriend down.

"Geez...trying to kill yourself?" Despedia asked. Sonata shook her head.

"Run us through the steps again?" My daughter half suggested/demanded.

"Reinforcement of the energy pathways, body, bones, and muscles." I ran through the list as my breathing stabilized. All five of us were probably feeling silly as a rather glaring error made itself known.

"Taylor honey? How could you move if you don't enhance your flexibility?" Cocona asked sweetly. Of course my body turned to stone. There was no flexibility or give anywhere.

"Heh heh...oops...?" I smiled sheepishly with the feeling that wasn't the right answer to give.

I was right.



-May 28, 2011-



-Outside of Brockton Bay-



Day 3



They made me wait an entire week to try again. I'll admit having that much time to examine the data was good. With everything active I had a three hundred percent boost in all physical parameters as well as energy manipulation. Unfortunately without flexibility there was no way to actually make use of it. Here's hoping I don't discover a new and exciting way to kill myself. Steps one through four remained unchanged. It was much easier to reach this point.

Fifth Step: Reinforcement: Flexibility and Elasticity

I started the fifth tangent line. With the time to analyze the data, I didn't need to resort to Oversight this time. Once the melody began I felt a peculiar lassitude settle over my limbs. My heart started to beat slower and my lungs could barely inflate. Oh damn it all to hell and back. Too much elasticity.

Sixth Step: Reinforcement: Musculature
I started the sixth tangent line. There was no time to play around with a gradual build up. This might actually kill me. The energy flowed through my muscles and caused them to harden once more. It rather neatly counteracted the negative side effect of the fifth stage. I managed to avoid a catastrophic failure this time.

"Don't get up. Just stick to the plan, Taylor." Lisa scolded me before I could even think of standing.

"How does it feel?" Cocona asked. I exhaled slowly.

"Hideously expensive, terribly inefficient, and I think it's deeply flawed. How it actually feels? Pretty good. They interact well together. I feel a three hundred percent improvement across the board." I told them.

"Three hundred percent? So wait...you're only three times stronger than you were...after all of this...?" Despedia's disbelief neatly summed up my own feelings.

"Mom that's so boo." Sonata chimed in. The blue black haired love of my life looked at her in amusement.

"Stealing my lines now? I have to agree. It is boo." Cocona replied.

"Well I just said it's hideously expensive." I released the Songs, except for the healing, and let the lethargy wash over me. This was ridiculous.

"What if you studied how an Endbringer did it? I know the flesh was really a strange form of projection, but don't the same principals apply?" Lisa suggested. See? It doesn't matter how brilliant you are there are going to be things missed. They looked surprised by my sudden face palm.

"Bad idea...?" Despedia hinted, but didn't look too sure.

"Oh it's not a bad idea at all. It's a great idea. I even have the methodology for how they constructed their bodies. That's how my healing Song evolved actually. I could just apply the principles directly to my Interface Layer. It would only take a single Core to sustain it instead of the five I was about to use. Honestly it wouldn't even take me that much power." The looks I was receiving did not help my ego at all.

"That's it. We're going home. No! Just no. We're going home and you're going over the calculations again. With Mir, Shurelia, Tyria, and Frelia. You hear me?" Cocona laid down the law. I just nodded meekly.

"It should have worked..." I argued weakly.

"Wow...Cocona's really laying into her..." My white haired friend sounded almost admiring.

"Mom mom mom..." Even my daughter was shaking her head at our antics.

"We could have avoided all of this that easily?" Lisa groaned. "I swear she'll be the death of me yet..."



-Hebert House: Late that Night-



The calculations for my aborted project sat in front of me. It was a great attempt at trying to remain flesh and blood. They probably didn't realize what this was going to cost me. Right now I was still mortal. Going through with using the Endbringer calculations would make me not mortal. They tolerated my experiments, but it was killing them by degrees to watch me hurt myself. I let them think the thought hadn't crossed my mind to try and avoid this, but it all came back to this solution. The connection to the chat channel was locked down. They didn't need to know of my conundrum. I would do it, but my heart was disquieted.

"Want to talk about it?" Cocona asked. I smiled wanly at her as she entered the kitchen. Even with the channel closed, she still knew my thoughts kept me awake. I stared at the terminal before me once more.

"I won't be mortal anymore, Cocona. Right now? I'll still die eventually. Two hundred and fifty years, but still a mortal lifespan. If I alter my Interface Layer? I won't be mortal anymore. That's what I keep coming back to. Everyone will grow old and die, but I won't." Future loneliness gripped my heart. Warm arms enfolded my head and dispelled the ice.

"I'll be here. You gave me a connection as well. Just teach me the Song and we'll be together." I stared at her in amazement. To her it really was that easy. I'm having an existential crisis and she cut right through it like it was nothing.

"How is it so easy for you?" I asked her in disbelief. She shook her head before sitting in my lap.

"You're looking at it wrong. Of course becoming immortal means that eventually you will outlive our friends. What it also means is that you can better protect them and their legacy. You won't be alone either. I'll be here." She slid her arms around my neck. I let it settle in my mind. It wasn't quite that easy to let go of my fears and uncertainties, but the girl in my arms did make a good argument.

"Fine. I'll go over the calculations for everything first and talk it over with the family." I kissed her softly. "Get their opinion." She purred softly.

"Good idea. You know what they'll say." Cocona stared in my eyes. She was right. I did know what they'd say. Anything to keep me safe. Considering that I would do anything to keep them safe we balanced each other out. My grand ideas ultimately boiled down to creating a world that was safe for my family. That would just have to be enough.



AN: Short chapter to get back into the writing groove for this story. I was going to extend it out to a few chapters, but frankly endless trial and error montages aren't exciting to me. It's like DBZ. Moments of excitement after twenty episodes of grunting and straining.

We're going to avoid that. Okay?

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Seventh Arc 7.5



It felt like I was floating. My body had no weight. When I opened my eyes there was nothing but a strange blue light. I looked up towards the greatest brightness and down towards the dark. There was the oddest sensation that it didn't matter which way I looked. Up, down, to the sides, nothing was as it seemed. I floated in the blue expanse with a feeling of peace.

"Take heart, child. There is nothing that you cannot do." A voice spoke to me. I could not identify whether the speaker was male or female. The impression I got was of a vast presence. I felt so small in comparison.

"Why do you feel small? Your heart and will are strong. Fear is natural, but you have nothing to be afraid of my dear." The voice was soothing. It was as if it wrapped me in warmth and security.

"Who are you?" I managed to ask. A feeling of gentle amusement washed over me.

"Now is not the time for that. The Golden Warrior approaches. He knows not why. You have so much to do and so little time." The voice warned. Golden Warrior? Who was that? I know the voice said not to be afraid, but fear was a natural response to a warning.

"You're as bad as Mir..." I didn't mean to say that out loud, but there it was. The sense of amusement returned.

"She is a troublesome child. It's good to know she outgrew her rebellious phase." Before I could answer that shocker, my spirit body was catapulted towards the light.



-June 4, 2011-



-Hebert House-



I awoke with a gasp. That was not a dream. Ever since my disastrous experiments in reinforcement there has been a sense of anticipation. Like there is something looming on the horizon. The Golden Warrior approaches. While it doesn't tell me exactly who, or what, the threat is, I can assume it's dangerous. There was a feeling of vast distance between the voice and myself. It wasn't science that connected us. It was something much deeper and more instinctive. I know this being, but not in the same way as other people. Yep. That made things much clearer.

I have nothing to be afraid of.

The absolute certainty of that voice washed away what doubts I had. Not from some mystic mumbo jumbo. It reinforced what I already knew. Cocona has been telling me not to fear. That I shouldn't hold back. Today was the day I told everyone about my decision. So I've been procrastinating. It's not like I'm perfect or anything. I make mistakes.

"Taylor! Time to get up!" Dad called from downstairs. Time for another fun filled day in the life of Taylor Hebert, Girl Genius. Go me.

I made it downstairs after a quick shower and a change of clothes. At least my clothing program was still working properly. All I needed was for that to stop working too. Me, cynical? Surely you jest. Uh oh. My family was giving me wary looks. Now what did I do?

"Honey? Why are you scowling so hard?" My dad asked. Scowling? I caught a glimpse of my expression in the toaster and my scowl gave way to a grimace.

"I've got more wonderful news for everyone." I think my tone was neutral. No one eased up on their concern. This was going to be so much fun. How do you explain to your family that mortal is something you can choose not to be? Oh yes, dear family, I think from now on I'll be immortal. Lovely day for it.

"Cool off, Princess." Despedia's voice stopped my internal rambling cold. Nope. Chat channel was still secure. I wasn't projecting.

"If you keep scowling like that, your face will freeze that way." Dad warned me. Sonata wrapped her arms around me.

"Just smile, Mom. You've got a great smile." She told me with an angelic smile of her own.

"This isn't a little thing, I know, but you're making too much of a fuss." Cocona stroked my hair. I nodded with a ghost of a smile.

"Fine. I'll explain what's turned me into a grouchy bear when Lisa gets here." Damn it all I wanted to sulk. That's a teenager's prerogative, right? Especially when the problems of a world drop into their lap. One of these days I was going to get some stress relief. Once I was no longer in danger of blowing my fragile body into bloody gibbets. We managed to get through breakfast, but the curiousity was eating them alive. The only one who knew the issue was Cocona. I'm glad she respected my wishes and let me handle explaining it all. Dad actually left to get Lisa instead of waiting for her to come here. I was puttering in the basement while we waited for him to get back.

"Whatcha doin'?" Despedia asked me.

"Hmmm...programming a jamming field. It's something I should have done sooner, but never really thought about it." I tapped a few keys on the terminal and a quiet hum let me know it was on.

"This is that big, huh?" My pink eyed friend sat on the sofa in the basement.

"It's pretty hard to swallow." I admitted. The urge to tell her everything nearly overwhelmed me. I resisted and tried so hard to avoid telling anyone. Now that the moment was almost upon me I could barely contain myself. I never said I was consistent. I squeaked as Despedia got tired of my moping and lifted me straight into her lap. Strange, but I didn't notice when she got taller. It was a couple inches at least. Did her physical changes include that?

"Relax. We love you. That's what should matter. Whatever you have to say can't be that bad." She genuinely meant that. Oh I know part of that was her loyalty talking. If I asked her to go pick apples in Washington she'd ask if I wanted Golden Delicious or Granny Smith. The fact that I could picture Emma saying that before everything got so fucked up made it mean more to me.

"This is cozy." Sonata sat down on the sofa beside Despedia. The feral girl wrapped an arm around the family cuddle bug. She was followed downstairs by the rest of the household plus Lisa. Why she didn't just live here was a mystery. The observant blonde arched an eyebrow and smirked. Right. That was why she didn't. A couple of know-at-alls in the same house was just begging for trouble.

"Okay kid. What did ya break?" Kat asked as she followed my dad down the steps. I was kind of surprised, but not really. Yes, I heard her melody, but the surprising thing was that he even brought her. Now I found myself wishing we'd brought Madison in on this.

"You tried to avoid it, but now you want to tell everyone." Cocona poked me in the side. I squirmed away.

"Stop teasing me or I'll stay silent. No one will know anything." Then just to prove I was serious, I stuck out my tongue.

"I swear, Taylor. We can't take you anywhere." Dad face palmed.

"This is my house. No one took me anywhere." I pointed out. Lisa groaned.

"You had to put her in a playful mood. What is wrong with you people? Now we'll never get around to whatever little thing she's obsessing over. It is little, Taylor. You'll get tongue-tied and embarrassed. We'll coax it out of you. Then we tell you we love you. Hugs all around. Can we skip all that and go to the hugs?" Lisa suited actions to words and hugged me.

"...We're missing a few steps, Lisa. Like me explaining that I solved my Core issue. That the cure for it is to essentially use the same thing the Endbringers did. It would have to be modified to work and so that I could still keep my biology. The thing is that with my body directly hooked up to a near inexhaustible source of power, I would be effectively immortal. Not just in the long life sense, but in the damn near unkillable sense too." Huh. That was strangely easier than I thought it would be. It would be kind of neat if it had been all a ploy by Lisa, but she looked faintly surprised.

"Whoa...Mini Endbringer?" Kat questioned. She looked gobsmacked. Her and Dad were holding hands as they stared at me.

"What does all that mean, sweetheart?" Dad coaxed. In for a penny, in for a pound.

"I plan on converting my Interface Layer into something similar to what Endbringers used. It won't be exactly the same, but it would mean several things. One? As long as I have energy then death would be impossible. Unless I self terminated. Ar Ciel and Ra Ciela perfected energy to matter conversion. I would actually be more efficient at recovery then the Endbringers themselves. The second thing would be my strength would go through the roof. I would have a rating of Brute: Yes. These are secondary to actually being able to use this power without killing myself. Then I can move forward with my plans. I wanted to construct my Tower, but everything I did was causing heat build up." Cocona kissed me before I set off on a rant. Despedia kissed me on the cheek while Sonata got my other cheek. Lisa smooched my forehead. The tension was utterly shattered. Kat and Dad were laughing at my expression. I imagine it was pretty funny.

"Just to be clear. Kat's not wrong in calling you a Mini Endbringer?" Dad asked once he stopped laughing.

"Fear the terrible might of Aria!" Despedia gave me a squeeze. A fresh round of laughter started.

"Guys! I won't be mortal anymore. Do you know what that means?" I tried to get them back on track.

"It means we never have to worry about our best friend dying because she's too damn heroic for her own good?" Well when you put it like that, Lisa. The fact that no one was clamoring in opposition to her statement shot the last of my arguments down, hard. It was all well and good to have an existential crisis, but I wasn't living in a bubble.

"It's not like you'll be alone either. Aren't the others from Ar Ciel immortal?" That was a generalization, but Dad wasn't far off.

"I'll be with her too." Cocona asserted. The same process that would turn my Interface Layer into the hax of Endbringers could be used with her. The amount of power it required was astronomical, but possible.

"So there you go. No more excuses, right?" Sonata asked. Oh I had dozens more, but they were all variants on the same thing. They were treating this seriously, but not like I was. Was I right? Were they right? Yes. There is no right or wrong answer. Looking at the faces of my family I was forced to correct myself. There is a wrong answer. Any action that keeps me from living is wrong.



-Later that Night-



The rest of the day was spent watching Mel Brooks at his finest. We gorged on pizza, wings, and ice cream. Cases of pop vanished without a trace. I took a look at my family. Was I the luckiest person in the world or what? My thoughts periodically returned to the Golden Warrior. Whatever the hell that was I would not allow him to harm my loved ones. The house was still. Not a soul was stirring. Good. I didn't need an entourage for this.

What I didn't tell them was that the outfits from my Cosmosphere could be used. Cocona knew that, but I was holding on to the knowledge. I called up Divine in White. The armor that resembled my ELMA Linkage with angelic wings. I flew away from the house using the power inherent in the costume. Calling one of the Cutey ELMAs for a ride would have been easier, but this seemed more appropriate. I wasn't telling them the whole truth. The calculations for the conversion were already finished. When I stopped putting obstacles in my path it became laughably easy. My testing field was up ahead. There was no one for miles.

The Interface Layer was an impressive piece of work. It was designed to keep my inner waveform physics from interacting in a messy fashion with this dimension's particle physics. Now this meant something for me. Endbringers had a similar layer. A self propagating field that drew energy from their core and converted it to mass. The calculations for interweaving the two fields was actually very simple. The reality coding was something any sufficiently adept Reyvateil could perform. Considering who my mother is this was as easy as pie. The only rough part was going to be dropping the barriers between myself and the Cores I had erected. There would be a time where I would be completely exposed.

I wasn't actually worried about my own health. Once the change started nothing would be able to stop me. I imposed my will on reality. The next moment my world turned inside out. My body was destroyed. Consumed utterly by the unrestrained power. I existed as a heart of energy. Heart of Gaia. The energy crystallized with agonizing slowness, but I dared not go any faster. I couldn't allow this to fail. No. It won't fail.

IT WON'T FAIL!

My world slammed back into focus. Crystallization complete. Well that was the hard part. Now I was in the awkward transition stage. The body would have to be rebuilt of course. I couldn't exactly exist as just a crystal core. Oh wow did I do a number on the clearing. The whole area was on fire that didn't burn. Fire, ice, and lightning were all locked in crystal. How the hell do I explain this? Ugh, focus. Focus. Say your name. Say your name and claim your destiny.

TAYLOR_TEIWAZ_ARIA

My true name. I never used it at all up until this point. It just didn't feel like the right time. Now? Now was the time. The outer shell was constructed while the inner parts grew rapidly to fill the space. The sensation was indescribable. As dictated by My word and My name the form was created. The Tree inside of me grew rapidly. The crystal trunk became my torso. The boughs became my arms and the roots my legs. My mind expanded to encompass a new wealth of sensations. Almost as an afterthought, I manifested Divine in White. I stared at the sky and had to reign in my senses.

When you accidentally see the moon due to extreme close up it's time to reign it in.

Uh oh. Protectorate inbound. I knew that this would be fairly visible. If I flew away someone would see me. This was not the time to reveal my new status. Wait a minute. I focused on my kitchen. Focused hard. What I was about to do would be a hideous waste of power for a normal person. I stepped through a weak point in reality and exited back at home. There was a sudden scream and the sound of shattering glass. My head whipped around. There was Kat in a tank top and panties.

"THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" We screamed in unison. Yeah. This won't end well.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Seventh Arc 7.6



-June 5, 2011-



-Hebert House-



I was beside myself. Literally. There were two of me working in the basement. There three of me wandering around the house. I was doing a fair impression of Dr. Manhattan without the nudity thing. Or the sexing up the girlfriend thing. The distracting thing wasn't the multitude of viewpoints, but the fact I could do it all. How did this happen? I wanted to see how many tangent lines of thought I could generate now. Well for each one I generated, another me appeared. We agreed to see what other things could be done.

The house never looked better. Me was a crowd, however, so I was heading out for awhile. The rest of my family was getting their own personal Taylor. Taylor made for them. Ouch. That pun was painful. One me was heading to the Lisa's house. Another was going with Dad for the day. Despedia and I were heading to the Boardwalk. Me and Cocona were cuddling on the sofa in the basement. Sonata and myself were going to bake today.

Today was going to be a day for just me. I can no longer remember why I hesitated. It just doesn't make sense anymore. Oh there were reasons. Lots of reasons. Now? Now I had all the time in the world to spend with my loved ones. No one had to feel neglected. This feeling of freedom was just amazing. It was beyond my wildest dreams. My new state wasn't just good for them, but good for me. I could spend time with everyone. At any time if they wanted. Each of my duplicates had a similar power set to my own. How long had it been since I rode a bus anywhere?

Public transit was a wonderful thing. The sense of people surrounding me was strangely welcome. I honestly expected my heightened senses to make me leery of crowds, but the opposite happened. The idea of going to the junkyard and looking around struck me. When was the last time I visited the old man? He was so friendly and helpful. No. I was not making another me just to spend time with him. My main body could do that easily. I got out a couple blocks from my destination. The sun was shining. The temperature was perfect. The sky overhead was such a clear blue one could see into forever.

Hostile melodies up ahead. I wasn't exactly looking for a stress test, but there you go. Nothing ever goes according to plan. I used Divine in White and approached the situation. Empire 88? Oh brother. My day off and it's Nazis. It looked like an initiation. There were five men and five women of different races crucified in the street. They probably assumed that because it was happening near the junkyard they could get away before anyone responded. Hookwolf, Stormtiger, and Cricket were overseeing this abominable act. They had twenty joy boys standing out in the open. Most of them armed with guns.

"What the hell is going on here?" I demanded. My voice echoed like thunder. The Empire capes didn't look threatened. Why should they? They didn't know what I could do now.

"Run back home, kid. This doesn't concern you." The large man known as Hookwolf snarled. Air stirred around me. Oh that was cute. They were trying to intimidate me. The thugs looked unsure of what to do. I solved that problem by Singing a Song and turning their weapons into cherry cheesecake. The mass hysteria and screaming was hilarious.

"Hey now if you didn't want cheesecake I can do chocolate." I grinned. That was hilarious. Their nerve broke.

"What the fuck did you do?" Stormtiger caused the air around me to grow heavy. I tweaked his Seed and the wind stopped. He gawked in surprise before an invisible blow bowled him over. Cricket started to back away. The poor dear was clearly tired of all this so I gave her a nap. The female cape collapsed in a lightly snoring heap. Hookwolf wasn't as hesitant. Even though I was demonstrating powers that weren't seen before. Even though I vaporized an Endbringer. He turned into a mass of metal and...fled the other way? Okay. Not stupid at all. I tweaked his Seed and he slammed into the ground. I hummed softly and put the remaining capes to sleep. With a gesture the victims were freed. I left a version of myself behind to deal with the situation while manifesting an unarmored Taylor down the street.

My trip finally came to an end just outside of the junkyard. Nothing else had leaped out at me. No desperate battle with the Butcher or something equally inane. I tried to call up my feelings when facing the E88 and all that came to mind was indifference. They were harming people and needed to be stopped. I felt nothing for them except annoyance. Not even anger. The mental shift was something that needed exploring. I guess it explained rather nicely why casually cloning myself is perfectly okay. There was an odd jumble of signals up ahead. A dimensional signature somewhere in the junkyard. Why would there be a dimensional signal? I was the only one here so it fell to me to investigate. It felt old. Like it was within the past few weeks. The weird signal was found at the very edge of the junkyard. I almost tripped over something on the ground. There was a gynoid on the ground. Dark haired with a well known face. Her appearance was that of the Simurgh. I felt for signs of life, but there were none. If this had been used by the winged Endbringer then I could safely say she was truly gone. Someone reconfigured the brain. There was no way this could be used to operate the body now. It was full of information that would definitely be useful. Unless it was all a plant. The knowledge that Scion was also a powerful interdimensional being capable of destroying all Earths threw me for a loop.

The Golden Warrior.

Oh damn. It fits. It all fits. The clues that my brain refused to put together came together with startling swiftness. I dropped a lightning bomb on the gynoid body and watched it vanish. There was nothing left behind but an electrically damaged wreckage. I couldn't chance that someone would get a hold of this information. Scion was the Golden Warrior. Scion, or Zion, was responsible for parahumans. Was this supposed to blow my mind and confuse me? A peculiar feeling of indifference crept over me. I had a target didn't I? Maybe that was the intention.

"Without more information I'm just spinning my wheels." I looked in the direction of the closed anomaly. This weak point lead off world. I cast my thought through the portal, but nothing stood out. I was probably going to have to enter it personally. With an application of will the portal opened on my end. I used my Divine in White before stepping through. The room beyond resembled a boardroom or a council chamber. The table in the center of the room and chairs indicated that they were used frequently.

My senses informed me of something else. I was surrounded by Seeds. Dead seeds. They still possessed their programming, but their capacity for growth was stunted. How unbelievably creepy. Since there wasn't a welcoming committee it fell to me to search for signs of life. My first visit to another world and it's right in the middle of a fucking crypt. The death all around was setting me on edge. The halls were some sick parody of the PRT building's. Due to this similarity I had an idea of where to go. I could avoid being found by extending my senses and just paying attention.

I had the sense of many people somewhere below me. That was as good a place as any to start. There was a feeling of fear, worry, and despair. There were a five people on the higher levels. Only one of them was not a parahuman. The electronic devices were on a closed circuit. There just wasn't any way for me to sneak around. I didn't feel comfortable making use of the weak points in reality here. The amount of dimensional travel into and out of this place left the boundary fragile. Whatever. I strode through the halls and towards the dark feelings.

The dead feeling coupled with the dark sensation was making me feel creepier. There were no alarms blaring. No one was moving to intercept. I noted the presence of cameras, but no reaction. What the hell? They couldn't possibly be this lax. Down three floors with no sign of opposition. My stomach was twisting in knots. I hated horror movies and right now I was in one. If only I could just go back to this morning when everything was simpler. Much of the worry left me as I remembered there were numerous other mes back home. If something happened to this body then no harm no foul. It didn't stop the negative feelings. I reached a large door on the fourth basement level. The keypad was extremely complex and I cracked it in seconds. On the other side of the door there was horror.

My mind couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. I saw it all, but something refused to classify the sight before me. The creepy feeling had only been a prelude to this nightmare. There were cells holding all manner of people. These people all had one thing in common. They were Case 53s. Their forms were twisted and warped by their powers. The Seeds were acting bizarre. They weren't adjusted for their hosts at all. These Seeds were exerting greater influence over these people than they should. I heard someone approach me from behind.

"How did you get in here?" Alexandria asked from behind me. Her voice was quiet. I turned to look at her. She didn't flinch from my glare, but then again I had a visor concealing my expression.

"Why I found a key right under the doormat, but no one to greet me. I love what you've done with the place." Her petulant expression was adorable.

"The Endbringer Cores. You already assimilated them." The woman guessed correctly. Now her melody was showing stark terror. Funny. I was all outta fucks to give.

"What the hell is going on here?" I demanded. She tried to hold up her tough girl expression, but caved. I heard someone whispering in her ear. Judging by her expression she was not happy with the other person.

"Come with me and we'll tell you everything." She told me grudgingly. The Seeds needed to be tended before I went with her.

"Just wait a moment. These Seeds are improperly adjusted." There was no need for me to be deliberately insulting, but I was absolutely livid. The only thing that saved them was the fact that I didn't want to be that kind of person. Just because I had power did not excuse being a tyrant. None of my parents would approve. I queued up the Seeds and gave them a complete overhaul. I had done the same for Lisa. Back then it required absolute trust and for her to lower all defenses. These Seeds were dead, read only files, that needed no such consideration. While I was at it the Seeds were connected to my network.

"What are you doing?" Alexandria asked me.

"Hmmm? Oh. I provided adjustments. You will be sending them home, I hope." I started walking towards the conference room. The rest of this group was already assembled.

"You already know where we're going." The powerful woman sounded sour. "Who do you think you are to demand anything of us?"

"Your best chance at dealing with the Golden Warrior." I informed her. For a moment I thought she spontaneously died. Her breathing froze and heart rate dropped.

"H-How...? That...wasn't in the information we left you..." She managed to say before hurrying to catch up. I hadn't stopped walking.

"Good to know I'm right." I drew on the peace and happiness that my other selves were experiencing while keeping my own feelings from them. That was very useful in this instance. Being the main body had perks. The melodies up ahead were filled with apprehension. One of them was supremely confident while the other felt black. There was a black soul up ahead. The term monster was often used to refer to someone that was amoral. In this case I could honestly say he was a monster. A beast without morals. The confident woman had no special powers but a distortion of values left her detached. I could identify Legend and Eidolon. There was also someone that felt very strange. Like she had Oversight. Alexandria hurried to keep up with me as I barged straight into the room.

"Welcome Aria. Did you enjoy your visit so far?" The woman in a lab coat spoke. She was the confident one. There was a man that looked like a nerdy banker in a three piece suit. He was the black presence.

"Give me a good reason that I shouldn't destroy all of you." That shut the talks down cold.

"So you saw the truth." A woman in a fedora deduced. I nodded tersely.

"Those are human beings that you're holding. That you experimented on." My anger was building, but I tempered it once more with positive emotion. Legend stared at me in horror.

"What do you mean experimented...? What's she talking about?" He questioned sharply. Eidolon was spiraling downward emotionally. Alexandria felt like she was breaking. The only ones not glaring at the idiot woman in the lab coat were me and the banker.

"That will be discussed later, Legend. Right now we have to convince Aria to join our cause. She has seen too much and we have no leverage on her." The doctor informed him.

"Go ahead. Try to convince me. I will promise to listen to you. First? Send those people home. I adjusted their Seeds so that they will be in control of their powers. So go ahead and explain where experimentation comes into this." I sat down without waiting for an invitation. They shared a look. My entry had fractured their cohesion. Even the Triumvirate was splintering. I wasn't thrilled about the collateral damage, but one way or another all of this would be done.
No more cloak and dagger bullshit.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation

Seventh Arc 7.7



-Same Day-



-Brockton Bay-



If you were a nigh omnipotent and laughably broken super power what would you do? In my case it was go shopping with Despedia and Madison. They were walking on either side of me as we strolled wherever our feet took us. We were at the marketplace looking for a pair of shades that caught Madison's eye the other day. Personally I think it was just an excuse to window shop, but who am I to judge?

"So where's your better half?" Madison asked as she leaned closer to the window to see inside.

"She's at the skate park." I answered. The hilarious thing was that I could actually see Madison's feline parts even though they were hidden. So watching her tail sway in interest amused me.

"That girl is either training or at the skate park. She makes the skaters cry." Des grinned in amusement. The shirt she was wearing was one of the Dark Despedia shirts. Claws out and screaming angrily at something. Subtly poking fun at how paper thin her disguise was.

"We could swing by and see if she wants to join us." The shorter girl offered. Des and I burst out laughing. She looked faintly hurt at the laughter. I pulled her in for a hug. If those ears were out I'd be petting them. Image be damned.

"No no no...she's..." I leaned down to whisper. "She's with me. I have a new power that lets me make clones of myself." That was the easy answer. I wanted to bring her in on the secret soon. It would be good practice for explaining it to the higher authorities. They had no reason to fear me, but they would anyway. Not because they were stupid, but because I represented something they couldn't control. If I didn't throw them a bone, or let them have a face saving gesture, the talks would go badly.

"That's a useful power." Madison said. She also wasn't trying to move. Uh oh. She was doing the cat head rubbing thing. Thankfully Despedia wasn't laughing, but she was acting as a screen. Well it wasn't like I was suffering. I pet her hair.

"If you want a round of pet the kitty then let's go somewhere else." Our redheaded friend suggested as she put an arm around our shoulders and guided us down the street.

"Emma...when did you get like corded steel?" Madison asked. Pressed this close up against her I was surprised again at the height increase. The corded steel comment had to do with the fact she'd gained Abs. Not abs, but Abs. Her arms were also more powerful. She wasn't bulging like a body builder, but these were not tiny toned arms.

"Hmmm...probably about the same time Taylor ate an Endbringer or twenty." She spouted off casually. If we weren't being half supported by her I might have tripped. Madison actually did trip, tumbled, and righted herself in time for Des to snag her again. There was some scattered applause at the impromptu acrobatics show, but aside from that we were still under the radar.

"Taylor? You got some 'splainin' to do." Madison was staring at me. I just face palmed.

"Let's find someplace quiet and talk." No Des. Winking at me like it was all according to plan does not excuse you. Though that pout does. Dammit. I needed to think about how my eating an Endbringer would do this to Despedia. Actually I didn't. The answer was fairly simple. Lisa and Despedia were directly connected to me even before Cocona. They were probably experiencing a significant boost in their capabilities due to my own increase. When I remade myself it would have only made the enhancements more apparent. Cocona was getting a direct feed from me so she was actually benefiting more. That didn't mean Des wasn't enjoying some changes. I updated the data log. Madison appeared mollified that answers would be forthcoming. We ended up heading towards the Boardwalk and the Karaoke place. Good choice. There was a player for using our own music. I popped in a disc and let the sounds of Ar Ciel meet Earth Bet.

"Where did you get that disc?" Despedia asked. Madison looked curious as well.

"Ma~gic..." I wiggled my fingers at them.

"Okay don't try to dodge the question. What the heck is going on?" Madison asked as she sat on the half moon sofa. I flopped down next to her while Despedia sat on her other side.

"So under the PRT threat assessment I'm a Yes under everything. At least now I am. Saying that I ate twenty Endbringers isn't right either. I still need Leviathan and he's refusing my call. I'll have to call louder, later." Wow I was getting distracted on tangents. The smaller girl looked to Despedia.

"She's serious, huh?" Maddie asked plaintively. The white haired girl nodded with a commiserating expression. She must have changed her hair as soon as the door shut.

"Sorry. I'm trying out different approaches for explaining everything. I managed to synchronize with the Cores of the Simurgh and Behemoth. In the process of doing that I found seventeen more inactive Endbringers. With their Cores taken and processed they will never activate." I assured her gently. My tone was calm and soothing. Using a little of my power to make pronouncements like that less stressful was a good idea. I wasn't going to outright force my will on someone. That was tantamount to rape. Keeping someone's stress from blossoming into panic was perfectly fine.

"There's more isn't there?" She asked in a suddenly wary tone. Despedia put her arms around the girl comfortingly.

"Each Core...has about a spiral galaxy's worth of power behind it..." Oops. Too much.

"She fainted. Taylor? You don't need to explain that detail. Okay? Endbringer Cores is enough of an explanation." Des pointed out even as she held the involuntarily slumbering girl.

"I'll remember for next time." I promised. What else could I do?



-Lisa's Apartment-



The sofa was becoming our go to spot for relaxation. Lisa was in my arms with her head on my chest. I think that somewhere along the line I forgot the difference between platonic love and romantic. It was Lisa's fault. It was Cocona's fault too. At least I knew who my soul mate was. That was definitely Cocona. Though I still wondered a time or two if I hadn't slammed the door a little too hard. The blonde in my arms sighed exasperatedly.

"You're doing it again. How can you be so sensitive, wise, and brilliant yet so...foolish." She concluded.

"Hey cut me some slack. I'm not an expert on everything." I protested mildly.

"You could be. Just wave your hand and instant mastery." Lisa looked into my eyes while she spoke.

"Where would be the fun in that? I'm going to be around for a very long time. If I don't have something to do I'll go insane." That was the problem with immortals. Once you've exhausted your reading material it's a short trip to the loony bin. There was approval in her eyes.

"Good. Don't be a lazy goddess now. I won't always be there to stop you." She teased. I kissed her forehead. Lisa turned a lovely shade of red.

"Down girl. The right person for me will be there, someday, but right now I'm happy with what I've got." She caressed my cheek. Someday. She went from saying never to saying someday. Lisa laughed at my happy expression. "Stop being such a worrywart. Your heart is too kind." She nestled back down once more.

"If I can't share this heart then what good is it? The greatest force in existence is love. Great and terrible things happen because of it so I think my power will be love." That sounded so cheesy, but so true. Hasn't been love that's gotten me this far? Labors and expressions of love. Love of self, love of others, and love of life.

"You've given this a lot of thought. Well then I believe in your power." Lisa said softly. There was nothing else to do with a lazy day except enjoy the peace and tranquility.



-PRT Headquarters: Director Piggot's Office-



Oh this was going to be awkward. I didn't know if the Triumvirate spilled the beans on me or not. They had an agenda, but I just didn't know what. Considering my revelation about the source of the Endbringers practically turned them into ice sculptures they might not have told anyone. I wasn't going to out Eidolon as the source. No one needed to know that. I had Mouse Protector with me. She was sort of in the loop and sort of not. After this we were going out to eat. Apparently catching her in the kitchen like that prompted a desire to bond.

When did bonding with dad's girlfriend become scarier than explaining my ascension?

Director Piggot was looking much better than she did the first time I saw her. Healthy body, healthier mind, and a better mental space did her wonders. She wasn't completely thrilled about being called in on her day off, but at least was willing to hear us out. We took our seats.

"Does this have anything to do with why the Triumvirate left looking like someone shot their dog?" She started without preamble.

"Yeah it does. What did they tell you?" I asked.

"Absolutely nothing. Right now we're in an information black out. I can't even find out anything from my contacts. We're being cut off." Piggot sounded angry.

"They told me they weren't going to do anything. Oh. Oh..." Those sons of bitches.

"Exact words. They won't do anything. This is not good at all." Mouse Protector was sounding less bombastic and more worn.

"Tell me what happened. Please." The "please" wasn't delivered as an afterthought. It was the word of a person drowning without a life preserver. I told her all about the meeting. The factual details without delving into speculation. Inside I was seething. By the time I was finished speaking the other two were with me.

"At least they haven't stopped funding. Ugh. You stopped how many Endbringers from activating? Seventeen? I need a damn drink." Director Piggot rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.

"You're handling this well, Chief." Mouse Protector was attempting to sound out the other woman. I was just going stay quiet.

"At least I know what this one's motives are." She pointed at me for emphasis. "She's a heal the world type. The only reason she branched into military tech is because it's better to defend than just heal. Clean energy, ending world hunger, and medical science. Would you have built weapons if everyone could just get along?" Piggot asked me.

"In a world like that I wouldn't have needed to do any of the other things. We already have clean energy. The food crisis was artificially created by a few people hoarding for themselves and destroying the rest. Medical science was already approaching Utopian levels, but fear mongering was used to shame doctors and scientists. I didn't build weapons for war. I built them because we all deserve a chance to protect what we cherish. No matter how great or small. All should be equal." Somewhere in the back of my mind I was composing a speech. I wasn't going to stop here. If they wanted to know my mind then they would know my heart. MP and Emily were staring at me with something akin to amazement.

"She means that. She really means that." The heroine told her boss.

"What are your intentions?" Piggot had stood down from wary to accepting. Her melody was strangely eager like Mouse Protector's.

"I still need to talk to the city government. I plan on erecting a Tower in the Bay. Not for me, but for everyone. I love the Rig. There are so many good memories here, but it's just for us isn't it? I know we're not excluding anyone, but it feels like a Just Us Club. We should open up to more people." I was contemplating the course. Saying that I wanted my Tower built was all well and good, but the reasons had to mesh. I truly didn't want the Tower for myself. It would be for everyone on Earth Bet. No matter who you are or where you came from. Safety and sanctuary could be found there.

"That would be up to you. I can get you an appointment with Mayor Christner to make the suggestion, but that would be all I can do. You would have to come up with the proposal and why it would be such a good idea." Emily informed me without heat. Somewhere along the way she had fallen under my spell. Maybe I promised a better day than before, but at least I could deliver. The PRT was a brilliant organization. It's stated goals were noble. The back door deals and other dirty secrets just weren't. One way or another I would see this through to the end. Right up the doorsteps of the world leaders if I must.

"Thank you for listening." I said. We said our goodbyes. Mouse Protector snagged me around the shoulders as we left the office.

"By the way. We still have that lunch to get to." She grinned at me broadly. I smiled faintly in response. The more things change the more they stay the same. There was a shuddering crash somewhere deep in the Rig.

"Oops..." Sonata and my other self said sheepishly over the chat channel.

"MP? Run."

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Seventh Arc 7.8



-June 6, 2011-



-Clearing outside of Brockton Bay-



I wasn't ready to go home yet. There were just too many things spinning around in my mind. How could I have a cluttered mind? That was simple. Nothing was easy. What I found out yesterday was just too much to deal with all at once. Shadowy conspiracies. Manipulation of probability, fate, and of entire governments. I listened to their justifications and I couldn't exactly disagree with them. Something had to be done. Zion the Golden Warrior was a threat of enormous proportions. He was one of the Entities that Mir had warned me about. They were stuck in a bad situation with worse outcomes if nothing was done at all.

Unfortunately that was all we could agree on. They had become monsters. Most of them could be saved and still held onto their humanity. Doctor Mother and Number Man, or Harbinger, were without redeeming qualities. That's right. Harbinger was involved with Cauldron. I was not going to call that filthy animal by his new name. As far as I was concerned he was still a beast. He used to belong to the Slaughterhouse Nine. That should tell you everything. No one ever held a gun to his head to make him be a villain. With his ability to manipulate numbers to pull off even the most physics defying bullshit there was no way to force him to do anything. He was scum. Pure and simple.

Doctor Mother was unaltered. She wasn't a parahuman. For some bizarre reason they treated her like she actually knew what she was doing. The wicked woman hid behind Fortuna, real name Contessa, for her authority. Fortuna's ability, Path to Victory, gave the exact steps to success. No matter the question. There was just the issue that she couldn't see Eidolon, Scion, or the Endbringers with her power. She also could only see me half the time. She desperately wanted to help, but her power was severely crippled. I wasn't completely certain just what Doctor Mother's exact role was, but they listened to her. Even when her ideas were morally black. I had to fix Contessa's Seed from the ground up, but it would function properly now.

Which led to Doctor Mother and Harbinger getting sacked immediately.

The Case 53s that I helped started regaining their human forms before I left. They would be rehabilitated and released. I still felt sick about letting this group continue to operate. What was I going to do? Kill them all? Just killing someone should not be my go to method. They promised to clean up their act and turn themselves in once Zion was dealt with. I knew the Triumvirate would. Doctor Mother had no records on Earth Bet. She would have to be locked up somewhere before anyone asked where she came from. Harbinger should have been dealt with on the spot, but he might be useful to them. If I did it myself that would just undercut my whole point of not becoming Judge, Jury, and Executioner.

The other thing that I wasn't thrilled with was dealing with Zion at all. This was not going to be fun at all. We had until he decided it was time to move on to deal with him. The worst part was that we had absolutely no idea what would set him off. What would make him leave. He was beyond depressed and not even remotely paying attention. Zion's current condition reminded me of my dad and that was an uncomfortable realization. I had to harden my heart and remind myself that the Entities cared nothing for the worlds they destroyed. Just because they could feel the same feelings as we do did not make them any less monstrous. If anything it made them even worse.

"You're deep in thought." Mir observed. My chat channel wasn't open, but when did that stop my mom?

"I have to keep reminding myself that Cauldron did the wrong things for the right reasons. That just because Zion has feelings it doesn't make him any less of a bastard. I can't afford to fall into the black and white morality trap. If I just look at everything in that light then someday I'll make a terrible judgment call. I have to remember that shades of gray exist." I explained to her. She chuckled softly, but with little humor.

"Don't let what happened with me influence you, Taylor. I did not have to drop that wing. I did not have to rebel. There were options that didn't involve mass murder. Please don't try to find the shades of gray where there are none. Cauldron has been operating behind the scenes to ensure the fighting doesn't stop. They're not misunderstood. You understand them perfectly. Even the heroes have become villains. Why didn't they try diplomacy? Why didn't they unite the people? The control society from the money to the governing structure. They're not in absolute control, but they have enough influence to make real changes. They haven't." Mir pointed out.

"But unilateral judgment isn't right either." I asserted.

"No, it's not. Don't let yourself be blinded by an ideal of fairness. Use compassion and understanding to determine your actions. Be hard and unyielding when they fail. Trust in yourself and your morality. What I love about you is your absolute belief in right and wrong. Don't falter now." She urged with sincerity.

"Fine. I'll do my best. When this is over I'm turning off their Seeds. You're right about not letting myself be blinded. Thanks Mom." Reminding me of her old actions and appealing to my better nature. Even now she's watching out for me. My clones collapsed into one back home. She's masquerading as me. I had an easy way out.

"Taylor? What are you planning?" Mir asked me.

"I have a copy of myself at home. If I just adjust her slightly, like so, now she's no more powerful than when I was a Reyvateil. I'm going whaling." There was still Leviathan to deal with. I could feel him in the center of the Atlantic. Once that was taken care of I would go confront Zion. His positioning put him in Siberia. Right over the black scar. I don't know how long he'll be there, but it was a good place to fight.

"What are you talking about? Taylor. Don't do this. You don't have to go alone." My mother was almost begging. There was a chance of failure. Nothing was certain. What I did know was that it was entirely possible to defeat Zion. Whether I survived or not was up in the air.

"I'm not alone. I've never been alone. Mom, Dad, you...I've had wonderful parents. I have a lover and a child. Sisters. I'm not alone. There is no way I'm going to allow this thing to continue threatening my family." I closed the connection. Divine in White burst with brilliant light as I vaulted into the sky.



-Hebert House: Kitchen-



There was a weird tension in the air. Mostly it had to do with knowing that my true body was off brooding. Something she saw had affected her badly. Unfortunately I couldn't go anywhere near her. As the original she could force me to stay away. I was sitting at the table eating lunch. Today had been delightfully boring so far. Let her brood. I had grilled cheese. Though I added tomato and bacon to my grilled cheese sandwich. Okay so it stopped being strictly a grilled cheese, but who cared? Heightened sense of taste was something to be enjoyed.

The chat channel was quiet, but that was expected too. Despedia and Cocona had end of year exams. Lisa was preparing for college in the fall. Apparently there were things to do to get ready for that. Sonata was doing a punishment detail at the Rig. She was cleaning the lab from top to bottom. I had nothing to do with her overclocking that generator. Though we now had a new hole to install a door. Silver linings right? Dad was at work and so was Kat.

I was actually enjoying the peace and quiet. Hmmm. Tension from the main body. That was strange. Like a hammer, something slammed into my skull. A sensation of weightlessness overcame me as I reeled back from the table. When I hit the floor, I was smaller. So much smaller. My body hadn't changed on the outside, but I couldn't feel my connection to the main body. I stared blankly at the ceiling.

"What the fuck did you do?" I muttered in disbelief. Oh I knew, but the shock was overpowering my rational mind. I could hear the melodies, but they were muted. My limbs felt depressingly weak. I was back to being a Reyvateil instead of whatever I'd become.

"Taylor! Are you alright!?" Mir's concern blared across the channel. Wow my brain felt sluggish.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm okay...sort of...what the hell did she do?" I rubbed the back of my head. Pain. Apparently I cracked my head off the counter before bouncing it off the floor.

"...Oh no...she really did do it..." She sounded faint.

"You were talking to the main me?" I asked her.

"She's gone after Leviathan and then to face Zion." Mir informed me. She brought me up to date on what Miss Broody had been dealing with. Wow. I am not making fun of her for brooding. That is a heavy info dump.

"So her brilliant idea is to cut me off and go face this thing? Why?" It probably should have been obvious, but my mind wasn't quite in her league. Thanks to Idiot Taylor.

"She might not make it back alive. You are to remain with your family." She told me.

"So I have to find a way to keep this a secret or they'll try and run after her. Shit shit shit!" I swore. Oh I understood now. It even made a certain logical sense. I had to be with our family. The idea of just abandoning them, no matter how justified, made me physically ill. The plan was going to fall apart no matter how well I covered it up. She should have thought about that. I'm a Reyvateil while she transcended. There are some pretty glaring differences between us. Like the fact she can wave her hand and do anything. Teleport anywhere. She could split off clones. I can't do any of that!

"She was feeling a bit emotional at the time so her logic was a bit skewed." Mir sounded distracted.

"Mom? None of this is your fault. She was the one that went from moping to charging in seconds. There wasn't anything you could do. At least you're here to help me figure out a way to deal with this mess." This was a disaster. Cauldron wound her up and pointed her right at the Golden Dickwad. She was mentally and emotionally off balance. Her compassion was screaming at her. Her revulsion was screaming equally loud. Was it any surprise that she decided to just end the problem? Oh and the capper on this whole sordid affair? They don't know when Zion would snap. Even with Contessa's Path fixed? Yeah right.

"You're right. How do we deal with this?" Mir asked. She was mentally girding herself for the coming conflict.

"Get everyone, and I mean everyone, on your end. Get Casty as well. She promised help from Ra Ciela? See if there is anything that can combat multidimensional projections of fuck you levels of power. If that idiot wants to fight the Warrior then she can't afford to fight on two fronts. She would be too distracted otherwise. I'll get everyone together on my end. I have a few surprises of my own." When you look at the big picture it becomes easy to miss the small stuff. This small stuff however could add up into a huge mess.

"I can do that. How much time do we have?" Mom was all business now. Good.

"Figure between twelve to twenty-four hours. The Glowing Idiot won't want to waste too much time. She'll want to coax Leviathan out without just vaporizing the ocean." For her that would be trivial. The long term problems were something she'd want to avoid, however.

"Could you please stop calling her names? She's still my daughter, as are you. You're the same person." Mir rebuked me. I let the censure wash off my back.

"Oh please she'll probably call herself worse things once this is all over." She will too. That would be my response to performing the most boneheaded action in history.

"I'll get back to you shortly. Oh and incoming family." Mir closed out the link just as the front door burst open. Despedia, Cocona, Sonata, Kat, Dad, and Lisa rushed into the kitchen. Aside from Dad, they were all in costume. Yay me. This was going to be so much fun to explain. Not.

Don't die you bloody loony. I still have to kill you for leaving me with this.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Golden Morning Part 1



-Same Day-



-Hebert Residence-



I've been left with an unenviable task. One that if even the slightest thing goes wrong it could spell total disaster. No pressure, right? I had to explain to my family that Aria went off the reservation to go fight a being that trumps her in age and experience. She and I will have words. I checked my Name and it's listed as Taylor_Teiwaz_Artonelico. That's right. The bitch altered my Hymn Code. I don't have the original Seed, but a copy. She hooked all of her connections, except the cores, to me in some misguided attempt to protect everyone else from going down with the ship. Aria seems to have forgotten that Cocona is her soul mate and connected directly to her.

"No contemplating the murder of your alternate." Lisa thwapped me on the head.

"Ouch! No promises, but she made so many mistakes it hurts to think about." I complained.

"What do you mean?" Dad asked. Cocona was holding Sonata's hand. Despedia was watching me with unnerving intensity. I was reminded rather forcefully that Des, for all her progress, was still unstable at times. Having her connections bounced around would not leave her a happy birdy. Kat sat curled up against Dad. How could she leave them like this? I sat down on the armchair heavily.

"I'll explain it as factually as I can. Excuse me if at some points I lose my temper. Yesterday she started spamming clones mainly to test her limits, but also take advantage of the fact that I could literally hang out with you guys. All at the same time. She was having a good time feeling what we were. Aria decided to go to junkyard and talk to the old man since we haven't been by to see him lately. She dealt with a Nazi initiation before continuing on her way." I took a sip from a glass of water.

"She found a gynoid abandoned in the junkyard. The face looked exactly the same as the Simurgh. The computer brain was reformatted as a storage device. It was a teaser with information that we didn't have before. Scion is actually Zion. One of the Entities capable of destroying all Earths. Why doesn't matter. The fact that this destruction is a side effect is what makes this act particularly heinous. She found a dimensional weak point and entered it. Probably not the brightest idea, but it was connected to another Earth." I took another sip of water. So far they were with me. Lisa was murmuring things that filled in the minor details in my narrative.

"I don't know which Earth. I couldn't reach it even if I wanted to. Well, I kind of do want to reach it, and leave a nuclear surprise. There's a shadowy conspiracy that makes the Illuminati look like choir boys. The important things to note are that they genuinely believe they're working towards saving everything and that they're batshit insane." Kat snorted at my description. Good to know her sense of humor was still intact even if she did look a bit wild around the eyes.

"They seem to think having Harbinger was a good idea because of his ability to manipulate numbers. He was their money man. The Triumvirate are in their back pocket. A woman with a power that says I Win is their oracle. Last but not least is a psycho woman that somehow ran this organization despite bringing nothing to the table. Except for being a psycho on par with Harbinger. She doesn't think their morally reprehensible actions are wrong. She thinks they're justified for the Greater Good." Despedia gripped my shoulder.

"Get off your soapbox and tell us what they did. Also how the fuck did it convince Aria to drink the Kool-Aid?" Good point. I needed to stop getting steamed. She was manipulated and I kept forgetting that.

"They're the source of the Case 53s. The take Seeds of a dead entity and stuff them in people. These Seeds haven't been adjusted to function properly with a human host. Oh they are given some adjustment to avoid killing the host, but not enough to avoid severe mental damage. This group, Cauldron, has been trying to make a parahuman army to face Scion. Now just imagine you have a serious empathic ability. Heightened to the point of insanity. Your mind has been altered to process it all and you have perfect clarity of memory. So you see the most terrible sight you can imagine, feel the emotions from those poor souls, and you can't gloss over it." I gave them a chance to let that terrible image sink in a minute. It also worked to calm me down.

"Jesus Christ..." Dad muttered with his arm around Kat. Cocona hugged Sonata. Despedia was comforting Lisa.

"So shock, horror, revulsion. Put all of that together and our desire to protect the world. They wound her up and sent her off. Cauldron doesn't care if she lives or dies. Just that she gets the job done. What I need from you guys is something very important." They straightened up. Good.

"What do you need from us?" Kat asked with a serious glint in her eyes.

"Whatever it is, you can count on us." Dad responded.

"I won't let her fight this alone." Cocona swore.

"We'll make sure Mom comes home." Sonata smiled bravely.

"I'll try not to smack her." Despedia smirked.

"You've got a plan then?" Lisa asked as if she didn't already know my thoughts.

"We're going to have move very quickly. Lisa? I need to collaborate with Mir and whoever she gets. Sonata, Kat, and myself need to go grab a few things from the Rig. Despedia? Get Madison. Dad..." She hugs her father tightly. "Pray for us. I'm serious. This is literally the most important job. Just send your feelings to Aria."

"The most important, huh?" He didn't look convinced.

"No matter what happened I always wanted my dad. I always wanted you at my side. So please..." I couldn't think of how else to describe it, but there it was. He hugged me back just as tight.

"What can I do to help?" Cocona asked. I nodded slowly.

"We'll need your Song. Right now you're more powerful than I am by magnitudes. Stand at her side. You can stand at her level." I knew what I was telling her. Her eyes widened.

"But...I can't...can I?" She sounded so uncertain.

"You can. Right now you're our only hope of matching Aria and giving her the help she needs." Lisa stated firmly. Sonata hugged her.

"You can do it. Mom wouldn't leave you standing in the dust, right?" My little girl's confidence was exactly what she needed. The confusion cleared.

"I'll meet you back here when I'm done." Cocona nodded affirmatively before heading out the door. I waited until she had already flown off.

"She would have failed if she didn't believe." I sighed. Aria might have the might of twenty spiral galaxies once she's collected Leviathan, but Cocona was directly connected to her.

"Let's get a move on. What are we going for?" Kat asked as she snagged Dad's keys. We were already running out the door.

"The contents of Vault Omega. Ugh that sounds so cheesy and dramatic. That's the last time I let Clockblocker name anything." Vault Omega was the stuff the PRT wouldn't let me use. There were a lot of projects that were just too dangerous. With enough elbow grease I could make something to help with the fighting.

"Is Cocona gonna do that exploding thing you did?" Sonata asked with some concern.

"No, but she needs to get a handle on the power. Kind of like I did before the ascension. I just didn't touch it. She's not used to having reserves that would make other Reyvateils cry." I was still a Tinker even without the massive boost. Oversight was still able to be used, but I knew this was my last time. It had been weakening steadily as I grew fully acclimated to this dimension.

"That is one hell of a thing to attempt right beforehand." Kat commented as we drove towards the PRT building.

"I gave them some busy work to keep them from sitting around and fretting. I do have a need for getting Madison though." I assured them.

"Why is that?" Sonata looked at me curiously.

"Cocona is connected to the main me. Despedia, Lisa, and Madison were directly changed through me. Madison's Seed came from Despedia's, but it still counts. We can build up Synchronicity. We'll have the others on Ar Ciel and Ra Ciela aiding us as well." The plan was simple. We would contend with the projection while Aria went and dealt with the bastard's main body. If we could tie him up fighting on two fronts then he wouldn't be able to bring his greater experience to bear.

We made it to the Rig. It was clear we were on a mission, but no one was sure what kind. I made a beeline for Armsmaster's lab. The man was never outside of it unless Dragon was around. I tried not to smile about the time the bombshell Tinker dragged the man out for a date. Literally. As in bodily dragged him. Good times. I soaked up the ambient positive emotion and drew it in. The master of the domain was in his lab.

"Aria...? What are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I need Eolia's Legacy." It was a code word that would mean nothing to anyone else. The armored hero stiffened, but nodded. He brought over a huge crate. Four feet by six feet.

"Take your time. I'll see what Dragon is up to tonight." The miniaturization Tinker left the lab. My companions just looked shocked.

"What's in there?" Mouse Protector asked. I inputted the thirty digit code on a keypad written in Hymmnos. The top split into four and slowly rotated out of the way while the sides folded down. When it was done, the crate had unfolded into a table. The assorted odds and ends looked deceptively mild. They were anything but mild.

"Mom. Half of this stuff you said was destroyed." My baby's voice came out strangled. Some of there were her own creations, but were far too lethal. The dart caster based on the Ward Flechette was absolutely brutal. Armor? What armor? Not in phase with reality? Still spiked.

"I need your phase converter. I'm sorry sweetie, but you made this when you were still under suspicion. I was worried about you." She hugged me.

"It hurt worse when I thought you did just destroy my work. Use whatever you need." Sonata said with a smile.

"Okay. I'm making a weapon with this. Sonata? Can you make me another one? Mouse Protector is getting some armor. If you're willing, I plan on making a couple dart casters." The bombastic heroine grinned.

"How could I possibly pass up this opportunity? I am the ally of all cute kids anywhere. She will be safe in my hands." She posed dramatically.

"Good. Now...time to concentrate..." I felt my mind expand. My awareness increased. The amplifiers and generators in my armor were feeding my predictive powers. I could feel my family's support. Each one a unique and treasured melody in the Harmony. My hands moved of their own volition and I started to Sing. What was I Singing? It sounded so familiar. The sight of Atlas 2.0 entered my vision. The song to summon this Atlas was Thrash Guardian Beatle. The Song helped me focus the creation while also assuring me that his supportive presence was even here outside the Cosmosphere. The image of the angelic version of my Mother came forth as well. I couldn't physically see, but everything became a part of the Song to my Soul. I came out of my fugue with a straw in my mouth. The liquid was sweet and tasted like Gatorade.

"That should keep you on your feet. I don't think we have time for you to catnap. Especially since you took five hours for this." Mouse Protector's business-like tone helped me focus faster. It was strange, but the tone she took with me was almost parental. She didn't know she was doing it. Yeah let's worry about getting a third mommy later. Even though I made sure my smile was extra bright for her.

"Okay let's see what I got. It better be worth it because that was the last. Oversight is gone." When you poke an anomaly repeatedly it eventually gets used to your prodding. Oversight is an anomaly. Anything that it does can be replicated given enough time and effort. It just sort of cheats and helps circumvent parts of the process of creation.

Holy shit. Jackpot is too light a term. The schematics filled my brain and told me exactly what the hell I built. I built Divine in White. Not like the costume, but the actual mechanical representation. Looking at it's statistics this thing was frightening despite it's angelic appearance. Miniaturized generators, amplifiers, harmonic boosters, and all the bells and whistles for a machine twenty times it's size. The phase shield was ludicrous. It converted energy damage into straight power. The only weapons were the photon dart casters. It didn't need more weaponry when it could massively boost Song Magic. I could actually use multiple Songs at the same time with this thing. It could handle up to five separate Songs. Was I still awake? Pinch myself. Ouch. Yep I'm still awake.

I even built an armor for Sonata. It looked just like Divine in White except for being jet black and silver. Sonata was arming it with an assortment of Fin Funnels and two hovering Buster Rifles. I was trying not to think about the sheer damage this thing could case. Especially since I identified the massive weapon the machine held as being a scaled up dart caster. Might as well call that thing a javelin caster. The projectile would be huge compared to my tinier darts.

"Here's the armor for Mouse Grandmommy." Sonata teased as she passed over a power suit. Not a full power armor, but it was definitely better than what she was wearing. Armored portions that could connect to the suit were laid out as well.

"Awww...sweetie you shouldn't have...is this a sword?" Mouse picked up the obviously Tinker tech blade. The lightly glowing green of the sword gave off an ominous vibe.

"I took Armsmaster's idea for a nanothorn super sword and added a dimensional edge. It'll slice anything like an onion. Just flick the switch and you can sheath it normally. Be sure to use it's own sheath though. It suspends the nanothorn blade in a magnetic field and keeps it charged. There is a generator of it's own, but it's better to be safe than sorry." Sonata informed her. Mouse Protector stopped shy of testing the edge before withdrawing her hand gingerly.

"We're as well armed as we can get on this front." I said. There was a box full of components that I knew were meant for Lisa's mech and phase shields for everyone. Once this is done I'll have the luxury of sleeping for a week, but right now? We had a date with a Golden Jerkass.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Golden Morning Part 2



-Same Day-



-Somewhere over the Atlantic-



Well this was awkward. There was a barrier preventing me from getting at Leviathan. That barrier was called the Atlantic Ocean. Now firing a beam powerful enough to destroy him from here was possible, but that would also vaporize the water. Not even remotely good. I tried summoning him to the surface, but he refused. Well since I was essentially inviting him to die it was understandable. I could just dive into the water, but he might set off a mega tsunami. It was humbling to admit that even with my power, stopping that much water was just not feasible.

"...I can just go after Zion without him." That idea wasn't so great either. I could, but why hinder myself? Send the call. The call was refused. Zion was still in Siberia. Now I was getting concerned. It was like he was waiting for me. Up until this point he was unaware. I guess my movements weren't very subtle. Damn. I locked onto Leviathan and tried something different. If Muhammad wouldn't go to the mountain and all that. The Endbringer responded with panic. I carefully drew him up out of the water while brushing his feeble attempts at summoning his water shadows away.

[Fear]

[Uncertainty]

[Denial]

"I wonder how many of your victims felt the same way. Monsters don't have a choice when a larger predator comes along." That didn't make me feel good. I pushed those thoughts away. It wasn't that they weren't helpful, but that was not me. I would not classify people like that. Leviathan was a monster, but was still deserving of consideration. I shut down his consciousness. Now to integrate the Core...

A flash of golden brilliance shot through the space I recently occupied. Floating before me was Zion. The Golden Warrior stared at me with lifeless eyes. His melody was tortured with grief and despair. I thought I knew grief, but this being who measured life in millenia? The depths of his tragic feelings almost buried me.

No.

The glowing Core in my hand was drifting towards him while I was preoccupied. Oh no you don't. I needed that more than he did. Without hesitation I devoured the Core. Golden light exploded towards me in a soundless rush of power. I deflected it with an Ethereal Blast. My voice raised in Song as over a dozen angels manifested around me. Each one pointed their hands at my opponent and unleashed their fury. He vanished in a torrent of blue white light. Damn he escaped! I warped to his location. We were above Nova Scotia?

"Oh no you freaking bastard...Don't!" The golden radiance was unleashed in a cascading river of power. Those people didn't even have time to flee! I got below the attack and flared my aura. Each person was enveloped in my power and shielded as best as I could. The golden blast ended, but the damage was unbelievable.

The entire surface of Nova Scotia was scoured clean. The horror of a nation crashed into me and did more damage than that golden beam. I was caught off guard when Zion appeared before me and struck me across the face. That was only the beginning. It was like I had become a tiny ball in the most demented game of pinball in history. I had to continually flare my aura to avoid taking damage. 2Fast4U spilled forth from my lips as I sped away from him. His speed was phenomenal. His accuracy was unreal. His tenacity was daunting. Somehow this fight had spurred him into action more than anything had in years. Zion's depression was the furthest thing from his mind. The desire to win had overtaken him. There was a reason this being was feared. Power poured off me as I unleashed an unrelenting offensive. I had to stop him here! Whenever it looked like I would actually hit him he would just vanish. I committed the cardinal sin of battle.

I gained tunnel vision.

We appeared over South America. Zion actually had the nerve to smile at me. I tried to clamp down on my rage, but it just would not be silenced. He thrust his hands out and burst into light brighter than thousands of arc lamps. The bright flash was so intense that I was instantly blinded. I felt millions of lives die in an instant. The fist that struck my face was almost a relief from the unrelenting pain of those extinguished lives. I hit the ground, retching, but a foot smashed into my diaphragm with enough force to throw me back into the air.

"W-why...? Why kill all these people...? What have they every done to you...!?" I demanded through harsh wheezes. He gazed at me as my sight returned.

[Query?]

[Confusion]

[Apathy]

He didn't care. He didn't care at all. Intellectually I knew that talking to him would be difficult, but we literally had no point of reference. He didn't understand that these people had lives. That even the smallest of things mattered. I could see it in his melody. His kind just didn't see any lives but their own as being worth something. I called him a monster before, but dammit. He wasn't a monster. His kind were a blight on existence.

He exploded into motion once more. I grabbed hold of my rage and shaped it into a weapon. A flash of cobalt blue light extended from my hand as I swung the sword of pure Song Magic at him. The blade was my Spirit made manifest. His arm flew off and burst in a shower of sparks. I attempted a downward cleave, but he vanished again. He ran to the middle of the Sahara Desert which was much better in my opinion. Less people to get caught up in this disaster.

[Anger]

[Denial]

[Conviction]

Instead of golden light, a jet of red shot towards me. It shaped itself into a cone that was miles long and miles wide. I slashed at it with my sword and was pleased that it cleaved the blast so readily. The flecks of energy that were released exploded violently sending me tumbling through the sky. Once more I was cast about in a tempest. Green lights speared me before detonating as well. A flash of someone else's pain flashed through my awareness. Cocona? Why could I still feel her? Didn't I connect her to Taylor. My thoughts crystallized sharply. She wasn't connected to my Tower. My lover was connected to me! I teleported out of the blast zone and gained some distance. This was bad. This was very bad. All at once clarity descended over my thoughts.

What was I doing out here?

I was getting my ass kicked.

Why was I here?

Cauldron was adamant that they didn't know what would set him off.

Cauldron...

I ran through the list of all the derogatory comments in the book from three worlds. Then got creative. He blurred forward to sock me in the jaw again, but I tilted my head to the side. Calm restored. I couldn't afford to lose my mind out here. Cocona was still connected to me. My powers wouldn't work if I wasn't in Harmony. That was the very nature of My Existence. Unfortunately I had to blow through 40% of my usable power to remember this and have countless lives destroyed. Fight now and recriminations later. We traded blows at speeds that mortal eyes could not comprehend. Enhanced by my speed Song, I was getting three hits to every one of his, but the difference in experience was staggering. My energy levels were climbing back up, but not fast enough to let me outlast him. I used Awareness to see just how I could finish him off and still have enough to deal with the main body.

"Just now realized how badly you fucked up?" Taylor's voice was biting as my power linked to her. Oh fuck. She was not happy. I wasn't about to get chewed out by myself. Later though...

"Shut up and listen. I'm bringing you to my location. Get ready to fight. I have to face the real Zion." I told her. Yeah this was going to hurt. The Golden Warrior knew that I couldn't defeat him. He wouldn't give me a chance to use Ethereal Blast because that would hurt him and his true self.

"We're ready to fight." Taylor's voice was grim. Teenagers should not have reality bending powers. I'm living proof. With that settled I had to make an opening. Bringing them here when Zion was still on my ass would only get them killed immediately. My Awareness reminded me that my Voice was still a weapon and that Songs were my Will being imposed on reality.

So I sang Zion a lullaby.

[Confusion]

[Alarm]

[Lethargy]

He was dropping from the sky. If I did anything to him but Sing he would be able to throw off the effect. All I could was pray that they were ready. I couldn't do this alone and I never should have been that foolish.



-Earlier-



-Clearing outside of the City: Cocona-



We were ready. There was nothing else that we could do at this point. I could pinpoint exactly where Aria was, but we couldn't reach her. She was jumping around the globe so fast that it was impossible to track her that way. I knew when she succeeded in taking on Leviathan's Core. They were counting on me to be their heavy gun when we face Zion's avatar. I was still in this blasted clearing trying to figure out what she had done to change.

It had to do with the Interface Layer. She performed some sort of act involving that. What I had been told before coming here was that messing with the IL was death. That was an oversimplification, but it fit. She didn't even tell me what the main trigger was. I would have to come up with something that would do the job.

Lisa and Despedia had already arrived while I concentrated on my task. They were preparing in their own way. The blonde was submerging herself in her Inference Engine. Apparently she had been doing that periodically for practice. She described it as seeing things as they truly are. There was nothing that could hide from her Sight. We were going to need her ability to coordinate us. Her practice was fairly quiet, but Despedia's was more bizarre.

She was humming something softly. I could make out the faint strains of something familiar. It was strange, but I felt a sort of resonance as if her spirit was aligning. Thank you for the gift, love. I could actually see her melody organizing itself. At the point of synchronization she burst into song. She was singing Despedia. The control code for the Divine Army drop ship. That's what I knew it as, but to her it was how she was reborn. A change came over her as pink eyes flashed once and turned magenta. Not red like her feral state.

"You did it...!" Lisa exclaimed happily before hugging the taller girl.

"I didn't have a reason to before. I always knew that it would be Aria's fault." Despedia laughed. That was her answer. It sounded good to me as well. There was one Song that was purely mine. It told my story before I came to Earth Bet. The lyrics even fit what I went through with Taylor. However reversed. At her lowest I was able to reach her. We were each others safety.

I began to Sing and felt myself start to expand. My Awareness was fragile, but it would grow strong. She needed us. She needed me and I needed her. Something was happening. Wait a minute. No! I must keep my calm and believe in myself. Aria was battling Zion right now. Her heart was in such pain and rage. I calmed myself. The expanding warmth flowed through my limbs.

"Get back everybody. Don't startle her." I dimly heard Taylor, but the words had no meaning. All that mattered was my Voice and my Song. Pain! Exploding pain that flooded my body and made my very soul quake! Zion was battering her unrelentingly. Must...maintain...control...

Must...maintain...control...

I will not bow.

I will not break.

I straightened up as the pressure eased. The pain vanished like it never existed. I felt energy surge through my body. What the hell did I do? I was just trying to take control of the link, but something else had happened. Wait...There was a Core inside of me. Where did it come from?

"...I'm sorry. I didn't even realize this would hurt you. I hadn't fully assimilated Leviathan's Core so I gave it to you. Forgive me for being so stupid..." How much effort was it taking to split her concentration while fighting for her life? Aria you beautiful idiot. My idiot.

"We'll be there soon. Just hold on and fight!" I sent back my certainty and faith.

"Come on Cocona. We're getting ready for transfer." Taylor brought me back down. I nodded at her. The others were arrayed in the clearing. What a group we made. Strangely enough I was completely at ease.

"Guess this'll make my third time saving a world." I said cheekily. The tension eased to safer levels as everyone shared a good laugh. We didn't have any more time. A white circle appeared beneath us and we vanished.

This would end today.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Golden Morning Part 3



-Sahara Desert-



When the flash of light cleared I was surprised at the turn out. Each one of them was ready to rumble. What a relief. With these guys watching my back I would win. Cocona got my gift. That much was glaringly obvious. Wow. Everyone but Dad showed up. Even Madison was here. I could hear Dad sending me love and affection. My spirit eased further. Zion was utterly helpless, but he wouldn't be once the Song stopped. My clone was in a version of Divine in White. She nodded at me to indicate readiness.

"I'm going to have to stop Singing. Don't attack until I've disappeared. We want to keep his attention split." Honestly I had no idea what they were even planning. Taylor, Lisa, Madison, and Sonata were arrayed in a diamond formation around Cocona. She was already beginning to Sing. Oh damn. They were planning on hitting him hard. Despedia was gathering energy in the back of her throat. She was going to hit him with the attack used on Behemoth.

"Keep him sleeping for just a little longer and we'll catch him a crossfire." Lisa said to me over the channel. Where was Mouse Protector? I looked about for her. She was hovering on one of the anti-grav lifts above Zion's head with her glowing sword at the ready. Sonata moved from her original position and aimed all weapons at the drifting man. Lisa was in mid air with her mech's weapon systems pointed at him. Taylor was standing before Cocona in vanguard position. Her armor was glowing with power as a faint image of a beetle overlaid itself on her form. Madison at first seemed to be the odd girl out. Why was she dancing around like that? Her hands were moving in a classic cheerleader manner combined with jumps and flips. I felt strangely energized.

"Dancing and singing is nothing to sneeze at! This is my Cheer!" Analyzing effect. I blinked a few times. Hax. Totally hax. It boosted energy collection and Harmonics by as much as a hundred times. For some bizarre reason I actually felt sorry for the sleeping man. He literally had no idea what was about to happen. It was hard, but I finally made the jump. The Harmonics I had already built, plus Madison's boost, carried over to my next Song.

The massive writhing figure almost made me lose my lunch. The dead world it had taken as it's own made my heart ache. How many worlds had ended up like this? No. How many dimensions had collapsed because these fools destroyed everything. It was already waking up. Rebooting its thought processes. I wasn't going to be able to wipe this out in one shot, but the choir of angels that surrounded me were going to give it their best effort.

"Ethereal Blast!" Twelve bolts of blue white energy streaked out. A dim force field covered my target, but all it did was blunt the damage. Massive furrows were dug through it's body. The massive bulk squirmed and shuddered as the mountainous terrain of the dead world was shattered from it's movement.

[Pain]

[Aggression]

[Confusion]

That last sensation came as a result of the ridiculous amounts of blasts, slashes, spikes, and spears that suddenly appeared on it's form. The amount of damage wasn't as great as what I caused, but it was respectable.

"Do I have your attention now?"



-Back at the Desert-



Aria had slightly underestimated how fast the projection would wake up. That was fine. We were prepared to unleash pure hell on this freak. Despedia unleashed her Halcyon Cry. The spinning drill of raw annihilation blew through his torso. Javelins of dimensionally charged energy speared through his torso and left thigh. A blast of overwhelming force knocked him through the air right into the path of Mouse Protector's descent. The sword parted his body like a hot knife through butter. She quickly teleported away as the form exploded in gold light. Zion reappeared, seemingly unharmed, but definitely awake.

[Pain]

[Aggression]

[Confusion]

Cocona's Song was gaining power at a rapid clip. Madison was exhausting herself with the acrobatics. If not for the temperature resistant clothing she would be dying of heat stroke. Zion unleashed a wave of bright blue energy in a circle that froze Lisa's mech solid. Mouse Protector was forced to abandon ship as her flight unit was frozen as well. Sonata used 2Fast4U to escape while Despedia, defying all logic, slashed through the laser with her claws.

The white haired young woman snarled before vaulting at the floating man. He moved to strike her down only for his blow to crash into her defense field. She gripped his wrist, claws parted the pseudo flesh of his wrist with ease. Des grinned like a mad woman as she slashed her energy charged claws downward. The unnaturally sharp blades sliced through his skull and clear to his waist. She leaped away before he could explode again.

Each time he exploded to recover drained him. I grinned ferally at the proof that this guy wasn't invincible. Lisa's mech burst free from it's imprisonment before unleashing it's entire payload at him. Weapons both mundane and not hammered into his position. There was a period of disorientation after recovery. We could take advantage of that. Sonata zoomed into a new position above the Golden Warrior and threw Mouse Protector at him!? Even he seemed surprised at the unorthodox move.

"Huzzah!" Mouse Protector cried out with savage glee as the blade sliced through him again. She vanished back to Sonata's mech as the man exploded again.

"This fucker just keeps on coming..." Despedia growled, but otherwise continued her hit and run tactics.

[Rage]

Shit! He threw his hand out and filled the air with countless red spheres. This was the attack he used on Aria. He wasn't trying to mask it as a cone this time. Sorry, but I haven't been idle. My Harmonics were passing the millions mark and passed the hundred millions. The amplifiers were pretty much going to be destroyed by this, but the almost unholy joy I was feeling would not be denied. Where I once stood was a massive mecha. Atlas 2.0, Thrash Guardian Beatle, strode into the killing field and unleashed his protective barrier.

[Query?]

[Worry]

I was inside the shell of my Song Magic construct. His strength was my own. With just one blow I forced a regeneration. This was followed by another blow and another. The shell was practically indestructible. I said practically, because it really isn't completely invulnerable. Flakes of data and energy were stripped from Atlas with each explosion. I only had to hold up this barrage until Cocona was ready.

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!" Atlas was roaring in a terrible voice. Somewhere in the back of my mind I dearly regretted not knowing where he got this stuff. His fists had blurred into ungodly speed. There was just me and the amazing exploding sun. Did I buy enough time for everyone to escape? They moved to the maximum safe distance. Good. Cocona looked so beautiful and serene. The battle dress she picked up in the Cosmosphere rustled faintly as her hair blew in a breeze not of this world. She was utterly unaffected by the chaos around her. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, glowing with power, and spoke one word to me.

"Move."

Atlas 2.0 grabbed the Golden Warrior while expelling me. I managed to take control of my unplanned flight only to see something awe inspiring. The massive construct of Song Magic had built a cage of energy out of his defense field. Zion was slamming his fists into it without effect, but the damaged construct was rattling. You won't have to hold it long, dear. His resolve redoubled and the barrier denied motion.

"Granzero=Spear." Cocona intoned. The first time I used Ethereal Blast it was an impressive moment. I know it was my own power, but it still amazed me. The shaft of light directly from my lover's own soul burned with a blinding intensity that made my best effort look arthritic. It struck Zion so fast that the attack was over as soon as it begun. My only clue that anything was happening was the circle of energy that formed before her. Zion looked startled as my construct was forcefully dispelled. He tried to explode once more, but turned gray instead. His body turned into bits of ash. Without so much as a whimper, the projection was defeated.



-Empty Earth-



I watched as the being below me struggled. Each time they attacked, I attacked. The idea of just destroying it all at once occurred to me, but was discarded just as readily. To do that I would have to destroy this Earth. There was a celestial balance that had to be observed. If one Earth was destroyed then the other Earths would feel it. I was hoping the being would give up, but it seemed determined to die by degrees.

"Are you trying to die?" I finally asked. The projection was destroyed. The Seeds that were used to maintain it had been burnt out completely. There was no way for it to fight any longer. It just didn't have the energy left. Not even enough energy to escape.

[Weariness]

Oh. I dropped to the planet below and stared at the ruined being before me. It's one thing to get gung ho and claim that you didn't care, but my heart was not made of stone.

"You can't self terminate. Your kind is designed around survival at all costs." I touched it gently. They evolved to survive. They had vast power and abilities, but the one thing they lacked was choice. It, no, he had learned about choice from humanity. His instincts would not let him kill himself, but they would let him fight to the last.

[Gratitude]

[Acceptance]

"...Eden..." He spoke in a vast voice filled with longing.

"I will put her body somewhere that no one can defile it anymore." I promised him.

"...Take..." What was he saying? Oh that's what he meant. A list of Seeds and their abilities filled my mind. Not only his, but hers as well. They had no attachment to the body. It existed as a vehicle. Once it died the others scavenged whatever was useful to them. He wanted to prevent her further defilement in the only way he knew.

"Goodnight, Zion. In another time, and another place, you will be together. I promise." My hand pressed against him harder and I shut him down. I was still going to keep my word. The remains of Eden, minus Cauldron, were brought to this world and laid beside her mate. I would plant my Tree here. A Tower would still be constructed on Earth Bet, but this would be my garden. A doorway opened and Contessa stepped out. The woman looked frazzled and disoriented. Having their secret clubhouse dropped into the middle of the central office for the PRT would do that to anyone.

"What have you done?" She demanded.

"I kept my word so now you keep yours. Zion has been dealt with." I informed her coldly.

"Will you set yourself up as the new Entity then? Is that why you gathered all this power?" Contessa stared at me with horror in her eyes.

"I have no idea what you went through at the hands of the Entities. I feel for you. Literally. I can't just turn off my empathy. Happiness and Harmony are all that I desire. If the world had left me alone I would have been content. You showed me abominable things and wound me up to fight your battle. What you failed to take into account is that I function best when calm. My power is easier to access when I am living up to my Aspect." I threw it back at her. The fedora wearing woman stepped back in surprise.

"I knew you wouldn't react well to it, but Doctor Mother said it was best to point you at Zion. Instead of you finding out about us without guiding events. The Path to Victory agreed that it was the best option." She pleaded with me to understand.

"Did you try asking it how a being that uses emotions for power would react? Would they be able to do what you wanted?" I asked her. Contessa shook her head slowly.

"It never occurred to me." She admitted.

"You're going to have to learn these things. Doctor Mother can't direct you anymore. The Triumvirate has a lot of explaining to do. Harbinger will probably end up killed or Birdcaged. Your fate is your own. No one else's." I told her gently.

"...Then I will turn myself in with my friends. They are more than friends. They're my family. I'm sorry for all of the misunderstandings." Contessa apologized. She wasn't coming after me half cocked. Her family was in jeopardy so she wanted to find out why.

"Have hope, faith, and love. Never lose sight of those. Things have a way of working out for the best." I winked at her. She nodded and smiled. Her Path was set. Was what I did wrong? Hardly. The world is not black and white. When compassion is forgotten then all is truly lost. My own family was waiting for me.



"I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul" - Invictus by William Ernest Henley



AN: Epilogue will be up in a day or two. For some reason this wrote itself exceptionally fast and wouldn't let me stop. I'll confess that the idea of going the Buster!Taylor route was oh so tempting, but not in keeping with the theme at all. Harmony, understanding, and redemption. Sometimes the most profound things come from the simplest acts.

Mir allowed her compassion to guide her hand and look at what came about as a result. Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me. I am more grateful than you know for just sticking with me even through the rough times. All of you contributed to this story in some way and I appreciate it. If I tried to list all of you that would take up a chapter in and of itself.