As I walked aimlessly through the darkened forest that howled with winds foreboding of disaster, my feet dragged from the deep exhaustion I felt, the sort of exhaustion that sunk deep into one's bones and joints, that weighted down on the core of my very being and made every step feel like the last one to be taken, like there was no more energy to go on forward. Yet I somehow found my own legs moving of their own accord, propelling me forward in this treacherous path, my bare feet barely keeping me from tipping over and sinking onto the rocky ground covered with exposed, knotted roots, begging to wound me the moment I gave myself over to gravity's doing.

It had been at least a day, no, it had been days, since I chose to give my fate up to the wilderness, running away from the destruction I left behind, and nothing and no one had stopped me, as I had nothing nor no one to hold me back anymore. In a dark sense this was liberating, nothing holding me back meant I had no concerns about anyone worrying sick about my disappearance, but that was the consequence of having nowhere familiar to return to, no one familiar anymore, all forsaken debris.

Just me and my tired two legs that kept on going on their own, despite me wishing otherwise.

I love your wings, why don't you use them instead if your legs are tired? Snapped out of my stupor, I looked up, taking notice of a small white Shoyru with glaring yellow eyes smiling at me, standing in the forest path a few feet ahead. With short blue hair and dressed in alien clothes, the Shoyru seemed so still and calm in comparison with the chaotic whirlwind that shook the trees above us and created dancing shadows beneath us, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Wh- Who are you?

Why, you haven't answered my question first. The Shoyru maintained the smile while japing. It's not fair that way, that's not how the rules of conversations go.

I don't- I- I hadn't really caught the question that was asked, so I looked at the Shoyru helplessly, lost at what to do. With a giggle, the Shoyru broke the silence that hung for that tense second.

Tsk, oh, well, I guess some things can just go unanswered. The Shoyru approached me, looking all over me in curiosity, and I froze up, fearing what could happen next. So, whatcha doin' in this forest? And so deep within it, aren't you concerned for your safety? I had my eyes locked on the Shoyru, who then walked around me as I thought of what to answer.

I am a faerie, I can handle myself. The Shoyru scoffed.

So confident... I like it! With a wide grin, the Shoyru surprised me, grabbing onto my hands, and hugging them. I like you. Can I take you with me? It's to a cool place, I promise! Disconcerted, I thought of anything to respond to discourage the enthusiastic proposal, but that wouldn't upset whatever was this Shoyru.

Uh- I don't know... I was going somewhere...

Oh, you were? Where? The Shoyru looked down the path I was taking, and I couldn't figure out something quickly enough before being cut off. There's nothing down that way for miles and miles on end. Are you sure you're going the right way?

Uh- Also, I don't know you, I don't even know your name... The Shoyru blew a raspberry.

Does it matter if I have a name?

No, I mean, if I don't even know your name, I don't know anything about you, and I can't just go w-

You can call me the Guardian, then, if names matter that much. It's short for Guardian at the Gate, that's my duty. The Shoyru cut me off. But then you have to tell me your name, it's only fair. This answer only brought more questions, but I didn't care enough to ask them, being focused at the more pressing question and the Shoyru's hands which were still holding mine quite firmly.

Well... Not seeing much choice, I told the Guardian. You can call me Nora.

Oooh! That's so pretty! Now that we know how to address each other, can I take you to my place?

Thank you... But I still am not sure...

Why?

Um... Well... I needed to figure out a way out of this, but I was running really short in ideas. Well, I need to return home... I can't just leave here, my faerie sisters will miss me.

I mean, it's not like you have a home or sisters to return to, and this world won't last that much longer either. I looked at the Guardian, incredulous, who scoffed at me. What?

What did she mean by that last part? I feared asking what was going on, but the ominous rumbling I could feel in the air and from the ground brewed a sense of urgency that made the full realization of this Shoyru's words sink in not so slowly as despair bubbled up. Something primal within me confirmed this was not just a joke or hyperbole from the Guardian's part, which, together with what I had witnessed back then, only added to my despair and newfound fear of the end that was to come.

Do you prefer to stay here and find the same fate as your sisters instead? The Guardian asked with a more neutral face, loosening the grip on my hands, but I had changed my mind.

No! I mean-

You mean too much, the Shoyru snarked, embarrassing and confounding me and making me lose my train of thought for a second, and my answer was more pleading than I hoped to sound.

Please take me with you! I felt self-conscious and small and hopeless, thrusting myself onto this strange creature I had just met, and it didn't help that the Guardian smiled widely in response, squealing with joy in this dark situation. What had I gotten myself into?

Perfect! See, I knew you'd come to reason! Let's go! Before I had any chance to act, the Guardian took both of my hands once more, and dashed forward, barely giving me time to do react, and so I stumbled while attempting to keep up. A flash of light contrasted against the dark setting we were leaving behind, as we rushed through what seemed like a gateway.

As my eyes adjusted to the much brighter lighting of wherever I had just been brought to, I thought at first that everything seemed extremely normal, familiar, or at least the ground beneath me felt like it, but that sensation didn't last for too long.

We seemed to be in a sunlit grassy field, the gateway we crossed was right behind us, an archway now. Other similar archways were scattered in the field, and then there were also archways in the sky, in small floating islands. The archways kept on going on in every direction, scattered as if they were sprouted from the ground like grain in a field, until they were so small, they were nigh indistinguishable, but there was also another oddness in this. Nothing seemed to disappear beneath the horizon, no, everything just kept on going forever in this strange, endless field.

Also, upon a more careful look to the sky above, things made no sense either, as the sun and the stars were all present together at the same time, which should be impossible if the sky were to be like the one I knew back in Neopia. But that was the thing, the sky was not the same, it looked almost like a giant dome, not in the sense as one would think the sky looks normally, no, there was almost an opalescent quality to its blue hue, giving away its artificialness, as it seemed illuminated by the lights as glass would. The stars and the sun all looked to be attached to that dome, or painted on, if that made any sense, and yet they glowed like lights should. The clouds hovered beneath the sky dome, but also had a level of artifice to them, appearing and disappearing out of existence more projections did than actual vapor clouds. Also, lastly, the dome seemed translucent to some degree, as I could almost make out some sort of movement beyond its limit, ominous, dark shapes hidden behind the artificial blue.

I finally looked down and back at the white Shoyru that had led me here, who was just looking at me with a wide smile, yellow eyes gleaming quite literally.

Do you like it here? The Guardian asked first.

Where am I? Where is here? I asked second.

Oh, well, I can't really tell you 'where' we are, it's not like one has a point of reference when you're not in some sort of space, this is anywhere by your metrics. The Guardian answered first.

What? I asked third, confused.

What what? The Guardian asked fourth.

I don't get what you mean? I answered.

Well, you see, here is here. The Shoyru pointed downwards. There could also be here. The Shoyru pointed towards the archway we came from. But also, way over there could also be here. This time another archway was pointed at, far in the distance. So technically here is anywhere. Or at least many wheres.

No, I mean, where are we, as in, this whole place? What sort of weird world am I in? Where have you led me?? I replied, exasperated.

Oh... That's simple. You're outside your universe! The Guardian replied, still maintaining the upbeat tone. That place wasn't going to last that much longer either way. It's good you're not there anymore, or else you'd not be able to be here now.

I looked at the Guardian for a while, absorbing the heaviness of said words. So... Everything is gone now?

No, haven't I just told you it's your universe that is gone? The Shoyru exclaimed with irritation. Everything else in present existence, but that universe you came from, is still around at least for now.

I don't... Follow. What is an 'universe'? This was way beyond my scope of knowledge, and I felt like a dunce. I was just a young faerie from the countryside, living in a small village along with... The Guardian sighed, quite visibly annoyed at this point.

Well, you see, your world, Neopia, orbited your star, the Sun, right? That star orbited the galaxy you belonged in, along with millions of others alike and very different, forming what one calls a galaxy. And the galaxy orbited within its cluster, along with many also alike and different, and the cluster orbited within a cluster of clusters, also along all sorts alike and not, etcetera, all moving within a continuum of spacetime littered with mass and energy of different varieties. Well, all of that, everything I've described, the continuum and its content, is what one would call a universe. Or a cosmos, either works. Anyways, that universe you came from is not singular either, and just like its inner structures repeat themselves within their hierarchies, so do entire universes happen to repeat themselves, alike or very differently. They exist as completely separate, insular realities, and their contents do not normally exit those realities, or cross over to other realities.

My brain already hurt from all this information, but the Guardian kept on going, and I had no will to halt this conversation. Everything is the collective existence of all those universes... There are also other things that do not fall into Everything, like Nothing, which is defined by nonexistence, and, well, the in-between of both, which is where we are, and one would call Chaos. So... Do you follow now? Once again, I had no idea what to even answer to that. Everything, Nothing, Chaos? What was this metaphysical discussion? The Shoyru stared intensely at me, so I just nodded slowly in an attempt to appease. Well, that's good. So, this is Chaos, or at least a part of it, a small, more organized part of it, where others similar to you have come to live in, salvaged from similarly doomed worlds.

There are others? I asked, both curious and desperate.

Yeah. You didn't really think that you were the sole one in here right? I didn't know what to expect, but at least some relief came in knowing that we weren't the only ones in this vast and strange world. I have a duty to these gateways out here, and it'd be a bad idea for me to leave them unguarded for too long, but I guess I could lead you down to the Empyrean City.

O- oh... Okay. Thank you? Once again, I had no idea what the Guardian was referring to, but I just followed along.

Unless you want to stay out here? It does get really boring out here. I shook my head. Well, my loss, I guess. So, we're off to see the city! The Shoyru started skipping in the direction opposite to the sky's dome, humming an unfamiliar song. I followed along with some struggle as I was still tired from all the walking I had already done.

We walked for what seemed like an eternity, as the Guardian attempted to make all sorts of small talk to me, but I couldn't help much in keeping it going. Then there were questions about my village and my world, which the Shoyru thought to be quaint as I described that it was for the most part a wilderness, and save for settlements and some villages and cities, and the typical fabled stories of hidden civilizations and distant wonderous lands, most of the mainland from which I was from was still unexplored. Then I went on to explain the races that populated the planet, specifically Faeries and Neopets, and how we lived in harmony despite our differences, in visuals, in numbers, and in abilities, that is, magic, and how Faeries were far less than Neopets, and had the duty to watch over and protect the Neopets and the land.

The Guardian seemed distracted for the most part, only nodding or nonverbally cueing me to continue on talking, save for when I mentioned our duty, to which was responded with So much for your duty, huh? The levity of the joke contraposing the topic took me so off guard, I had no idea how to respond to it. The Shoyru scoffed, and then added. Too soon, I guess? I looked incredulous at the Guardian, hurting from the bizarre reminder of what I had escaped, but the only response was an irritated frown. Lighten up. I went silent after that, too baffled to even have a coherent response to that last regard.

We continued walking for the longest time, but now we both were silent, and I avoided eye contact with the Guardian, which made the walk extremely uncomfortable. In fact, something else was uncomfortable, besides the surroundings not seeming to change, and, in fact, we were still walking among a grassland littered with those empty archways. Despite the breeze I could clearly feel brushing on my face and flowing through my long orange hair and past my wings, I couldn't hear much. In fact, the grass seemed to not respond to the breeze, and despite the fact I could clearly see the grass bending as we stepped on it, I couldn't hear our footsteps. The only noises I could clearly distinguish were those originating from my clothes as we moved, which grew loud with every step in the absence of other noises.

Antsy from all the strange details, I asked the inevitable question. So.. How long before we reach this Empyrean city? The Shoyru glanced at me with annoyance for a second, and then answered.

It's still a long way. Strangely enough, suddenly I could hear the rustling of the grass beneath me, and the wind noises past me, which only creeped me out even more. Sighing irritatedly for some unknown reason, the Guardian then spoke up. You seem to be uncomfortable with silence, and have run out of topics to talk about. Do you want to hear then a story?

S-sure? What sort of story? I asked.

Well... This is the story of the princess that sits on the castle on the heart of the Empyrean City... And the City itself, and more. It should be long enough to get us there.

It was not like we had much else to do, my legs and feet had already long gone numb, but it felt like we had barely moved through the plain. Just how big was this place? I nodded in agreement. Alright.

Cool! Well, then, this all begins... Um... The Guardian thought for a second. Well, this began at the beginning. Of it all. You see, to start this story proper, I need to start way, way back, since things have been happening literally since they started. Before there was everything, nothing, and the in-between, there was Chaos, but it was not the same Chaos that we are right now, it was primordial in its existence, englobing it all, all states of existence and non-existence, and having no bounds nor end.

This primordial Chaos was ebullient and fervorous, barely maintaining itself together, and itself it did not maintain together, as things and non-things began to precipitate from its within. Like frost forming on a cold window, all of a sudden, countless universes exploded themselves into existence in an endless sequence that went in all directions, and like curdles forming on milk, nothingness drew away from all the universes, repelled by its opposite. In between these two instances of being, all that was left from said Chaos meandered, weakened in its state and liminal in its nature. And yet, things were not done coming out of it.

At first, willed into existence was two entities who named themselves Time and Space, representations of common concepts the universes had created themselves. These went on to visit the universes, as their duties were to the Everything, but they had sworn loyalty to the Chaos who was their progenitor. Then, later on, three more entities willed themselves into semi-existence from Chaos, who stayed in this realm to watch and record everything that happens in all realms of existence and non-existence. Lastly, an entity of nothingness rose from this reduced Chaos but quickly left to the Nothing where it was expected and hailed as a hero. That one did not want anything to do with Chaos, and disappeared into the realm of nonexistence, so there was no follow-up. And, with that, Chaos could finally rest, greatly reduced to its current state. The Guardian went silent for a short while, probably thinking of what to say next, and I glanced over, only to have the storytelling time resume.

Now, shifting on to a more focused story, once upon a time, way later than the beginning of it all, in a specific universe, there was a very, very powerful, expanding empire that took over many planets and stars across many galaxies. You see, it all began way back in... A planet of colossal giants that towered taller than any mountain you'd ever seen, who lived in many nations divided and dissident like it is common everywhere and anywhere, but they had reached a critical point in their survival: their star was no longer stable and good for life, like all planets need to thrive, and instead was quaking with internal instability that threatened their entire solar system, and even far, far beyond it. The star was larger than most its peers, and so it threatened to explode like similar sized stars did, and perhaps even ultimately collapse into a matter-crushing singularity, a black hole. In search for a solution, a giantess from this planet flew off to find something that could either save the planet somehow, and in this quest, sought and successfully captured the power of something far more powerful, a galaxy-devouring being. With her newfound powers and others to help, she saved her planet from the ultimate path of destruction of her natal star, relocating it far back in space, around a new, younger star, and of course, crowned herself as ruler of this entire planet.

Soon the planet found itself prosperous, and soon what was an Empire over the planet expanded beyond it, first expanding over its newly found star system, and then over other star systems, and so on, and every single civilization it ran across it incorporated and subjugated and devoured. How thematically ironic it was, that an Empire founded with the power taken from a galaxy-devouring being became a galaxy-devouring Empire, but at least the justification was this was for the better of its subjects, that those under the wings of the Empire were living an exponentially better life than before, bestowed with the blessings of said ultimate power, which gave them longevity and strength and health and prosperity and progress and all good things that are expected from a flourishing government. They even had recruited in their ranks said beings of Time and Space, who had been helping the Imperial lineage since the very first Empress, and abandoned for the most part the other universes. Thus, this Empire lasted for millions of years, which is notoriously long by any standards of anything ever created by any beings to ever exist or non-exist.

But for all the glamor and all the power, things were beginning to wear down internally in this Empire. Not only was it getting too large, and had racked up serious conflicts with other competing entities and groups, but its Imperial lineage was losing their luster, as they found themselves physically smaller, and less powerful, and consequently physically weaker compared to its originator, and they feared using said ultimate power, for it could have grave consequences on their existence. And that was considering said power had long been split to share among multiple bearers, both to make it more controllable, and less dangerous, and as a safe way to deter any quick attempts at throne-snatching by means of stealing said ultimate power. The Empresses found themselves increasingly searching other, fickler, ways to maintain their illusion of power, lower grade magic and garden-variety backdoors politics, in between other parlor tricks well known to any rational creature that hailed from any kind of society. Internal power conflicts started brewing, stirred by hackneyed individuals with too much ambition and too little significance, and, to make matters worse, the crystal that had been fashioned from the Imperial lineage's part of the ultimate power vanished without a trace. The Empire started crumbling on itself, and with internal help and the disappearance of its last Empress, the last heirs to the throne saw everything give away. The Shoyru paused for a while, and seemed to struggle a bit to figure out what to say next.

Frightened by being now exposed to everything and everyone who could stake claims on her vulnerable life, a princess of said ex-Empire took her friends and decided to leave as far as she could from said Empire. In fact, she sought to perhaps leave her universe, having heard of the possibility of other universes and perhaps even things beyond that, and so she did adventure out to this liminal Chaos, and decided to settle in here, safely away from everyone who could ever hurt her. With the help of her friends, she fashioned from Chaos a place that felt familiar, the five of them creating the foundations of what is now Empyrean City. Given this is a place that exists outside of Time's or Space's domain, she has existed in there ever since, welcoming many who seek refuge in her lands and her City, for varied reasons. Beings of Everything, Nothing and Chaos alike join in this place, knowing they are safe from any dangers that could have pursued them. And... That's that. The Shoyru shrugged, and I nodded once again, pensive.

I guessed that was a nice story; I hoped then that I'd also be welcome in here, given the nature of the founder. I also wondered how powerful the original rulers of said Empire were, if said weakened descendant of this lineage could create a city and whatever sort of domed structure was that we were in. I looked at the Guardian, ready to ask questions, but I dismissed them, feeling they'd be rather complicated, and I'd need more time to formulate them properly. The Guardian looked back at me, and announced inadvertently cheerfully, much to my surprise.

Well, we're here! I looked around, not seeing whatever was I meant to see, and then turned to the Shoyru, disconcerted.

Where? The Guardian pointed forward, and to my even greater surprise, I turned to face a massive circular wall and tall gates hiding what seemed to be towering peaks made of glimmering crystal, not even fifty feet away from us. Turning to the Shoyru once again in disbelief, I heard a giggle.

Last one inside is a rotten egg! The Guardian said, shoving me out of the way and running towards the city gate, which slowly opened up by itself for the Shoyru, revealing the interior to be indeed all glimmering crystal structures that grew in height as they followed into the city.

Hey- Wait! I tried keeping up, but I was so exhausted, I could barely stumble my way. Everything had been already too much up until so far, but I had managed to handle it by not dwelling much about it, thankfully in part by my state of physical and mental exhaustion.

Yet, for some reason, at that moment where I was trying to follow the Guardian into this strange city, every single emotion and sensation, pain and sorrows, fear and distress, it all overwhelmed me. The ground spun beneath me, and I could barely catch a glimpse of whatever resided within those city walls before I felt myself launched forward like I was flying momentarily, and then felt the impact on the ground. My vision blurring, I saw someone I couldn't recognize but assumed to be the Shoyru approaching me, as well as others. I heard the rustling of the grass caused by them running over, but I blacked out before I could see who else had come.

Mayhem, the whole world seemed to be in disarray, but I only recalled flashes that made little sense. Fear, that was the main theme in all those flashes and in whatever I didn't remember, but also there was despair, sorrow, and apprehension. At some point, a dream I had lasted longer than a moment, and I found myself at my own home, messing around with a doll I couldn't make out the details of. Someone I recognized walked into the room, and, after staring at my doll for a second, started talking, barely hiding the condescension in her voice.

Another one of your toys, huh? Is that your favorite one right now? I wonder how long before you break this one? This felt wrong, that was not how she was normally, and yet I didn't have enough consciousness to remember how she was. Putting down the toy, I too didn't talk according to my own character, answering in poorly disguised anger.

Why are you here? I don't welcome you here.

I don't need to be welcomed, this is all also mine, you know that, so I can come and go as I please. Besides... I came here to check up on my sister. Her smile was eerily taunting. See how she has been doing as of lately. Isn't that what family does? Check up on each other because we care for each other?

Ugh, spare me! I felt a deep, broiling anger to the point of nausea and vertigo, burning through my veins, seeping through my pores, enveloping me like an energy of its own. This sensation felt so alien it made me scared. What are you really here for? Rub your latest achievement on me? Tell me to give myself up? Mock me yet again for having help?

Why do you act so antagonistic towards me? I feel hurt and ostracized. I might as well get going then. She walked towards the door, feigning theatrical sadness.

Good, that's what I want. Don't return this time. I seethed, snarling those words through my gritted teeth. She stopped at the doorframe, glancing once more at what I was holding earlier, and then prompted to do exactly what she always did.

But honestly, you waste so much time with your little games and toys, when you should be focused on what you're meant to do. This is exactly why I always say, you're childish and immature, you have no sense of priorities, and put your need for entertainment and your personal feelings above everything else. With a sweep of my hand, I sent off a powerful blast that burst on the wall right next to the door with an explosive boom, sending sparks everywhere. Yet, she did not even flinch, only chuckling in response.

OUT! I yelled at her with a loudness uncharacteristic of myself, and she obliged, but not without shaking her head before leaving the premises. Fuming, shaking, I stared at the doll with destructive intent, but at last gave up on whatever impulses came up to my mind. I wouldn't give in so quickly to her taunting like that... My dream faded into darkness, although a feeling of escaping a near miss experience lingered far longer.

After what felt like even longer later, I heard other, unknown voices discussing something I caught midway.

I like this one, can I keep it?

It has already been decided we'll keep it.

No, I mean, *I* wanted it... Look at how glittery its wings are. I like them.

I heard a scoff. What are you? A bird? Besides, you don't want to meddle with others' picks... You'll end up in disfavor... Like your sister.

That- That's- Wow! And I thought you were our friend! My sister never did anything wrong!

Then why hasn't she shown herself in the City for a while?

Because of what our Princess has said she'd do to my sister, which you were there to witness.

Which was based on...

Nothing! It was based on nothing! All the Princess has to base her assumptions on is her little experiments! We have nothing to do with those puppets she creates for her own services, the sheer fact that we're being conflated with them and their errant behaviors because of likeliness is offensive to me, and should be offensive to you too!

I do have to agree with you on that... But yet it is eerie at times how the thought processes of her experiments run similar to how we all behave-

That still doesn't prove anything! Unless you also have things to explain!

What do you mean?

I felt awake enough to open my eyes and shuffle in bed, drawing the attention of the debaters.

Oh, she's awake! I couldn't fathom at first what I was looking at, as it seemed at first that half of the room was covered in extremely bright light, and half was covered in indescribable darkness. Hello!! Aren't you something else? I love your wings, they're so sparkly!

The light approached me while speaking, and I could barely discern a bipedal shape, and I covered my eyes instinctively to keep my eyes from being painfully blinded as they sat on my bed's edge.

Aw, don't shy away! I wanted to look at you! I heard what I assumed to be said light being talking to me.

What do you mean? I heard the shadow being repeat in an angry tone.

Shh! The Faerie is awake now! Are you seriously going to make the first thing she witnesses here being you picking a fight? Then, directing towards me while I still had my eyes covered, they said. Hey, lemme have a look!

I heard a scoff once again. You are unbelievable... Also, an idiot. You're blinding her, can't you tell?

Oh, I forgot that is a thing. Tsk, it's not fair though, you get to walk around plaguing the room with your darkness, why can't I go around doing the same?

Because I don't have the ability of burning retinas, you cretin! I heard a raspberry.

I still think it's not fair! But fiiiine! Here, hey, little Faerie, you can look now, I am not as incandescent as before. I peeked through my hands, noticing that looking around was bearable, although looking at the light being for longer than a second at a time would still leave temporary imprints in my vision, so I avoided looking directly at them. Hey, what's your name?

We already know her name. The shadow being said with irritation.

I'm trying to get a conversation going here, can't you see? It's not like I asked you. The room grew ominously darker.

And I am the one who's seeking a fight-

It's Nora. I cut in the discussion, trying to divert the situation before it escalated.

Such a pretty name! I love it! I could make out what seemed like the outline of a wide smile on the light being, who was very excited to talk to me. Well, you can call me... Hmmm, Luc-

Are you seriously going to choose such a cliché name? The shadow being intercepted.

Wow, way to rain on my parade! Fine, yeesh, I guess I'll pick another name! The light being responded in annoyance. Uhhh... Ugh... Now you even made me lose track of my train of thought.

As if you ever have one.

How rude... Oh, you know what? The light being turned to me. I had an idea, how about you call me Ignis? Like 'igneous,' but shorter, you know? It's an easily pronounceable name. I hesitatingly nodded, and then they continued on rambling. Oh, and this grumpy-pants here, you can call her... Umbra? How about that? They pointed at the shadows, who answered.

What is this? Why am I receiving one of your lazily chosen names?

Aw, come on, you used to love codenames, why are you so averse to them now?

Because you're the one deciding... The shadow being became more pronounced, a shape also vaguely bipedal, the two in fact faintly reminded me of my kind back at my extinct home, only wingless. The reminder of my home planet brought back the memories of my strange dream with my sister, which, despite the alienating nature of our tempers, still made me long for her. Also, this is pointless, it's not like it matters to her what are we named. We're probably not going to see her again. In fact, I couldn't care less, I'm only here so you don't mess around too much.

You've become boring... And no fun...

That's the best you can insult me? At this point, I was overwhelmed by emotions once again, but this time, instead of fainting, I started sobbing. It started quietly and I thought I could try to control it, but I quickly lost control, and loudly sobbed, and that brought on the embarrassment, as the two stopped bickering and watched me.

Oh... Aw man, now she's crying, look what you've done. The light being started.

*I've* done? Now you're testing me, I should beat you up for this. The shadow being approached the bed I was on with what I figured were fists raised, and the light being flinched.

Aargh! Okay, okay, I'm sorry!! Don't beat me up in front of her! Despite my overflowing emotions, the ridiculousness of the situation still got a chuckle out of me through my tears. The light being crawled over to where I was, making me have to close my eyes because the closeness made their brightness once more blinding, but I could tell they hid beside me, hugging my arm as they overtly mockingly begged. Nora, please protect me from Umbra, she's being a meanie! I regretfully tried glancing at them to try to gauge the situation, mildly confused, and then turned to the shadow being, hoping she'd figure this out.

Wow, you truly are a clown! You're confusing this hapless creature, also, you interrupted her emotional moment to focus all the attention on you! How self-centered! I felt even more embarrassed, for both having the spotlight being put on me, and for being acknowledged for my breakdown, and reddened up, mortified.

Whaaaat?? But I'm helping her! She laughed, that means she's doing better! The light being retorted.

You don't even know what she was crying about, you didn't even ask, and yet you assume that you solved it. Self-centered and egotistical as usual. The shadow being replied.

Ugh, and you're just a bundle of joy today. You're not helping either! All you are doing is being negative and mean to me. But I'm helping, aren't I? The light being turned to me for their question, and then right away requested the answer. Say I've made you feel better, or else she'll never get off my back. I did stop crying, not necessarily because of these two, but I just nodded and played along.

I do feel better...

See! See! Ha! Different from you, I'm a positive influence in others' lives! The light being pointed at the shadow, who grumbled in response.

Great, now he will keep on rubbing that on me, Faerie... I reddened even more. Now, since said knucklehead got his fill of ego-boosting, tell us, what was that all about? Disconcerted, I didn't feel very prone to just sharing my feelings with these two characters, so I tried lying while rubbing my burning, swollen eyes to clean the leftover moisture.

It- It was nothing-

Obviously it was not nothing, you don't spend several minutes crying over 'nothing.' Spit it out. The shadow being's, or, well, Umbra's, as that was the only name I had to work with, curtness was even more disconcerting, now that I was being pressured to share. On top of that, I could tell from what I saw on the very corner of my vision that the light being, or Ignis as he referred to himself, seemed eager to listen to what I had to say, which only made me feel the pressure even more.

I just- I remembered someone... I said it in the smallest voice.

From your world? Umbra asked, and Ignis snorted and commented with levity.

Well, that's unfortunate. Umbra made a clicking sound at his commentary. Nodding in response, I felt apprehensive that I would have to share more, but thankfully that was not the case, as Umbra nodded slowly and spoke somberly.

That is understandable... And, well, unfortunate, as he mentioned. I am very sorry for your loss. Ignis laid his two hands and head on my left shoulder, making it really hard for me to see on that side, and then spoke.

You know, there are ways, though, to see that someone once again. I glanced over, confused as to what he was suggesting, and he continued. What? Hasn't uh- That weird little dragon said anything about it yet?

She hasn't even been long enough to acquaint herself with this City, and you are already suggesting for her to leave?

What, do you prefer to trap her here and keep her ignorant about it? I didn't know you were that cruel. The shadows grew darker from Umbra's anger.

No, I wasn't- Ugh, you are the one who are misleading her! Also, meddling in things, this is something that she has to discuss with-

With the Princess, yes, all I'm doing is enabling this situation to be resolved more quickly, our little Faerie here still has to go talk to our leader either way.

I was very confused with this discussion, and quite bothered at this point by Ignis who was still leaning on my shoulder, but I felt some hope from learning about that news. Learning that, somehow, if I talked to their leader, I would be able to see my sister once more, was more than enough motivation for me, and I announced perhaps a bit too energetically what I wished to do, causing the two to jump, and my shoulder be released from Ignis's weight.

How soon can I go see this Princess!? Which was promptly answered by Ignis.

As soon as your legs can take you there. Or wings, I mean you do fly, right?

Y-yes... Why was this asked once again?

Awesome! Let's go then! Ignis hopped out of the bed with enthusiasm. I was stunned, was it that easy? I glanced at Umbra, unsure, and I could feel the hesitation.

Now, hang on, we can't just strut into there and demand things from the Princess herself! She once again interjected at the both of us, and then hissed at Ignis. Also, don't you think you're interfering enough? This is going to get not only you, but me in trouble, as I was told by her to watch over you, so you don't cause trouble.

I- I'll be good... I started. I will just ask if it is possible, if she can't help I- I guess that's fine...

Your definition of trouble is really broad, all I'm doing here is helping my dear friend here, Nora! Why would the Princess be sooooo bothered with this? I'm speeding up things! Umbra, seemingly defeated, lowered her head.

Well, let's hope that she won't be bothered with your messing around.

Great! So, let's go!

Ignis tugged at me by the sleeves of my strange new clothing, which I had just noticed was very different from the dress I first arrived in. Getting out of bed, I noticed that my entire outfit had been changed, and instead I was wearing what seemed like a bodysuit with shoulder pads, elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots, in a similar fashion to what the Guardian was wearing, all in shades of orange and white and some light green. When did this happen? Who did this to me? Questions cropped up in my mind regarding my long slumber and what had happened to me outside of my dreams.

Looking up, I noticed that both had moved towards the door, and were awaiting me to exit the room. I guessed I would have to make a mental note of this, as I had other more pressing subjects ahead. I hurried to the door, and then followed behind the two out of the room I was in, and out to the hallway. The room was simple and familiar compared to the hallway, with a simple set up that didn't have much besides my bed and a window with a curtain, which made it all sterile but yet not strange.

And yet, on the bizarrely large and tall hall, I saw that strange was the least of my descriptions to this place; things all seemed more foreign than I had ever seen in my entire existence, from the mysterious, semi-translucent, iridescent walls and floors that seemed to emanate their own pale light, casting a purpleish hue on everything; to the otherworldly props that decorated the entire span of the long hall in stands, clearly as exhibitions of some sort of collection, but I couldn't comprehend their natures or purposes, much less the thematic behind their grouping; to the endless doors in both sides, which those that were open or ajar led to unrecognizable interiors which I could not decipher what was happening within, but I knew there were others in those places, and I had an inkling this castle was far more populated than it seemed at first.

We were met by a couple of creatures of varied shapes and yet similar golden eyes, including a distinctively Neopian red Techo in similarly bizarre fashion than that I was wearing but in dark shades, who spoke up. Umbra seemed to dislike the Techo instantly, as evidenced by the darkening of the region of the hall we were in. The creatures all seemed to react to some degree, some showing more visible concern or anxiety, while others disguising better, including the Techo, whose only indicator of discomfort was a gulp.

I was sent by Our Royal Highness to check up on the Faerie. Ignis waved his hand in dismissal and kept his usual light tone.

She's fine, we were actually on our way to go find the Princess, you know? Do you know where she would be now?

What for, may I ask? The Techo said with hesitation.

Oh, you see, this Faerie wants to go home, or well, the next best thing to home, you know? So, we were going to go talk to our great ruler to grant her that wish. The Techo glanced at me, and I saw what seemed like worry in their eyes.

I see... Then we shall escort you three there.

You will definitely not be needed, said Umbra, curtly.

I apologize, but I was told by Our Royal Highness to escort the Faerie to Our Highness's location, if we found her awake. The Techo responded, to which Umbra grunted, irritated, making some flinch. Ignis shrugged, directing his response at Umbra.

Well, it is what it is, you can't argue with her orders, can you? I am not sure why are you so uncomfortable with familiar company anyway. Umbra glared while Ignis seemed to be grinning, and the Techo and others seemed very concerned.

Sha- Shall we proceed with going onwards to where Our Highness is at the moment? It is time for the daily weaving session with the Three Mentors, Our Royal Highness is in the higher tower with them.

Aw, that's boring, I bet she's dying of boredom in there. We're going to be a fun visit for sure! Ignis grinned once again at Umbra, who shook her head and started walking.

Let's just get going, I am getting sick and tired of listening to your voice. Ignis skipped behind her.

Awww, I guess I can't help but then volunteer in making you get over that by continuously chatting up until we reach the tower! Keeping true to his promise, he talked all the way, as our group made our way through several large halls and even passing by what seemed like a great hall and a ballroom and perhaps what could have been the atrium of this place, where I glanced at what I assumed to be plants so indecipherably alien and yet so vibrant in all colors possible and impossible, teeming and thriving with life, and yet so surreal and unfathomable, it made me question the veracity of such a place.

Everywhere I looked, I saw little I could recognize besides the very basic structure, and perhaps a glance at something or another that seemed like something I knew from back home. I felt absolutely oblivious to everything, like a child who was experiencing the world for the first time once more, trying to draw meaning from just observing what I could while being bombarded with information all of the time. And yet, within this very strange and alien world I found myself in, I had already run into two familiar creatures, the Guardian and this Techo. I wondered how they both ended up here, if they had somehow become stranded in here, and whether their worlds had met terrible fates like mine did. But yet, apparently this Princess could help me get back to my home planet, and maybe these Neopets who were in this place were proof of that possibility. That was my conjecture, which gave me more hope, and made me feel better.

But yet, I still felt anxiety, this seemed too good to be true. I mean, I had witnessed the end of my world and the universe I had come from, from what I had understood, how was it possible to reverse that? We finally reached a giant spiral staircase made of the same iridescent, illuminating material, and I noticed, as we made our way up, going round and round, that somehow the walls of the tower were translucent enough to have a glance to the outside, despite being blurry.

This Empyrean City seemed vast, and was circular in shape, with its tall outer wall being visible from the castle, which seemed to be in the center of the city. What seemed like an increasingly tall series of edifices that went from the outer wall inwards showed, when I paid more attention to the closer structures, actually seemed to be maze-like structures in three dimensions that had no logic to them. There were walls that had things sitting on them as if they were floors, stairs that led to nowhere and were treated as walls, archways whose sides were part of the walking path, and whatever were populating those structures were walking in every direction possible, upright and upside down, sideways and tilted, and what more, as if it were the natural order of things. I was very confused by this, but no one else seemed to even notice, so I took it as one more of the bizarre aspects of this realm.

Finally, upon reaching the top of the long flight of stairs and facing a tall double door with engravings that had many details featuring what vaguely resembled spiders, butterflies and centipedes, strangely enough, Ignis and Umbra announced they would go into these chamber to talk first, and I was left with the Techo's entourage. I was trying to think of what to ask, and noticing the Techo was also glancing at me from time with some anxiousness, I resolved to striking up this conversation.

You're Neopian. Not the most subtle manner that could have been said, but I guessed that was as good as any.

Yes, I suppose? It depends of how you define it. The Techo strangely responded.

I mean, you're a Neopet, from Neopia, a Techo, right? Or do you just resemble one? I was going to be so embarrassed if it were the case, although I was very certain of these affirmations, or at least hoped I was correct.

Well, yes, I guess I am a Techo. I was correct, but why did he say it like that?

Did you also get stranded from ou- I started, but I was promptly interrupted.

No, sorry, I am not from your version of Neopia. Oh, alright. The Techo then added. But I guess that yes, I am stranded in here like you.

Your universe... Was it also destroyed? I asked, but the answer was so obvious.

Yes. And so were theirs. The Techo glanced around, and I looked at all the other creatures, which were many, and I felt both solidarity and despair. What would be causing this much destruction in such a large scale, and why hasn't it been stopped or dealt with yet? I was going to ask more questions, but the two who went into the chamber exited, with the light being announcing in his cheerful enthusiasm.

Also, I introduced myself Ignis, and gloom and doom here as Umbra, alright? He then looked at us, and then said. Oh, you can come in now.

The Princess can't wait to see you, said Umbra, and I nodded and followed along, walking into the chamber, which was surprisingly large, with tall open arches instead of windows lining its round perimeter, leading to a balcony that surrounded it. Many looms of all sorts, some larger than any of us, bearing all sorts of fabrics made from the finest lines were spread among the place, and there were countless more semi-finished and finished fabrics, and other tools of the craft. In center of the room there were four, three which seemed to be Faeries like me, one with silk-like wings and garments, one with Spyder web-like patterns on their wings and their hair on a net, and one with dark wings with a red sheen, and an outfit that seemed to be made out of plates of similar color to their wings. The three had glowing lavender eyes and seemed much older, and were instructing the fourth one, who I knew right away was the so-called Princess.

She resembled a Faerie as well, but had no wings, and her ears were round ended and short instead of the typical Fae length and pointedness; she also had illuminating yellow eyes that followed me into the chamber, olive skin, and very long curly black hair with two silver streaks that was pulled back into a half-updo, which bolstered a bright gemstone crown that resembled sunrays, or crystals, or spikes. Her body-length long sleeved black dress with a train was studded with gemstones and metals in a vertical linear pattern that started from the waist and trailed all the way to the floor, and the arms were also lined with gemstones and metal in the same pattern. She also sported a velvet-like body-length black cape that had archway motifs, but that was pulled back and loosened around her neck, and only covered one shoulder as she was sitting on her chair, drawing many lines from spools.

This one has a stronger thread, more durable, and will not snap so easily, the one with silk wings was saying, but the Princess wasn't paying attention to them. Her intense staring was making me feel self-conscious, and the other three also looked at me, all four had incomprehensible expressions, and I fidgeted with my hair to try to ease myself. At last, a large, warm smile spread across her face, and she promptly spoke in an ethereal voice.

I was beginning to worry about you, Nora, it had been many days ever since you collapsed outside of the city gates. I am glad that it was nothing more serious. The intensity of her gaze made me instinctively avert my eyes. I hope you have settled in properly? Or have my two friends not had the opportunity to do that as of yet? The Princess looked then at the two adjacent to me, Ignis and Umbra.

No, that hasn't been done yet. Umbra reported.

Yeah, no, we sort of just came here right away after she got on her feet. Ignis added.

Quite literally, to add. Umbra said. The Princess looked back at me, frowning.

These two told me you seek to find a way to go back to your home world... And yet you have barely acquainted with my realm and city, or even with me, or anyone really. I had hoped you would... Take longer to get to this decision. She glanced at Ignis at that moment before shifting back her focus at me, and for the slightest moment I could something different from her apparent content serenity. It pains me a little to see that you so quickly want to leave.

Pl-please forgive me, I started, feeling guilty, she did have a point. I just... Learning that my world, my, um, universe as that Shoyru called, was gone, that was devastating... If there is any way to reverse that, so that I can go back to my home, to my sister-

Reverse? Well, that is impossible, once a universe is gone, there is no reversing that sort of destruction. The Princess said in a serious tone. It would take an enormous deal of energy and dedication and more from a great being to perform such a fantastic deed. My heart sank, my fears from earlier having been confirmed.

But- Ignis said I could see my sister once again? That there was a way to do that?? I said that while holding back tears, and the Princess nodded, confusing me even more.

Yes, there is such a way. But it won't be by you returning to your non-existing universe, that's not what he referred to, nor what I first thought you meant.

Then, how? I said, trying to control my own emotions.

Well, it would have to be by visiting another universe that parallels yours, having your world exist and be the closest to what you know, and have your kind exist, and have in it your sister.

There were such things as worlds that were such near reflection of my own and yet were not the same? Would they be effectively the same as mine was, so would it be like returning home after all? The Princess, seeing my visible confusion, got up from her stool, and walked over to a couple of looms with hanging fabrics, and took two very similar looking half-finished textile projects on her hands, and resumed explaining as she pointed at their details.

Now, it would not be such a complete reflection of your own, as many, many events happen by chance, and those events, as small or as large as they are, influence many outcomes of many things they are interlinked... The way how particles behave and how will they change or into what will they change, the moment of the explosion of a dying star that threatens to destroy the planets that formed nearby, the chain of processes that lead up to the emergence of a first organism and its sustainability in its own environment and innate capacity to propagate, the mutations that living beings suffer from the environment and its own internal processes and how that propagates into its offspring and shapes the way its species evolve, the happenstance of a meeting of opposite factions of sentient beings that could escalate into a full scale conflict, I could just keep on listing the many times that there is a roll of dice, but the list would go infinitely. She pointed along the details of the fabrics, alternating back and forth in between similar sections of either of them, so to show their differences. The summary of it being, no two universes are alike, because too many things are up to chance...

But you can find universes where the outcomes are similar enough, which is where you would find a world like your own, where history has happened majoritarily as it has happened in your own original world, and in there you would find a being of your own species that would be very much your sister, even perhaps with the same parenthood or source of origin. As long as the overarching themes stay the same, most things should not change significantly enough. While she said that last part, she then traced along the large-scale patterns of the two textiles so to emphasize their striking similarities.

Hearing this entire explanation made me feel uneasy, so after all, it was like returning home and yet not doing so... I pondered, how much change in my own reality would be enough to make it not familiar enough? Emotionally, I hoped that as long as I was back to my sister, and to my home, and to my planet, that should be enough to feel familiar enough, and that was the main argument I had for wanting this, and yet... Would I feel like it was home after all, if things were different? No, even worse, would I recognize my own sister, the only family I had, if she were different enough? The thought echoed painfully within myself, filling me with doubt about this.

I see that this newfound information troubles you... I looked at the Princess once more, who had put back the two textiles and moved towards me. I didn't mean to be dampener of your expectations, but that is the reality you must accept and decide upon. She gently laid her hands on my shoulders, and smiled once more. It is not my place to tell you what you should do, or how should you come to understand this question, but my educated guess would be that it is the best you stay here for a little longer... Rushing into things can cause one to do decisions they may regret later on.

She glanced once more at Ignis with what I could now tell was profound irritation. Perhaps she was right, maybe with some time and pondering I could decide after all whether this was a good solution after all. Letting go of my shoulders, she then announced.

Now, excuse me, but I have to finish my duties here, so I ask... Please, can you two show her around the castle and her own chambers? I asked to prepare you a nice place where you can spend the days in here, I hope that you find it, if not homely, at least comforting and appropriate.

We will do. Said Umbra.

Okay. Ignis said in an annoyed voice.

Alright, great. The Princess then walked back to her chair, which I hadn't noticed before, but was very distorted, like it had melted for some reason. That was odd, I could swear it was not like that before? Or maybe I hadn't paid close enough attention? She didn't seem to mind it at all, so I took it as a sign this was just a missed detail.

Umbra touched my shoulder, calling my attention to the exiting group, as the Princess sat down once again, picking up her half-finished project. I mumbled something as to say goodbye towards the Princess, who looked at our group.

I won't be dining in the great hall tonight, as I have other things to take care of... Nix, Bellepheron, Ainara, and everyone else who I sent to fetch the Faerie have to stay, I have plans to discuss with you. The Techo and the others complied to her request. As for you, Nora, until next time. She said with a warm smile, and I nodded, before exiting the chamber back to its atrium area. Out here, I was caught by surprise when Ignis blew the loudest raspberry so far towards the doors, making me jump, and earning a scowl from Umbra that was so strong I could see through her shadows.

You do realize she can still hear you! Umbra chided.

Good! I hope she does hear it clearly! What a spoilsport, ruining my fun! Ignis announced, indignant, and quick-stomped his way down the spiral staircase. Umbra went after him, continuing her lecturing tone, and I followed the two despite not understanding very much what was going on.

You do realize you shouldn't be messing around with her be- Umbra glanced at me before speaking the next words. Uh- friends- That made Ignis stop and turn midflight, which made us both stop. You are interfering greatly, and for what? Some personal satisfaction? Getting back at her? If you act out enough you may actually just earn her anger and your place in hiding next to your sister. He scoffed, and then got up a couple of steps to match at eye level with me, being close enough that I could see his eyes, which were as brilliant as the rest of his body, obfuscating me.

Why do you care so much if your world is or not exactly like how you remember it? Aren't you happy enough to know you can just go back to your family and friends like you wanted? He said in a much sterner tone than before, which along with his stare down at eye level was making me very uncomfortable. Why would it matter if it is not your world, it is still a second chance, why did you refuse it? Do you not love your sister that much after all? Do you care more about your own personal sensibilities after all? I stepped back, attempting to gain some distance, but I tripped and fell on the staircase.

That is enough, Ignis! Umbra tugged on Ignis to get his attention. Quit throwing this tantrum now before I call on the Princess myself, and then you will have to deal with her fury, and it won't be pretty! Ignis turned to Umbra, and then tugged away his arm violently.

Whatever, this is all a bore either way. Go have fun playing housemaid for our... 'Friend' here. He noted that word with air quotation marks. I am going to go do other more interesting, less restricted, things. Instead of getting down the rest of the flight of stairs, he hopped the rail into the center and, upon turning into a ray of light, zipped out of sight before I could fully process what had just happened. I looked at Umbra for answers, but she only sighed and mumbled something under her breath, before announcing.

Well, I guess I do have to lead you to your living quarters, all by my own... Let's just get going. Umbra said and then resumed walking downstairs at a fast pace. I got up and scrambled to catch up to her while trying to be careful to not trip down, and while trying to not trip up in guilt. Ignis did have a point, I was placing my sensibilities above my own desire to see my own sister once more, but yet, my anxiety regarding the familiar unfamiliarity of said parallel world still surmounted all my feelings.

Moving to another direction of the castle, Umbra led me down another set of hallways of hallways, where more strange beings and strange marvels and strange things happened to be at, but I was still too engrossed in my dilemma to pay as much attention to them as the first time around. Also, new questions rose, like, what if that dream I had earlier was in fact something prophetic? What if my sister in this new world hated me? What if I grew to hate her? Then what would I do? All those conflicting emotions were overwhelming me once more, but I tried my best to not make it apparent so to not bother Umbra, who was already irritated. At last, we finally stopped at a room's door, which I almost missed on if it weren't for Umbra tugging me by my arm before I walked away.

We are here. She announced as she quickly let go of me, and I looked at her, confused for a second as to where we were. Upon registering what she meant, I mumbled.

Thank you... To which she sighed deeply and then said.

Look, if you are going to sulk this much the entire time you are here, it will be very difficult for me to stay around. I looked at her, bewildered at her comment, to which she added. I don't mean it in a cruel manner. It is just that I pick up on those sorts of things... One's emotions... And yours have been near overwhelming ever since you've woken up. It is actually almost nauseating, I don't even know how you are dealing with them. In between you and that manchild, this is really difficult for me.

O- Oh... I'm sorry... I said in a low voice.

Tell you what? I am not going to show you around, but since this is a bedroom chamber, you should be able to figure out on your own, right? It is meant to feel as close to what you are used to in your home planet, so that helps. I need to go be by myself for a while before I lose my mind. I nodded in agreement, to which she just said, Alright, until dinnertime I guess, and her physical form dissipated away into shadows that faded out of view quickly.

I was alone once more, and while still engrossed on my internal debate, I entered the room I was assigned to, which was, to my surprise, indeed a very normal looking bedroom chamber to Neopian standards... Save for the excessive amounts of quirky items that were put up, like the Babaa lamp at the headstand, and the Ultranova wardrobe, in between others. Glancing into the bathroom attached to the room, recognizing an Air Faerie bathtub, if I were in a better mood I would have chuckled at how ridiculous it all sort of looked with those eyesores, but I wasn't very motivated. I went back to the bed and laid on it and, exhausted from being overwhelmed, passed out before I even realized it.

Waking up from a dreamless yet restless slumber, my room was very dark, save for the pale hallway lighting that seeped from underneath the room door and along its frame. The dim angled lighting made everything look frightening and obscure and unwelcoming, but yet, strangely, when I reached to turn on the silly lamp by my side, that feeling didn't go away, despite its warm orange light flooding the room. I wasn't sure what was causing me to feel this way, I had been well welcomed for the most part, and this Princess, the ruler of this whole place, seemed to really want me here, but yet, I didn't feel welcome... Or, perhaps, I didn't feel like I wanted to be welcomed here.

I sat at the edge of the bed, noticing that no light came from the outside, which was, yet again, strange, since there were for sure things out there, these structures I had noticed that had no sense nor logic, they seemed to have lighting artifices of their own, so how come no light flooded from the window as well, as faint as it could be? This place was strange, too strange in fact, so yet again, I had to dismiss that strange detail, as many others I had noted during my time here... I could never get used to it. Mainly if I had the chance to go back to my home planet. But yet, the Princess was very clear that it wouldn't be the same place... And yet, what other choices I had? This inner debate weighted me down, I felt scared and also horrible, remembering the words that Ignis shouted at me in the staircase.

Getting up on an impulse, I shakingly decided to walk towards the door, hesitating with every step. Peeking out of it, it seemed like the movement of creatures didn't stop or reduce at all, with many coming and going as if it were daytime. Didn't they mind time, or whatever substitute they had for it here, either? I decided to take a breath of courage and exit my room, set to find my way out of this place. Walking normally as to not draw attention, I followed down the hallway from where I remember Umbra and I had come from earlier. I thought perhaps if the layout of this place was anything like the layout of a normal castle, and given I had not seen any major exit on the region we had walked through, then if I reached the atrium and crossed it I would have a better chance of finding such an exit. Taking perhaps too many same-sided turns on hallways for a physically feasible layout, I found it hard to retrace my steps to said atrium than I remembered, it was almost like things had moved around from where they were earlier.

Finally, I reached an entrance to the large atrium that had the inner garden of alien plants, and walked into it, minding my steps as to not make too much noise. Slowly, I made my way through the atrium, passing what seemed like a strange gazebo at first, entrenched in the taller flora, shaped like an almost circular mini-cave, with no apparent entrance but two large oval openings and a smaller, quasi-triangular opening. I peeked in, and one could crawl into its interior, which had a bench and nothing more, and made of the strangest white stone... And then I saw its other side, and the detached other part of its large structure, and both parts bore large familiar shapes in a particular mirrored order. Were those teeth? I had chills upon the realization of what I was looking at. I was sure I wasn't going to touch any of it, but then I heard voices I recognized, and, in a panicked manner, I tossed myself through the lower eye socket and hid within, despite every fiber of my being screeching at my decision.

And what of it? I missed out on the previous times, I wanted to see it for myself! Let's see how fast this spirals out of control this time. I couldn't see them out there, but I could definitely tell this was Ignis who was arguing.

I can't believe the things you find enjoyment in, that's so callous and cruel! That's a living being you're talking about! And then this was Umbra, who seemed indignant with him once again.

Hiding on the back of the skull as I heard the approaching steps, behind the bench, I held my breath, but then remembered what Umbra had told me earlier about herself. At first I tried to control my thoughts and emotions, but I couldn't accomplish that, not in my state of mind, so I settled for hoping they didn't come too close.

Quit being a hypocrite, it's not like we- Ignis was hushed midsentence. I tensed up, fearing they knew I was there, but then there was another set of footsteps approaching.

Our Royal Highness requests you both to come to her private chamber.

Oooh, we're in troubleeeeeee! Ignis started.

Shut it, you're the one who caused this! Umbra responded.

Actually, from what I gather, this is not for a reprehension, but for discussing plans of where you must go next.

Ughhhh! Can't a guy get a break here? I am barely a day or so back and she's already sending me off again? Ignis complained.

Quit your whining already and learn to be more thankful of what you've got. Umbra said. Alright, take us there. She said to whoever had come to fetch them, and then I heard all three of their footsteps walking away from where I was.

But I'm bored! And tired! I want a vacation! We should go in a vacation.

I would never go in a vacation with you, I can barely handle being around you... Their voices trailed off, muffled by the vegetation and weakened by their gaining distance. I could only hear them once more when Ignis shouted in the distance.

You're cruel!

And that was it. I exhaled in relief, but didn't dare lean back, quickly remembering the unsettling nature of the place I was in. I crawled out of there, getting the chills once more when I inevitably had to touch the bone to leave through the eye socket. While still shaking off those chills, I continued making my way past that skull, and towards the nearest exit that I thought could help me lead in the right direction.

Back in the maze of hallways that plagued this castle, I followed along with the coming and going groups, searching for any indication that I was going in the right direction. At some point I saw the great hall we passed by earlier, but at least this time it was from another entrance, which helped me ease my concern about which direction I was going. After much walking about, I finally found the castle's entrance hall, which was unbelievably tall and large, making me feel miniscule, but I didn't have the time to concern myself too much with the architecture of this place, mainly when I had decided I didn't want to be here anymore. I walked out along with a group of indescribable creatures, all with the same trademark golden eyes, and no one stopped me, nor there seemed to be any guards or anything checking on anyone. In fact, there were no guards at all this entire time, or at least guards distinct enough to set apart from the rest of the inhabitants of this castle and the city, which was... Peculiar... But I guessed since this was an isolate world away from anywhere else, separate from everything else, there would be no threats to endanger everyone in here. Or at least outside ones... But once again, that was none of my concern.

I made my way through the city's streets, which were as maze-like as the inside of the castle. How did anyone get anywhere in this place? Looking at the strangely built buildings or misshapen landmarks in hopes of localizing myself was just hopeless, the fact that no two structures looked alike, and yet they all blended together made it near impossible to know if I were going in the right direction, I could be going in circles and I would not know. Also, the night sky was equally useless, the faux stars painted on its dome were all evenly spread out, and there was no moon or equivalent that night. I had to keep on making conscious choices of where I was meant to go because of how disorienting this was, but I knew that as long as I was generally approaching the city walls that would be progress. Through narrow passageways and large avenues I walked through for what seemed like an eternity, and yet felt like I was not making any progress.

I tried to keep my inner panic from showing, given that the streets were also populated with beings despite being what I presumed to be the late hours of the night, and I didn't want to draw any attention, but I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. Well, there were all those creatures in the streets, roaming like clockwork, but they didn't seem to pay much attention to me, and even when I accidentally bumped onto one of them, they didn't mind at all, and just continued on their path. No, they seemed almost... Mindless? I didn't think they were the ones watching me, so I glanced quickly around while walking on a broader street, but I couldn't see anything. Maybe it was just my panic talking, also because I didn't want to get caught escaping like this... It would be at least disconcerting to have to explain myself, it would definitely make things strange with me and the Princess, but mainly, what if I was once more discouraged from trying to leave? My decision was not made on a strong foundation of sureness, I was never one to be sure of anything I did, I don't know how well I would hold myself up in a discussion about this. It was best to leave before I had to explain myself.

And, like a whim of magic, I found myself at the city gates before I recognized them. I must have been very engrossed in my own thoughts and doubts to not realize I had reached such large structure, which I also found to be open and unwatched, so I just passed the tall gates, and, in a whim of energy, decided to fly. I wasn't sure what was my plan from then onwards or how I would manage to get to whatever universe I could find my planet and home, and the only hope I had was perhaps find once more the one who had first brought me to this place. I flew through the dark grassy field at low height, dodging left and right the empty archways that littered the place. Searching around, I caught a glimpse of the recognizable blue hair and white wings in the distance, and called out while flying in that direction.

Guardian! Guardian! Is that you? When approaching, I saw the Guardian's glimmering yellow eyes turn to me with little surprise.

Hello Nora, what brings you here? I landed next to the Shoyru.

I thought you could help me with something... Please? A fear passed in my mind, that the Guardian wouldn't be willing to help, and instead would just tell on me. I hoped this was just my own anxieties getting the best of me. It's really important.

What can I help you with that any other in Empyrean City can't?

Well, you see, um- You are the one who can operate these gates- And um- I couldn't find my words, I had come all the way here, but I hadn't thought of what to say to the Guardian, and the way how I felt didn't help me either. I need to go- I wanted to go to my world- I have to go before they find me out-

Um... You do know that you can't go back to your past world, right? Didn't anyone tell you this? It's been destroyed. Said the Guardian, unfazed.

I know! I said in a surprisingly angry tone, which I regretted instantly. I'm- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like this. I know that, I have been told that already. But also, Ignis told me and your ruler, the Princess, confirmed that there were like parallel worlds to my own on other universes like you call them and I could go there and it'd be like my old world and I could find my sister there. I said all of that with increasing speed. You're the only one I've seen using those gateways, I don't know how else to do it, but I need to go find said place, so please, can you help me?

The Guardian frowned. Didn't you just wake up today? And you already decided to leave? Don't you think that's a bit too early?

I hesitated for a second, but then, perhaps with a bit too much resolve, I said. I want to go home! I miss my planet, I miss my people... I miss my sister! I sounded very desperate in the last bit, which made me mildly ashamed. Please, I don't know who else I can ask!

And what about the Princess? Didn't she want you to stay? You're going to hurt her feelings this way.

I just can't! I am sorry for this Princess, I truly am but, if you had the chance of going back to where you came from, wouldn't you take it? Please, I need to go! I begged desperately, and even approached the Shoyru, trying at first to reach out, but I stumbled and fell to my knees.

But it won't be the same as where you came from, doesn't that trouble you?

I looked up with tears welling up in my eyes. It- It does. But what other choice do I have? I don't belong here, it is all too strange, at least if it's somewhere close enough to home, if I can at least hug my sister once more, I think that's more than good enough for me. The Guardian went silent for a while, staring intently at me with those piercing yellow eyes, the blue hair that moved softly with the night wind reminding me so much of my sister. Finally, the silence broke.

Alright... I'll help you. The Shoyru smiled familiarly while I stared, stupefied.

Uh- Re- Really?? I asked, optimistic, but this felt too easy and good to be true. You will help me?

Well, yeah, that's what I just said, wasn't it? The Guardian said with some irritation.

Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you! I said, swelling up with happiness despite my suspicion. You are a savior!

Yes, I know... Hang on, I'll give you what you need in just a second. While still kneeling in the field in the artificial moonless night, I watched perhaps the strangest thing so far I had seen yet today and in this realm.

The white Shoyru arched forward unnaturally while heaving and retching, like a Kadoatie with a furball stuck on its throat, and within a minute or so, what seemed like a set of strange keys fell out of the Guardian's mouth onto the ground. Picking it up, the Shoyru somehow made the keys magically grow into a set of staves interlocked by their large circular tops, closely resembling a watch's keys but as tall as I was, and all made of silvery material. Then, finally, the Guardian gave the staves to me, which I took with some hesitation while I stood up, also because of how gross that whole sequence was.

There, those are the Keys of Time. Or at least your version of them. They can help you do all sorts of fun time-related shenanigans, and yes, they can access the parallel universes like you wish, but they also rewind time within a universe, stop time as well, help you create time loops as you wish, in between other things. Isn't it cool? I didn't respond, but asked instead.

Do you also have a set like these? Do others get sets like these?

That's asking too much! The Guardian chided me, and then continued. But no, I don't have exactly keys, I've got another way of crossing those gateways. That's for you to use them. In fact, one of their uses is to figure out which universe you want to go to, sort of like a dowsing rod, but for whatever you are seeking. Which is perfect for what you want to accomplish. I looked at the Shoyru in awe at that statement, also because I realized I hadn't thought of that part either, how I would find the right gateway to get through, or at least I had deduced that's how it worked. You hadn't thought of how to do that, didn't you? Were you expecting me to figure out exactly what you want?

I... Honestly didn't know what I was going to do. I confessed. I just came to here by impulse, and hoped to figure out something.

Well, that's a plan. The Guardian joked, and I chuckled back. Now, time to test these out, huh? Try wishing on them to find your sought universe.

I nodded, and then concentrated on the staves, and on what I wished. I recalled on a couple of memories I had, of us two in the village, helping other Neopians with their daily troubles, or chatting up with others of our kind and giggling together, or even just doing house chores and happily talking away our afternoons. These weren't specific moments, they were more like amalgamations of multiple instances, but what mattered wasn't the accuracy of what I remembered. With those images in my head, I wished with all of my being to go back to that, and, responding in syntonization, the staves glowed with magic, leading me in a direction in specific. I looked at the Guardian, and upon a nod of approval, decided to follow whichever way the staves told me.

Running through the field, I felt like the staves were tugging me forward, and the faster I ran, the harder they seemed to pull. I stopped in front of an empty archway, the staves no longer propelling me forward, and stopped glowing, so I assumed that was it, this was the gateway I was meant to take. The Shoyru caught up to me.

Well, that's it, now you just have to open it up and go through there, and voila, you'll find yourself in that world you wanted to be. The Shoyru said.

Alright... I said before taking my staves and directing towards the archway, trying to tell it to open up. My staves glowed once more, and the archway glowed in response, a door materializing itself in that empty frame. Instinctively I pushed the door, swinging it open, but I couldn't see what was on the other side because it was obfuscated by a flood of light. I looked at the Guardian once more, suddenly once more very nervous about all of this, but I only got in response.

Well, what are you waiting for? That will close if you don't go. I walked forward with trepidation, taking small steps, but then I felt a shove, I presumed from the Guardian, and I fell through the door and into the light with a scream, hanging on tight to my newly acquired staves.

I hit the ground with a loud grunt, landing on the hard soil of a shaded trail covered in roots and stones. I got up irritated at the unnecessary rudeness from the Guardian, and looked around, only to notice I was in a very familiar forest, on a very familiar path, so familiar I actually had to do a double take on my surroundings. The dense trees all stood almost still, save for the soft summer breeze that passed through them and gently rustled the leaves, and the sunlight permeated through the topiaries, spotting the ground with gold. I knew automatically where that dirt trail would lead me, so, without any hesitation, I first started walking back, and then, as if possessed by the wind itself, I started running.

Eventually I arrived where my village should have been, but instead there was only a vast field with one single large hill. I looked around, very confused, didn't I come to a world that was similar enough to mine? I started running, screaming around for her name while crying, and when I got to the top of the hill, someone caught my hand.

Nora! Nora, what's going on, what is happening?? I turned around and saw a familiar face that washed away all of my angst and desperation. With tan skin and red eyes with black pupils, the blue-haired faerie in a typical dress looked at me with a worried and confused expression. I chuckled and cried more as I hugged her, making her even more confused. What- Why are you crying?? What happened?? And where did you get those clothes?? I drew away from the hug while wiping my face on those clothes I was still wearing from the other place, I realized how uncomfortable they were. Not caring about answering those questions at the moment, I decided to ask about other things.

Where's the village? Isn't it supposedly here? I thought we lived here. Mira frowned, even more concerned.

It is here, underground like it has always been, remember? We're right next to the entrance, in fact. She gestured towards the peak of the hill, where I could see through a veil of magic a gate on the ground. That was a strange way of living, underground, but I could get used to it, and I guessed if this was one of the changes, others could exist. My anxieties began bubbling, but I tried to forget them as soon as possible. I was here with my sister, the only family I had ever known, and that's what mattered. Are you alright? You are just staring at me, it's freaking me out!

I chuckled, trying to dismiss it all, but she would not leave me, and kept on nagging me about my welfare and what had happened for the rest of the day, and the upcoming days and weeks. I didn't know how to explain to her what had happened, I had many questions myself, but I did tell some things, and eventually she must have understood I must have suffered some sort of spiriting of some sort. I myself hoped it was all just a bad dream, and even almost convinced myself the way this world worked was how I always knew it to be, even if every so often I clashed with the cognitive dissonance from inevitably finding things that were too different from my own place.

From the inhabitants of my village to the configuration of the nations, it was all slightly different, and I forced myself to accept this as familiar, as just how things were, because what was my alternative? With time things became less and less jarring to get accustomed to, and I settled in my new life with little issue, even if I found myself living in apartments underground with other faeries of my kind, hiding away from the other type of Neopians for whatever reason I had not understood. That strange realm with the strange beings I encountered and the strange places that made little sense and had little logic all felt like a bad but distant nightmare fading from my memory.

That is, until the time I had an actual strange nightmare.

Wandering through a near absolute darkness, I stumbled through indiscernible shapes that littered the ground that felt eerily familiarly soft enough to let my feet sink in, but also eventually my feet met hard resistance underneath the cushioning. I tried to not think hard about what all of that was, but just the inkling of what I thought it could be made me very queasy and freaked out. I had one goal: reach the single spotlight that I could see from a distance, I knew it was the safest place, it also seemed like the only place where the ground was clear enough to see the dying grass underneath.

Safe from what, I asked myself, only to have it answered right after, as I heard something else stumbling through the place. Hearing that alarming sound, I picked up the pace, only to unfortunately stumble even more, losing my footing and landing on what felt like fur, or hair. I screamed, both from the realization of what was I stepping on and from hearing the sounds approaching me, and scrambled to get up, but failing to get enough balance to run, I resorted to crawling, which put me horrendously close to the ground. Panicking, I screamed as I further stumbled through the place, but managed to almost make it to the spotlight.

But only almost, as the moment I reached out to it, stretching my arm as far as possible, a hand grabbed my ankle and dragged me back. I screeched, and tried to kick it off, but its grasp was too strong, and I was back in the darkness, although it was just enough bright from the proximity of the spotlight that I could see whatever was that caught me. But that wasn't much to my help, only to my horror, as I saw whatever that was lean over me and change shape, as what was a shoulder that attached to the arm that was attached to the hand that caught me quickly shifted to a hip, and a mass formed from that shoulder where head would be, becoming the new torso, and new arms came out of that new torso, their new hands pinning me down against the ground, as a head formed on top of the new shoulders. That was a sickly pale creature with little features on it, save for the hands and legs and head, in particular it had no face, that is, there was no nose, no ears, and only a sulk on its skin where the eyes should be, and yet it seemed to observe me for a second, before a slit opened up on its face, giving way to a mouth with grotesque, sharp teeth.

Why, you are such a pretty little thing after all, too bad you are so much trouble. It said in a low, raspy tone. You have yet again hurt her pretty bad, you know? What sort of guest just runs off in the very first night you were conscious, and leaves a place, insulting it as well? You should be ashamed of yourself.

In an impulse, I kicked the thing in its ribs, screaming once more, and managed to knock it away enough for me to crawl to the light, and, once reaching solid ground, stand up, at least gaining some semblance of control over this situation. I heard some movement in the darkness, and then I heard from behind me.

All for what? A knockoff of your own mediocre little world, and mediocre little life, populated with mediocre little creatures, living in a mediocre little home, with a mediocre shadow of a being that you substituted for your own kin? I turned around and faced the creature, who stood on the edge of the light, clasped hands sitting on its lower abdomen, and on its elbow, another mouth slit open, with its own teeth and tongue and everything. All in the name of normality, or at least that is what you said when you rejected her. What a slap to her face, you reject her generosity of saving you, of welcoming you, of being in her presence, to seek a trifling, fleeting comfort. And another one slit open on its other elbow. I have seen into your mind, your work of mental gymnastics to adapt to this mimeography, it sickens me to know you so quickly declined our perfect place to bend over backwards for... This. That last part was said with very audible disgust, and I wasn't sure how to respond.

I- I am sorry, I didn't have time to tell her, I- Actually, she tried to stop me from going, by discouraging me right away, what was I supposed to do?

Save your half-hearted apologies to her! The three mouths said thrice as loud, and I hushed up, terrified. One mouth spoke up. I can tell you are not the least regretful about anything, so what good is your fake sorriness anyway? A second one joined. At least your opportunity to speak up to her will come up soon, I look forward to watching you grovel on her feet for forgiveness. Then the third one echoed. Because when you scurry out of this reality, what other choice will you have but to return to her? The thing then went onto grab something from the floor, and, bringing that to its mouth, tore into it with its face-mouth like a monstrous beast, the loud shredding and chewing noises sickened me dizzy.

But I was also dizzy for another reason. What did it meant by my opportunity to speak up to her would come up soon? A dreadful memory returned to me, and, overtaken by emotions, I fell to the ground, and it seemed like the spotlight grew weaker. The monster cackled with its non-occupied mouths, its laughter deafeningly echoing throughout the place.

You really thought that was it? You really thought you were safe? That you would just get a free second chance so easily, mainly when you've offended her? One of its elbow-mouths spoke up, and then the other continued on. She is a petty one, you know? She had other priorities, but since you were so rude and cruel to her, she was going to just toss it all out and come after you. I had to convince her not to do that, that retrieving a toy was not worth her time, but she insisted that she still wanted you. A new slit appeared on the side of its chest, the mouth opening causing its rib skin to wrinkle around it. Too bad she also insisted you had to be intact, both physically and psychologically, because I felt like you needed to learn a lesson. And then another yet, on the opposite side. So be grateful she's at least merciful. After it ripped yet another piece from what it was feeding on, another mouth showed up on its body, further down its torso. And still interested in you. I honestly don't get it, but who am I to question her?

Exasperated, I closed my eyes and covered my ears, but somehow I could still hear and see it as more mouths opened up on its body, and all joined in dissonant laughter that echoed unbearably loud, and I started sobbing. With a booming voice, it lastly said.

I hope you enjoy your leftover stay in this universe, and see you on the other side, Nora! Everything went black and I woke up with an exasperated gasp, which caused me to choke on my own breath. I hacked and wheezed loudly, leading my sister to barge into my room, panicking.

Are you okay? Do you need help?? She unintentionally crowded me while trying to help me, trying to help me cough, and I shook my head while still hacking, and pushed her away. I managed to regain control of my breathing, even though I had coughed my throat sore, and, still feeling chills from all the anxiety, I looked at the Faerie I called my sister with sorrow and despair. Oh, Nora, was this all from a nightmare? You even look like you've cried... What was it about? I shook my head, alleging.

It's nothing- I actually don't remember it anymore.

But the fact was, I did remember, and continued to remember it for days, and weeks, and then months to pass. The monster's warning haunted me, and I searched everywhere for signs that something was wrong, that things were about to end. I noticed my sister's growing concern with me, as I delved into paranoia and anxiety, but what was I supposed to say? I couldn't even begin to explain what had happened, and how I just forcefully substituted the world I had lost for this one. My true fear, as I had come to realize, wasn't actually the fact I couldn't adapt, because I could adapt, I even forced myself to adapt as that creature called out.

No, what scared me the most was to be discovered for the impostor I was, who shoehorned myself into this narrative I wasn't originally a part of. I even disgustingly thanked my luck that the original Nora of this story had gone in this journey to another land for restocking their long term pantry items, from what I had been told by this world's Mira, into the same woods I had come out of, and never returned. Instead, I did, and took her life and her place right next to her sister. No, I would never tell my story to her, and thus had to suffer this burden of catastrophic prophecy by myself, but she knew I knew things I could never tell, and tried coaxing it out of me, to no avail. She grew worried for my well-being as I grew worried for this world's approaching deadline, and in every single strange occurrence, new conflict, and bizarre new creature, I panicked, thinking this was it, but was proven wrong every time. The others in my village also grew concerned with me, and eventually most avoided me altogether, save for only my sister.

But, like a clock whose hands have stopped working will eventually point to the right time, so did my fears and overreactions finally did prove themselves correct. And it was terrible as it had once been before. It started with a general feeling of malaise, not just mine but also in others, there was this discomfort and indescribable illness that many felt, and many of my kind were called to help all over the land and in other lands and beyond, to try to heal the sickness, but no one knew what was going on, or how to properly heal, and even the faeries themselves felt sick and started falling. But I knew what was going on, and yet I had no power to do anything. While in my aiding trips, I thought perhaps to find that thing that visited me in my nightmare, but I didn't know how, nor did I feel courageous enough to find it out.

And then the sun and the sky rose not so bright one day, and everything seemed glummer and wilting, and every single element seemed to be in disarray. The winds blew harshly and uncontrolled, ripping apart everything they could drag, the ground lowly rumbled almost constantly, the waters took a sickly flavor and color, and even fire itself was not as warming as it usually was. At that point, Mira and I were taking shelter with the few survivors of the mystery plague, hidden underground but in our own village anymore, which had crumbled in with the tremors, but in a cave. Being the only one who wasn't sick for whatever reason that escaped me, I nursed the others, but one by one, I lost everyone there, including eventually the one I had been calling my sister.

That would have been it, that was it for me, I laid down on the cave floor among the others, and hoped that whatever fate was coming to this planet would just engulf me already. And yet, the next thing I knew, I woke up to something moving me upwards, like I was being lifted, and the first thing I noticed were the gleaming yellow eyes staring at me with a saddened gaze that reminded me of my sister, but the recognizable glare, the long black curls with grey stripes, the strange halo headpiece that featured metallic sunrays that emanated from her tiara, and the dark clothes all said otherwise. Dazed and confused, I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew as soon as I saw the bright light where she was taking me. As soon as we crossed the archway, I saw above once again the dome of fake stars and sun, and heard her words chiding me.

If it were not for me noticing your Keys' magic leading me to that cave, you would have been obliterated! Why would you not leave that universe and return here? You knew it was ending! I didn't know what to say, her worried tone seemed so sincere, and yet I didn't feel comfortable, mainly upon recalling that nightmare monster's words. She put me down gently and I stumbled on the grass for a second from my legs feeling numb before I managed to stand on my two feet properly. She watched the entire time quietly, her long black robes decorated with more sun motifs flowing quietly in the strange breeze, staring so intensely I felt like she would bore a hole into me with her gaze. I looked away in shame and fear, and she tutted and approached me, putting her hands on my shoulders and making it near impossible to avoid her gaze. At least be thankful for me rescuing you, you hurt me this way.

Just hearing that makes my blood boil. I looked over my shoulder and saw that same awful creature from my nightmare, just pale sagging skin and a single mouth on its face. Why do you let this one so willingly hurt you so much without retribution nor punishment? I beg of you, in no time I woul-

I think she has suffered enough, hasn't she? After all, this is your second time you see the end of your planet, and everything you hold dear hasn't it been? Despite the superficial softness in her voice, I could tell there was a tone of condescension when she spoke to me. Perhaps now it would be best if you rested in here, your room still awaits you, you should really rest your heavy heart before you do any more hasty choices. With a double pat to my shoulders, she let me go and then started walking towards the city, which this time was visible from where the arches were.

A flash of light was seen approaching, zipping past the two of us, and transforming into a recognizable light being, who tackled the creature behind us in an almost aggressive hug that destabilized the monster's footing from the quickness.

You're back! I missed you! Ignis exclaimed happily, and then he looked over at me and added. Oh, hey Nora, you're also back, parallel world didn't work out? I looked away, and noticed the Princess had stopped walking and was watching the scene with a mysterious look.

Overenthusiastic as always, aren't you? The thing hugged back, and then Ignis turned to me.

Nora, this is- He started, but was interrupted by the other, who said.

I have been called many things already by your Faerie friend over here, I think my favorite must have been... The Thing.

Oooh, like the movie? Alright, then you're the Thing, and I've told her I'm Ignis, and your sister is Umbra, alright? I reeeally want you to play along with this, pleeeease? The Thing chuckled.

Don't you get tired of your own games? You do this every time, without a miss.

Nah, it's the little things that make all of this boring stuff she's always putting us to do fun. Ignis quipped, and then I heard a surprisingly annoyed tone come from other side.

I heard that! And maybe you would not be so bored if you got yourself properly busy and didn't procrastinate in every mission! The Thing chuckled as Ignis blew a raspberry at their leader.

I procrastinate because it's boring work! He yelled, and the Princess rolled her eyes. All work and no play-

All you do is play, Ignis. A shadow conjured itself into existence in the field, forming another being I recognized. That's why you're always delaying your assignments.

That is not fair, I am getting ganged up here! Help me, please! Ignis fake pleaded to the Thing, who shrugged.

Well, I'm sorry, but that's two separate witness accounts of your slack, so I'm inclined to believe they're telling the truth. Ignis scoffed.

I can't believe I am getting bullied by my own friends! The others, even the Princess, laughed at Ignis's whining, but I did not engage, being the clear outsider in the situation, uncomfortable with the company I had no choice in. Then the group started making their way to the city all together, and I followed along meekly, behind everyone, with a sense of déjà vu. They kept on discussing with each other, save for the Princess, who seemed to be removed from the conversation, further on the front. Passing the many empty archways, an idea passed through my mind, as I became keenly aware of the Keys of Time sitting in my dress's pockets, jingling with every step of mine.

Also, Nora, I still expect my apology, alright? She spoke loudly without turning around, cutting through my thoughts. You should not think you are free from it just because I have not mentioned it, you still hurt me with your rejection of my own hospitality. The others looked back at me, the Thing and Ignis grinning for different reasons. I looked down in the lack of choice of other direction, glowing red with shame, as I continued to walk along, the idea I had being discretely mentally shelved for a latter thought. The others resumed discussing, and Umbra seemed to be listing all the shortcomings that Ignis had had recently, to which he was incessantly protesting, but the Thing didn't seem to be engaging as much. In fact, when I looked at it, it slowly shook its head left and right as to signal me to desist.

Reaching Empyrean City once more, I thought I had noticed things had changed, but I couldn't tell for sure. But I could tell that everyone, every single being, moving and not, seemed to stare at us. I felt even more uncomfortable at the myriad of tracking golden eyes, and it didn't help that none of them stopped doing whatever they were doing. The others, save for the Princess who still maintained a lead from the group, had also noticed it, becoming noticeably quieter, and at some point Ignis commented loudly.

Isn't this a bit too obvious?

And yet none of our spectators turned away, and eyes followed us throughout the city, which didn't seem as maze-like as when I crossed by myself, and we reached the castle in the middle in a fraction of the time. Looking from the outside, the castle looked like a giant lavender crystal outgrowth that had been shaped into a castle structure, and the gates were even higher than I remembered. If the gazes were intense outside, they were almost unbearable inside, where the crowd all seemed to have stopped just to watch us in the entrance hall. The Princess finally stopped at the center of the hall, and addressed the group.

Now, I would love to stay and chat, but I am exhausted and yet still ever so busy. In fact, I am heading down to the throne room for my duties. So, please, can any of you take the Faerie to her room?

I'll do it! Ignis enthused right away, and went to grab my hand, but Umbra caught it first.

I do not think it's a good idea for you to be left alone with anyone, especially the Faerie.

I'm not doing anything! Ignis protested, and the Thing then said.

Now, now, no need to fight, why don't we all take her there. You don't mind if I'm late, do you? It directed that question at the Princess, who seemed mildly miffed, but handwaved it while turning, and announced while walking away and taking some of the castle staff with her.

No, no, that is fine. I am busy anyways. You go have fun with our guest of honor here, I do not mind a bit. Until later, then! The Thing chuckled and shook its head, and then turned to me.

Well, it so seems that we're in charge of you now. Now, please do not attempt to escape while we escort you to your room, I don't think she will be very pleased with it. It then led the group to find my room once more, and I noticed that the different creatures that were once watching us seemed to resume their activities. Ignis smiled devilishly at the mention of my plans and started questioning me.

Oooh, you were planning your escape? What was it going to be like? Do you have a plan? How were you going to defeat us? Do you need a hand?

Quit messing around! Umbra chided and elbowed Ignis, who let out an audible groan. Do you want to get into trouble? Because it seems like you want to get into trouble.

You seem very antagonistic of our leader this time around, uh- Ignis. Why are you trying so hard to rile her up? The Thing said, and then a couple of seconds later it then added. Ah... I see. So, this is about your sister, after all. Ignis's facial expression changed to something more somber, even frightening. Clearly this must be a misunderstanding, why would she say something like that? You and your sister have been loyal followers, along with us, since the very beginning.

Yeah! We've literally stuck to our vows since forever! It's the stupid automatons' fault, ever since she started doing the ones that are meant to mimic us with the personality stuff and the implanted memories, they end up rebelling, especially the ones that mirror my sister, and then she thinks it's somehow because my sister is just a step away from backstabbing her! Can you believe that? I think it's just so stupid, and rude, and offensive she thinks we're the same as them, and assume we'd act the same! Ignis protested, earning some looks from the passing castle dwellers, who seemed a bit apprehensive to hear him explode. Actually, I also felt apprehensive, his volatility right next to my ear was a bit too much for me.

Well, you two are the feistier ones of our group, it makes sense why automatons with your personalities would be more rebellious. The Thing started, but Ignis cut off.

Your mom is the feistier one! Umbra looked offended, but the Thing just cackled at Ignis's outburst.

See! That's exactly what I mean! Ignis only got more heated, which only made the other cackle even louder.

Shut up, if this were about your sister, you wouldn't be acting this dumb! Ignis turned to Umbra. In fact, you should watch out next, since it's the automatons that were copied off from you that most defect! Who knows how she might feel about this, huh? Maybe you wouldn't be saying that this was all justified. We had all stopped in a smaller hallway and I had no idea where we were. Umbra, being pulled into the spotlight, was visibly irritated, and even the Thing's mood seemed to dark a bit. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable with being the tag-along to those three.

Well, I don't like these newer types of automatons either, if you can even call something that has a personality of its own that. Umbra responded. I think they're creepy, and knowing that they have some version of a memory I've shared with her, or she witnessed, is concerning to me. Also, I did feel like her reaction was excessive, mainly considering the time we've all put into helping her and always being by her side, your sister included. I just think it seems a bit strange that it's always those that are supposedly her copies that rebel when there's an uprising against the plans.

They're defective, that's all! Ignis interjected, still yelling at Umbra, and the Thing intercepted with its arm, pushing him back.

Now, I do think it is commendable how protective you get over your sister, but don't you think you are overreacting as well? Yelling on her halls is not going to get anywhere, and so is trying to pick fights. The Thing said, and glanced at me on the last bit. Why don't we go and talk to her, all together, and argue the point. After all, we are all friends, aren't we? Just... Stop trying to cause problems, alright?

Yeah, also because then I have to deal with the aftermath because you couldn't care less. Umbra added. Ignis went silent for a while, and then scoffed.

Ffffiiiine.

Good, we don't want another- Uh- The Thing glanced at me. Incident. Was me escaping from here that serious?

That was not me! Ignis yelled once again, making me jump a little.

Right. Umbra replied sarcastically.

Now, look, there's no point lying to me of all people- The Thing started, but Ignis only yelled louder, repeating himself.

That! Was! NOT! ME!! How many times do I have to say that! I literally had nothing to do with what happened, I wasn't even around! And seeing that neither of the two believed him, Ignis let out an exasperated cry, and flashed out of there. The Thing shook his head and said.

He never changes, does he? Umbra turned to the Thing.

Right, it's impossible to get him to admit fault to anything, he'd rather tantrum than take responsibility. She then turned to me. At least he'll be out of your hair for now.

You should be thankful, you never know what that hothead could be wanting to do in one of his outbursts or petty revenges. Said the Thing, and I took this whole discussion as a very bad sign, with my stomach sinking from fear, and it seemed like the Thing was enjoying that.

Now, back to finding your room. Said Umbra, before announcing. Oh, wait, it's that one right there. She pointed towards the end of the hallway.

That was strange, that was not where my room was in the hallway in the last time I was here. In fact, now thinking back, that was not even the same hallway, or even the same path from what I had taken the last time. Yet, the door seemed the same, and upon approaching it, and Umbra opening the door for me, I noticed it was the exact same room as before, with the exact same kitsch objects like the Babaa lamp and Ultranova wardrobe, and in fact with things left exactly how I had left them.

That felt eerily odd for some reason to me, as if this was some sort of time capsule, I mean, how long had it been since I had last been here? I had lived at least an year on my transplanted universe before disaster took place, and another six months of dealing with the end of the world and all that existed. And yet, there didn't seem to be any sign of dust or deterioration in this place.

This is not your universe with your rules of time and space, Faerie. Sure, we do have that time must not be static in here, or else nothing could move, but the scale of time and how things respond to its flow are not in any shape or form familiar to what you're used to. Said the Thing, explaining with growing enthusiasm. There is no real time progression, and what is eternity on one of the universes can be witnessed as a blink of an eye, or a slow flow that makes a fraction of second seem like eternity if you so desire to watch said universe. You could even claim this place lives in a time loop of some sort, and if you so wish, you could have things happen before their pre-conditions exist, if you have the power to do so! In fact, the t-

That isn't really something that matters to her. Umbra interrupted, covering her sibling's mouth, who threatened to bite her, but she pulled away.

Alright- Alright, I'll stop getting overenthusiastic about the wonders of this place our wonderful leader has- Found, yes. Now, we must leave, we have found your place of residency here as promised, now I must go and attend to my other duties...

Oh, yeah, what a duty, to attend to her wishes to see you. Umbra said while rolling her eyes. She then started walking towards the door, and the Thing followed right after.

It is a duty to one's heart, I say.

Ooooh, tell me more about it. And with that, the door to my room was shut, and I was left alone once more, which was both a relief, and a terrible opportunity for all things I had not processed to come up at once. Once more overwhelmed by all sorts of negative emotions, grief, despair, hopelessness, isolation, anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, the list went on, the moment I sat down on my bed was the last moment I was awake.

Waking up from an agitated nightmare that I forgot the moment my eyes opened, I found that the room was lit, despite being dark out there. The ridiculous bedside lamp was on, but I didn't remember leaving it like that, in fact I didn't remember touching it. Also, I had noticed was pressing down on my mattress at the foot of the bed I was laying in, and shadows moved on the edge of my vision. I turned quickly, still dazed from my sleep, and saw that it was her who sat at the edge of the bed, but yet, she looked much smaller and younger, very childlike, and yet she wore the same black robes and sun halo headpiece. She was doing some sort of knitwork quietly, which she put down to look at me with her illuminating yellow eyes.

Why, you are finally awake! You have missed dinnertime once again, just like last time, you don't eat my food, you reject my place, you don't apologize for your slights, I am very, very hurt at this point, what have I done to be so rejected and offended as a host?

Her chiding tone took me by surprise, it was also childish and high-pitched, but still maintained the same cadence and inflections as the other times she spoke to me. And yet, I felt once again embarrassed and ashamed from the scolding, and shied away from her instinctively, not even looking at her. A few seconds passed by, and I heard a chortle, and then a snicker, and lastly, her laughter. Bewildered once more, I looked at her while she doubled over in laughter, and then said.

You should- You should see your face! I got you so good! Oh- She continued to cackle for a couple more seconds, and then she turned to face my confusion, and added. Aw, lighten up, you do not think I'd be this petty, do you? I didn't know what to say, but this was not what I dreaded for my next interaction with her would be. She then composed herself, clearing her throat, and added. But! I still want an apology from you for running away without even saying a goodbye or seeing me, in the middle of the night. That did sting a little, you know?

I mustered some courage to say something, even if it were a mumble. What is going on? Sighing in annoyance, she said.

I was waiting for you to wake up, you know? I wanted to hang out with you, everyone got to hang out with you besides me! I mean- Almost everyone, but you get the gist. She got up from my bed. In fact, I wanted to invite you to go somewhere with me. Me? She saw my hesitation and insisted. Come on, it will be fun, I promise.

I pondered, but feeling like despite her levity, I thought I shouldn't try pushing my luck too much around her after my perceived offenses towards her, so I obliged. I struggled to get up, still feeling very exhausted, and then my stomach growled with an angry loudness; I hadn't eaten since long before I had been brought back here. The Princess, still seated, chuckled and then chided me once again.

Well, that's what happens when you skip dinner! You know what, what do you want to eat? Her conversation just kept on giving me whiplash from the changing tone, and it took me a second to process her question.

Uh- Well, I don't know... What is there? What was for dinner? She then insisted in the question, with a mild air of annoyance.

No, what do you want to eat? What would you go for right now if you could? I wasn't sure where she was going with this.

Um... Well, I guess bread would be fine...

Just bread? Like plain, boring, white bread? Don't you want anything more elaborate? Like gingerbread, or rye bread, or bread rolls, or bowls, or sticks? Or even bread stuffed with something?

I guess... Garlic... Bread... Would be fine... She sighed, and then said.

Fine, so be it. At least that's easy. She turned away from me, and then turned back, and somehow had multiple garlic bread halves piled on her hand. I looked at the food and then at her, not believing what I had just seen. Where did she even get that from? Take it! My arm is going to hurt if I keep it hovering! I took them from her hand, trying to look around her, but I couldn't figure out whether she had brought that in or how did that come to be.

Thank you... I said, still confused and suspicious with the trick, but the smell of the bread reminded me once again of how painfully hungry I was at that moment, and I just scarfed down the food. Giggling, she jumped out of the bed, and then said.

You're welcome. Now, since we're hanging out, I want to chat with you, and ask you questions. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the door with no hesitation while she chatted, and I followed along. Also, I want to take you somewhere, to show you something cool, it will be cool, I promise!

You are really different from the way you act in front of the others, huh? I said, perhaps a bit too boldly. She just smiled at me while opening the door and leading me out of the room, then finally answering me.

I can't act not regal and composed in front of my own subjects, can I? It demoralizes my image and makes me look like a fool... Or at least that's what my mother taught me. She then looked away, down the hallway. Either way, what does it matter? We're here to have some fun together, and so we will. Still holding my hand, she went towards the turn on the hallway near where my room was. In fact, I should be the one asking, or so I said I would. She then looked once more at me while we continued to walk. So, then, Nora, why Nora? Why not another name? I didn't know how to answer that, so I just answered with a different question, feeling a bit courageous.

Why are you like this right now? Are you a child or an adult? She chuckled, and commented.

Some things are best not known... Say, what's the deal with your magic? If you're a faerie like you claim to be, don't you have an element you're associated with? Or at least that's what I heard how your world functions, right? I frankly didn't know the answer to that, but she was correct about the elemental association. I decided to ask another question yet again, something that was both bothering me, and also sparked a feeling or something.

Why are you... So interested in me? You've rescued me from my dying second world, after I ran away from here... Why? She scoffed.

Do not get such a big head, I just found you interesting... Oh... I wasn't sure how to feel about that. She glanced at me, still leading me by the hand down the maze of hallways, and then she added. Don't act so glum, isn't it enough for me to find you interesting? Either way, I love guests, and you, my friend, are my guest of honor.

From the corner of my eye, I caught glimpse of someone following us, but I wasn't sure to call it out, also because they vanished around the corner before I could properly register. Then, we found ourselves at the bottom of the tower from the last time, where the spiral staircase would lead to the room where I had first met her. While looking up, she said.

Your wings are fully functional, right? Because I am not taking those stairs. I never do. I looked at her, confused. Did she teleport or something...? My question was answered shortly after. In fact, we're going beyond that, so we'll need those. On cue, two white masses sprouted from her back, reaching and spreading out like masses of stretching limbs, protrusions forming on the ends of said limbs that resembled fingers and hands with fingers, overlaying each other until they formed two shapes roughly resembling large wings. Then, flapping them, she took off the ground, dragging me with her, and I had to also start flapping mine to follow along.

We passed the illuminated staircase's loops quickly, reaching the atrium to the room I had seen her weaving, but instead, we just zipped past that, still going up, to an opening on the very top of the tower, which led us out of the castle, but yet, we kept on flying further and further up at a high speed that made it difficult for me to keep it up. I could see clearly the dome that mimicked the sky now that we were high up and the brilliant fake stars approached us rapidly. Were we going to hit it? As we approached the large boundary, she looked over at me.

We are going to reach far beyond this safe dome that keeps everyone alive and well, into a far more inhospitable part of Chaos, where nothing familiar to this can survive it. So, as a precaution... A thin bubble started forming around me, and she let go of my hand to let it close completely, insulating me within it. Try to keep it up with me, the last thing you want to do is get lost out there. She said without looking at me, but yet I nodded, and tried to fly as fast as she would, even if I felt the exhaustion setting in.

I could clearly see the painted stars on the dome now, they were as caricaturesque as a drawing, and larger than life, dwarfing us in perspective, and yet they really shone like small suns through some strange magic. Then, she crossed the dome on an opening she created, and I followed suit, making it to the other side of this strange barrier.

The other side was like nothing I had ever seen in my life. The best I could describe as was this ever-shifting storm of undefinedness, colors and shapes mixing and shifting into and out of the darkness that pervaded it, sparks igniting and disappearing like flickers, clouds of mysteriousness aggressively dancing, forming and dissipating, growing and shrinking. If it weren't for my closeness to the Princess, I feared I'd get forever lost in this beautifully destructive view, which felt eager to consume my existence, and would be able to do it, were not for her magic that protected me. She seemed unaffected by it, and kept on flying, or perhaps it was more akin to floating, deeper and deeper into this chasm, searching for something. After a while, she spotted something, and took to reach it, almost leaving me behind, and I had to push even harder to reach her once more.

When I approached her once more, she seemed to be observing something I couldn't comprehend, and then she pulled on it, as to bring it nearer to her. It looked like a tapestry, but with a pattern that didn't look like any I'd recognize, it looked like an intricately chaotic netting or mesh of fine speckles that seemed like interweaving rivers of glitter, and the glitter seemed to move within it ever so slightly. This living tapestry was very engrossing for me, and I spent a good moment staring at it, before she spoke up.

Do you like it? I looked at her, still dazzled, and just nodded quietly. That's a universe... Or, well, an easy way to visualize it, this is in fact a flattened representation of a three-dimensional space, but I can still move around in it if I wish, I just have made it seem this way so you can see it better. But see, the structures you see within it are not my creation, all those interweaving filaments are actually how it seems, and are made of millions upon millions of clusters of galaxies and intergalactic gas, all stringed and woven together by the forces that governs it all. I could not believe my eyes, is that how it all looked? I looked at her in confusion and awe, and she continued. Of course, this is the largest scale one can perceive this universe, you cannot see this with your common perspective and eyes... Now let's take a trip... She perused the tapestry for a moment before choosing to focus on a detail, and then with a wave of her hand, she made it so the tapestry changed, as a specific filament grew and took place of all of its surface. As it grew closer, I could see that what formed the filament was actually an amalgamation of different glittering shapes that separated as the image grew, showing a myriad of individual shapes that resembled discs and spirals that formed a new type of pattern resembling misshapen speckles of light dotting the darkness of space.

As we zoom in closer, we see now that all those filaments are actually made of galaxies, which is what those are. The image kept on growing closer, focusing on a specific spiral-shaped galaxy, which as it became the focus of the picture, showed to be actually made of uncountable small glittering dots of yellow, white, orange-red, and white-blue, and dark clouds that obfuscated the glimmer of those dots. Those are stars, like the one that illuminated your planet, and yet they swarm like grass flies to form such a large shape... It is funny how the same pattern repeats over and over... She kept on drawing the image in, and from one of the branches of the spiral, it came closer and closer, passing more of those dark clouds and what looked like bubbles of stars. A specific orange star seemed to be her focus, and as the image grew closer, the emptier the surroundings became, with only other distant stars dotting the far background. And then, I noticed multiple shapes, both small and large, passing by the star as it grew closer and closer.

Those are planets, like your own, and this star also has asteroids like your solar system has... Also, this solar system has another similarity with your own... Life within a planet's boundaries. As the planets passed by, one became the focus, a small orb of blue and green and passing clouds, and then we were quickly passing through its atmosphere towards its surface, which made me feel like I was falling. Finally, the image stopped moving, and hovered over the oddest looking civilization of strange aliens.

They walked on three elongated legs that ended on small tips, and had elongated necks that ended in three tips, two for what I assumed were eyes, and another that was a mystery to me. Despite their architecture and artefacts being like nothing I had ever seen, I could recognize, from the way those creatures interacted with things, what the function of those strange things was, from what I assumed were their buildings and homes, to the tools they used, their means of transportation, all of it. Despite never having seen those beings before, after a while of watching them, I had a feel of how their world operated, and how their society was like. It was such a strange feeling, to observe them go on their daily lives like an outsider not only from their society but quite literally from their world and existence, I felt almost endeared to these creatures I had never met, and yet, they didn't even know of me.

Cute, aren't they? It is always a pleasant surprise to see what a small corner of a universe has to offer. I looked at her, still dazed from watching them for a while. I picked a civilization that seemed about as complex as the one you are from... It's funny, though, despite all of their developments and technologies, can you tell what do they lack? It is a quite obvious feature. Looking back at the tapestry, I searched for some clue of what she was talking about, but couldn't figure out, and then looked back at her, confused.

What is it? I don't see it. She chuckled.

It's because you're not supposed to be seeing it, you're supposed to be hearing it. Tell me, can you figure out how these creatures communicate with each other? I looked back at them, and then noticed the obvious. There were no mouths in any of them, and yet, they didn't to have issues communicating, I mean, they almost seemed liked they held conversations and told each other orders and requests, but not in any way verbal... Or even physical at all!

Do they... Communicate telepathically with each other? Is that what their third head appendage is for? I asked her, and she nodded, confirming.

They do have eardrums to hear noises as it is always a helpful trait, but they cannot convey audible information, having evolved far back in the past those antennae instead, that help convey their brain waves in a far more efficient and less dangerous manner, and that gave them an advantage in their early times back when they still struggled in nature. Fascinating isn't it? To think that they have never heard one of their own speak... Much less sing...

That made me a little sad, but I wasn't sure for what reason, they seemed to be just fine, and yet... As if she had heard my thoughts, she said.

One can only wonder how do those creatures feel about missing out on such a thing as beautiful songs created by one's very own vocal cords, right? Or is this too egocentric of a thought? I guessed so, and was about to ponder about the question of my own preconceptions, but then she asked next. Do you want to see that?

I looked at her and could almost predict what she would do next, as she flipped her hand, revealing on her palm a small replica of the same creatures that we were observing, with small yellow orbs seated on top of two of its appendages. It looked curiously around before noticing its creator, who observed it with a large grin and gleaming eyes, and then touched it on the head every so gently. A small fissure formed on its head beneath its appendages, and then it sung with a beautiful and daunting vibrato. It was strange to actually see the little creature come to existence so easily like that, and even stranger to see the Princess lower it towards the tapestry and let it hop into it like it was a lake, only for it to land on the surface of the planet.

Others caught sight of it right away, acting both curious and scared, and those feelings only intensified when it spoke, and mainly when it sung. Some ran away in fear, others were angered by it, and yet others were completely enthralled by its music. Crowds were drawn in, some were awestruck and cheered on it like an idol, while others grew angrier and planned to mob it, but the first ones wouldn't let, and those two sides clashed, causing a horrifying conflict. The little creation kept on singing, which only kept on causing more and more to be drawn in, and the scale of the conflict just kept on growing. Afflicted, I looked at her for some intervention and found her smiling at the scene.

They are destroying each other over this! Can't you do anything? She looked at me passively.

What do I have to do with any of this?

It's your creation that is causing this! I looked down, and saw that the scale of the conflict only grew worse, and the Princess's little creation now led a group of its protectors which just as fervently destroyed others as they praised it, and the other side did not behave much different. I couldn't tell the names of the things they were manipulating but I knew those were weapons, as they caused ever-scaling destruction, and soon it seemed like their entire world was plunged into war over the only one of them which sung.

If all it takes for this much madness and destruction to befall their civilization is such a small thing as one who is slightly different from the rest, do they really deserve to be helped? Her tone was darker, yet she stared at me with her large, childish eyes with pure indifference. Let them destroy themselves over this, their universe is doomed either way, at least this is something interesting.

I could not believe what she was saying, she caused this! She caused this and refused to do anything about it, and actually relished on it? I couldn't look any look to the tapestry, which only showed dark and horrifying visions of the once peaceful planet, nor at her, who just watched this with mild fascination. This was too much for me to process, and my first instinct was to fly away, hopefully in the right direction back to where we had come from. After a short while where I feared I perhaps was going, after all, on the wrong direction, I heard her call out to me.

Where are you going? You left me behind, it was not even over! Infuriated, I turned around to face the child Princess, who swept in holding on her hand a small blue-green sphere of some sort, which was bitten on the side. If you go too far from me I cannot guarantee the integrity of your protective bubble! Also, you are going on the wrong direction!

I don't want to watch those atrocities anymore! I want to go back and be done with tonight already! She was not even fazed with my anger, which made me feel a bit ridiculous, but I kept on going. You- I don't get you- What is your issue, you didn't even bother to do anything, and just let them destroy each other like that? Why??

Why would I do anything? It was their own fault they turned against each other so easily.

Yes, but- It- Your creation was what caused it! Why didn't you do anything about it? She looked offended, but mostly irritated.

It is not my job to babysit civilizations nor to intervene on anything of this sort. Besides, what would I do that would change a thing? Perhaps, if you wanted me to just end everyone there involved in the beginning, before it escalated, it would have worked... How could she say such things so casually?

I don't- I don't get you- Earlier, you were chastising me for not saving myself from certain doom, and yet now you couldn't care less about an entire civilization falling apart?

Yes? And what about it? What about it? What sort of principles were you coming from? Was this all just arbitrary? Why me? Why not them?

What is your deal?? Why do you care so much in one time, and yet is so cruel and uncaring on the other?? The Princess just stared at me for a long time, her eyes' light felt almost penetrating into my core, and then finally said.

You are annoying. And that was all she responded before taking a bite of whatever was that orb she had on her hand, and then flying on another direction.

Left in complete disarray and disbelief, I had little choice but to follow her, but I kept my distance, not being able to face her, both because of my overwhelming anger, and a returning sensation of shame. I was in the right, wasn't I? I wanted to say I had all the reason to lash out at her, that the chaos I witnessed on that planet was completely preventable, and yet, she was right, it wasn't her or even her creation's fault for the havoc that ensued with its existence. But her attitude was also wrong, she didn't seem to care about it, in fact, she herself admitted to enjoying it, which upset me more. No, I was on the right. Right?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of flying through the dark shifting clouds of Chaos, we finally reached the top of the dome once more, and she led me back in, but neither of us spoke anything. When we reached back down to the castle, she chose to land at the garden in its middle, and I followed along. Her wings retracted back, and yet she did not even look at me, nor did I look at her.

I am going to fetch one of my servants to lead you back- The Princess started, but she got cut off.

Actually, I could do that! Turning to look, I knew exactly who this was, and that turned out to be the reality. Ignis skipped over to us, grinning as usual, and bowed mockingly to the Princess, who only watched unamusingly. If you allow me...

So be it. And she just heel-turned and walked away without any ceremony. Ignis scoffed, and then turned to me.

How did you manage to get her so miffed? She usually plays along with my little jousts. So she was angry... I felt a bit nervous now, perhaps I shouldn't have been so harsh on her. I looked towards where she had headed down, and seeing that she wasn't anywhere to be seen, I approached Ignis and spoke quietly.

I yelled at her... For being so cruel and uncaring... Stifling a laughter, Ignis's face lit up with a sadistic grin as he spoke the next words, that terrified me.

Oh, you're so done for! I don't think you'll be surviving tonight! I stepped away from him, stumbling because of the uneven garden grass as he chuckled. You know, I am jealous of you, she takes you seriously enough that you yet again have upset her this far, I would need to cause so much trouble to get this level of response from her! In fact, I thought I was going to need to do something to you to get on her nerves, but look, you're done it all yourself. I mean, it doesn't help my cause, but-

Panicking, I didn't hear the rest of what he was saying, and just rushed off towards the exit. I could hear him calling for me, but I didn't care, I needed to get out of there as soon as possible, and once again, I found myself lost in the maze of hallways this castle was formed from. Lost and disoriented, the only thought I could think of was to get out, or not get caught, which the latter was the reason why I screamed when I was caught by something or someone and brought into one of the rooms. I tried fighting whoever had done this with my hands, forgetting I had my own magic.

Nora! Nora! It's just me! It's just us! I stopped for a second, looking at a creature that looked like a sentient cactus plant of some sort but with mouth and eyes and two cacti arms and exposed roots for feet. Behind them, I saw a small green Quiggle, and another creature that looked like a floating blob of some sort that glowed warmly. One thing that stood out was that none of them had the characteristic yellow eyes I had seen on everything in this realm, save for the Princess's own friends, but I did not recognize any of them.

Who- Who are you? What do you want?? The plant creature frowned sadly, and the other two exchanged worried looks.

You... Don't remember us?

I don't know you!

Oh... That's terrible... I was too impatient to sort out this confusion, so I just tried to leave the room.

I really don't have time for this, I need to- I need to leave this place now! I said that with desperation, but seemed to come across as off-putting to them, as they stepped back before I headed towards the door. But that didn't stop them from holding my hand, pleading.

No, wait! We needed to talk to you, we had been searching for you for a while now, but only found you once again tonight, when you were talking with the Princess, but couldn't get to you, because of her. I remembered what I had noticed earlier, which at least made it less unsettling in hindsight, but I still had little time to discuss this, nor did I trust them, despite their less unsettling appearance. There are more of us, we had asked you to help us get out of here, and you said you would help us, but we hadn't seen you since then-

I- I can't- I don't know who you are, nor do I remember promising anything-

Please! I beg you! We know you've got the Keys of Time, please take us through a gate with you! Just like you, we've all been brought here against our wishes in one way or another, without much choice, by either the high court of the Princess, or herself, or her minions, for little more than their entertainment! What were they talking about? We're little more than toys to them, who play around with us and mess with us, and then when they've moved on to the next amusing thing, they forget about us and we remain trapped in this world for eternity, cursed to roam this land and play out our decorative roles to not irritate her, or else ... In the best case scenario... Worse is if you anger them, or just be on the wrong place, wrong time when they feel the need for more cruel entertainment. Was I their toy as well? Was I in the latter category? She had referred to me earlier as an esteemed guest, but Ignis did say I wouldn't survive tonight because I confronted her. I needed to get out of this realm as soon as possible, but was I willing to leave them behind to this doomed fate? I didn't have the heart to leave them behind, so I just conceded.

Very well, then let's get going. I ran away from Ignis, so he will be searching for me, and probably with help.

Who? The plant creature asked, frowning.

The... One who looks like he's made out of light.

Oh- So that's how he's introduced to you this time...

I still didn't get it, but we really didn't have time, I could process all of this later, or at least clarify with them when things were less tense. I peeked out of the room, and seeing that there was no commotion or change in behavior in the castle dwellers with glowing eyes, I thought the best course of action would be for us to just blend in and make our way through, like I did last time, and hope we didn't have to run if Ignis saw me.

As long as we don't act erratically she isn't going to notice it. I looked at the three, but this time I understood at least partially what they meant, so I nodded, and then proceeded to exit the room, followed by the three, and went on to search for the exit once more. The plant creature then said in a low voice, There are smaller exits that may be less populated, we just need to keep on heading right for the nearest one.

So, we followed down the hallways, and surely enough, we reached a smaller gate after a short time, that also found itself open, with some of her servants entering and exiting while busy with their own tasks, carrying things in and out. Exiting the castle, we also carefully wandered down the roads of this tortuous city, but we were not heading towards the exit, that I could tell, so I stopped when we entered a small alleyway that only had us, and turned to the plant creature.

Where are you leading me? The exit is in the other direction.

There are others more, we ended up gathering a small group of them, who had heard about your promise to help us get out of here... Well, your past self's promise... I hope it is alright with you? My... Past self? I had a sinking feeling about this, but once more, I had no time to hesitate.

Alright... But we must hurry.

The three nodded in agreement, and then we continued to follow down the endless alleyways, going in so many different directions I had lost track of our positioning after a while, and it didn't help the sky once again was moonless. Why was everything here so convoluted? At last, I saw other beings in the distance, and yet, not a single one of them had the eerie eyes that all of her servants had. The plant creature and the two others went to talk to them, and then they approached us.

You're our savior! Exclaimed one being that seemed like was made of paper mache.

Thank you so much! Exclaimed a second being that looked like a sentient fungus.

You can really lead us out of here? Another being asked, this one being a quadruped that resembled perhaps an Ixi but if they were alien.

I... Guess. I do have the Keys with me- I reached into my pocket and found the three interlocked metal keys that the Guardian gave me. Whew, at least I never let go of those. I am not sure where most of you guys are from, my original plan was to go back to my home planet. Or yet another iteration of it... I was reminded of the caveat, and my complicated feelings towards the whole ordeal returned, the fears and the worries and the questions, but I tried so hard to keep them at least suppressed enough so I would not worry these beings that needed me.

That is fine by us, we can figure ourselves out once we're in a universe. We all just need to escape here already. The cactus creature said, and many agreed either verbally or not. We all come from destroyed universes, our original homes are gone either way. I nodded solemnly.

If that is alright with you, then let us go at once, to reach the portals out in the fields.

Indeed. The cactus creature said, then leading us all down more confusing alleyways and through some of the strange buildings' lower floors, until we all eventually reached the wall once more, and just followed along it until its large gates. It was all going along so well, I was sort of worried this was going to easily be foiled... Looking over my shoulder as we crossed the gates, I noticed the familiar glow of the one I feared would be hunting me down, but he seemed distracted and didn't see me.

Rushing ahead, I made my Keys turn to staves, and already started searching for a world like my own, while I heard the others' dissonant footsteps behind me, caused by the weirdness of this realm. I thought I had spotted the Guardian off the corner of my vision, which broke my concentration for a second, but when I looked over, that Shoyru was nowhere to be found. I guessed I was seeing things, although that didn't sit well with me. I continued to follow my Keys' directions, until I approached an archway, and activated it. Looking around once more to make sure we were safe, I then announced to the small group that was following me.

Alright, you just have to cross this gate, and you'll find yourself in my planet of Neopia. Hurry, I don't think we have much time before we're caught. The beings all headed towards the open gate and, some with hesitation, some with desperation, some with both, crossed the threshold in singles or pairs given the width of the gate. I kept on watching the surroundings, fearing something or someone would catch up to us, but yet, somehow, we were lucky enough that when the last being left, there was no one on sight, no yellow eyes on me, nothing... Which would be great if it weren't for the overwhelming feeling I had that someone was watching me.

I left the realm once more with a shiver, but once on the other side, my rejuvenated hope brushed away the concerns for now. Speaking of that, everyone seemed to cheer and celebrate in different levels for their escape from the realm of Chaos, and the cactus creature approached me, tentatively reaching out to my hands, to which I met halfway, happy for them and for myself.

Thank you so much for helping us, there is nothing I can even think to start repaying our debt to us. The sentient plant smiled cheerfully through their words.

That is fine, I am just glad I was of help... In fact, I can even help you a little more, if you have no place to live, I know my village is close to here, or at least it should be, if this world is similar enough to the previous ones. That could be a place to settle until you all figure out what to do next. I surely hoped my village was around here, I couldn't help but long to be home once more.

The others chatted and the consensus that this was the best course of action, and, so, once more looking around the forest, I figured out the way to which we were to exit it, and started heading down the path once more. It didn't take long before there were conversations happening, and, given that the cactus creature followed me most closely, I decided to ask some questions.

So... How did you come to be in that realm? Did the Guardian come for you too? The creature looked at me surprised before turning sad, and then replying.

N-no... It was actually the one who called himself Ignis for you, although he introduced to me with another name.

He seems to have a thing for that, doesn't he? He actually also named the shadow being Umbra, although she was not happy with that... Even the pale monster that is part of their group did not introduce with its own name.

None of the names you or I or any of the others know to call them are true... Even the Princess herself.

But isn't that her title? I thought she was being referred to as that because she is a princess, or at least the Guardian told me as much. The creature looked down.

No one knows for sure, I've heard from others that it is self-fashioned... Much like her appearance... Or appearances. I figured as much with that, given her two distinct appearances I had witnessed. She and her high court are incognitos.

They are monsters, that's what they are. Someone said out loud, and I turned and looked at the paper mache being, who continued on their point. They play with us as they wish, hurting us and terrorizing us, until they get tired and toss us aside to rot in that realm. Besides, I had heard that somehow they're involved in the destruction of worlds? In fact, I did witness that, didn't I? The Princess just causing chaos and havoc on a planet, plunging it into war, and just dismissing it as nothing?

I heard also they are cursed, or at least the Princess is. Another said. I heard she was born cursed, and that is why she's trapped in the Chaos.

But they seem to move around so freely in and out of there. A fourth one joined. How would they be trapped in Chaos?

Not the Princess, I mean, have you ever seen or heard of her going into a universe herself?

She can still influence them from outside, I said. She showed me some tapestry of some sort that was a way to peek into a universe, and then it came all the way close until we were observing a planet... Then I saw her create a creature and send it into a planet, and that creature caused a large scale conflict on it. The others looked at me with terror.

D-do you think she might be watching us? The cactus creature asked, and everyone was silent, but I couldn't answer. In an attempt to shake off the uneasiness, I tried switching topics a bit.

So, uh- How... Did you know me? You say we've talked before, but I don't remember that at all. But the topic was just as bad as the previous one, and now the cactus creature looked uneasy.

I think... It's not a good idea to answer that question. But that didn't discourage me, in fact I almost had a morbid curiosity now, risen out of concern.

Why? Did something happen to me? They didn't do anything to me, did they? The plant being didn't answer, and none of the others offered a single speculation or input either. I was getting spooked at that point, what did happen to me? The Quiggle then finally chimed in.

Miss Faerie, the issue is, we probably didn't meet this you last time, nor the previous times. What? I almost knew exactly what they meant, but I couldn't process it, not in a rational level at least, it was like a mental block had formed around that.

... What?? The others looked even more concerned, and then the cactus creature intervened.

It's best not to dwell on that, I don't think it would do you much good. And the others agreed in their own words, and the subject was dropped immediately in favor of other, more positive subjects, like future plans and whatnots.

For the rest of the walk the mood remained forcedly light, but I couldn't help but have that question in the back of my mind. Finally, we reached what looked like a city-state, which gave me serious déjà vu at first, but it was far more friendly and normal-looking than the other. I saw Neopians of all sorts, and especially a large concentration of my own kind coming in and out of the city gates, which was an odd yet pleasant surprise. I was even more surprised when one of the Faeries recognized me and came zipping towards me.

Nora! Nora! I thought I had lost you! She hugged me a bit too tightly like someone who was longing, and I hugged back with nostalgia. Drawing away, Mira looked at the others, and, with a puzzled expression, asked, What... Or, well, who are those? You are such particular forms of life, I feel you don't come from Neopia, where did you come from? The group that was with me introduced themselves to her, not explaining everything that had happened, but leaving it understood they were aliens, that had come to live on Neopia while running away from a doom, and my sister accepted that, and even welcomed them, prompting herself to explain about our planet and the city-state that was the version of our home place in this world, as we headed towards it.

Life went on as usual, and even the beings I had rescued from Chaos adapted easily to their new life in this present Neopia. Everything seemed fine, save for some sentiments I had regarding those unanswered questions posited back in the forest, and my memories from different pasts, that kept on plaguing me in dreams. But that would have been easy to handle, if it weren't for also the growing feeling of detachment I had towards this world and, worse, my sister... I knew this all was a copy, I had accepted that long back, but yet, an uncomfortable question grew within me, and gnawed at me whenever I looked at my sister, or hung out for too long around the others I had helped. That, plus the fear of seeing the same signs I had seen previously that the end would be near ate at me, and I waited and watched with heightened perception at the slightest changes that could signify that.

And yet, I hoped and tried my best to live a normal life once more, and appreciate what I had once more, and be happy that not only I had escaped once more that maddened place, but also helped others escape there too.

The familiarly spiky creature hit the floor of my living room with an audible thud, tossed aside by a furious and yet ravenous creature of light. I was crouched on the corner nearest to my fireplace, defenseless, as he directed his tirade at me.

My very own sort-of cousin!! She tugged my ear and yelled at me in front of EVERYONE, Nora! Everyone! I was publicly HUMILIATED because of YOU!! All because you decided to play hooky with me!! He blasted the furniture in his path towards me, reducing it to ashes. At least you reminded me that I had to take out the trash, I kept on forgetting that ungrateful excuse for a decorative plant was plotting with other lowlifes.

I desperately tried to think of anything to make him stop, or to at least buy me some time to escape, but to where? He was destroying everything in his path, he was taking everyone in his path.

It had not even taken that long, I was just returning from a trip to another land when I saw him, and he spotted me, and, knowing his presence did not bode well, I had resorted to running to attempt to hide. Unfortunately, he did see me when I entered the city, and started chasing after me, destroying everything in his path, and when I hid, everything as far as he could reach. But not only was he destroying the buildings and structures, anyone who came close to him while desperately trying to run away from the chaos he was causing would just instantly drop to the ground, lifeless like dolls.

Multiple times I cowardly escaped just as he nearly found me, which only made him angrier, shouting obscenities and causing even more wanton destruction behind me. I should have just walked up to him, I should have stopped him, I could have done something, but instead, I was running for my life. Noticing he had become distracted with something or another in the rubble he had caused, I decided to run for my house, to seek my sister, we needed to get out of there as soon as possible before he found me.

Which was my gravest mistake, as I quickly ran into my sister, and before I was able to explain anything or get her to come with me, she too dropped to the ground, lifeless, in front of me, as Ignis emerged behind me. Blasting him with some magic, I ran off, but had cornered myself inside my house, where he had found me, and was then berating me.

... but noooo, you had to run off, causing this much trouble for ME! Too bad she expressly told me to not do anything to you, I am very, VERY angry with how much trouble you have caused me! But I guess she wants you for her own intentions, so I don't think you are escaping any punishment after all.

Please, d- don't take me back! I'll do anything! You yourself said that she woul- But my desperate plea wasn't even heard as he started cackling loudly.

What- You want me to help you? Pffttt!! I'm not stupid, do I look like I care about you or what she wants to do with you? In fact, I don't care about any of this, I'm just doing what she yelled at me to do... I don't get why she's so obsessed with you, you're just a discardable little pretty thing, just a tool for her use, a little doll to dance to her tune, la-dee-da, so cute and amusing! The last part was said with sarcastic spite, him waving his hands in mockery. He huffed, and then was quiet for a second, then finally speaking one last part in a more serious tone. Don't you get it, Nora, it would be miles easier if you just keeled over and accept your fate on her hands, otherwise it will only get worse from here forward.

I could feel my Keys of Time in my pocket, and I thought of a desperate plan to escape Ignis, I didn't know how to call a gate on this side, but I could at least try something. I threw a magic blast at him, causing him to flail and protest, which gave me a quick moment to escape my corner and rush to the door while reaching into my pocket.

Hey! Don't just jumpscare me like that! That's rude! He shouted, and I could tell he was flying over to get me, so I just closed my eyes, fearing for the worse, and wished on the Keys to get away somehow, to get me somewhere away from him, to get me some time away from him...

And then when I opened my eyes again right after falling to the hard ground. Things looked terribly destroyed everywhere, in fact, I could barely recognize what was once the city I was in, reduced to rubble and scorched earth. I couldn't tell what had been what, but it was clear that his fury had been enough to level everything around. At least he was nowhere to be found, and so he would not find me for now, but was this worth it? An entire city, wiped away because of my cowardice?

I couldn't accept this outcome, not only because it was my fault, and my heart weighted like a boulder from the fact this destruction was all because I couldn't bring myself to let him take me back, but also because in this destruction I had caused, all those who I had helped, and my sister from this universe as well, had perished. This was horrible, I had led those beings that had sought me as their salvation from that cursed realm to their cruel doom in here. I couldn't accept this outcome! They had asked me for my help!

I looked at my Keys, a simple solution crossed my mind, recalling what the Guardian had told me what felt like many lifetimes ago, and processing what had just happened. I was able to move along time, wasn't I? I could just go back in time, before I had been spotted by him, and take a separate route, one where he would not find me, and start the chase. So, I wished once more on them, hoping to find myself at least some time before he had seen me on the way home...

And then I opened my eyes to find myself once more on the path to the city-state that I had been living in. I looked around warily, hoping this was a good time, and I wasn't already being stalked by him. Noticing that I was all alone in the forest, I decided to rush in another direction, away from where he had seen me the last time. I took the longest roundabout way I knew, circling within the forest the region where the city was, running through the treacherous path, until I found myself an exit that I knew would lead me to it from a completely different direction, far away from wherever that light being had come from. Following down the clearing path, my heart almost jumped out of my chest from fear and apprehension, I hoped I could reach there and warn everyone before he could come, I hoped that this was enough to evade him and somehow we could all fight back, I hoped-

I thought at first that my eyes were blinded by the light's glare, or there was a mirage or something, but that was just me refusing to acknowledge what was truly happening. The entire city of Faerieland was up in flames, once again reduced to rubble and destruction, as if the time travel I had attempted didn't make a difference. I fell to my knees in the field, how had that happened? Did I not go to the past after all? But I had been sent back to where I was, to the path on the forest, on my way back to the city, what had gone wrong? Perhaps I had made a mistake, I thought as I reached for my Keys once more, and in that moment in which I hesitated to when to go, they were taken from my hand.

Gimme that! UGH! The blinding glare was enough to make me panic, but the following thud and flash of blue wings and short hair made me scream in horror. You've been such a thorn on my side today! Did you really think I would not find you if you decided to play hopscotch in time? You're not the only one who can do this, in fact, I don't get why do you get gifted these powers by her, it makes you such a nuisance to deal with you every time! Now let's get this over with before I do something you will regret.

Ignis then approached me, and, before I could scramble to get away, caught me and dragged me by my wings. I screamed both from pain and fear, and tried fighting somehow, but quickly found it difficult to even land a blow on him. Then I saw the recognizable light from the portal that led back to Chaos, and upon crossing it, I was then tossed on the field of ever moving grass.

THERE! Happy!? Ignis shouted at apparently nothing, but then the Guardian appeared from behind one of the empty archways.

Quit being so obnoxious, your anger has no place here. Also, wasn't she supposed to be intact? The Shoyru looked at shivering me with cold eyes.

She's fine! Just being a baby, she made me have to chase her multiple times, that's such a waste of my time. He then walked past us, and, taking the opportunity for another desperate measure, I crawled up to the Guardian and whispered.

Please help me. I said while still watching Ignis. I don't think I'm safe here, I need to get out of here before she knows I'm here. I looked at the Shoyru, who was lip-biting.

Who's... She? Why can't you get out of here? The Guardian said a bit too loudly, which attracted the attention of the light being, who stopped on his tracks to overhear the conversation. I whispered even quieter, trying to hint my fear of him.

The Princess, she's angry with me- I just don't know if I can stay here, you saw that she sent Ignis after me, and sent the other creature after me before, I just- Please- He's got my Keys, I can't go anywhere-

Oooh! The Guardian grinned, and then turned to the light being and said out loud, much to my chagrin. Ignis, why do you have her Keys of Time? Shouldn't you return that to her? I shrunk even more when he turned around, visibly irritated.

Why? Why do you even bother giving any of them these things? You're wasting your magic on them, also, it makes them so much more annoying to keep track of!

The Keys. The Guardian said in a serious tone, but maintaining a smile. Ignis scoffed, which was surprising, I had expected more of a reaction from him.

At least when I seek entertainment, it is usually something more simple and direct, not this complicated rat race! You've made me go fetch her to just watch her scurry off once again! You'll see, the moment she gets those Keys on her hand, she'll just run off again, she's already scared!

I am not saying it again. The Guardian said, but at that time more seriously, and the light being hesitated, before deferring and revealing the shining metal items, dangling from his fingers.

You're cruel... But don't expect me to chase after her now, this is not my mess up. I looked at the Guardian with hesitation, how had this happened, was this a trap, could I just go up to him and take them? But I didn't expect a confirmation before getting up and stumbling my way to the light being, and picked up my Keys of Time. He laid his hand on my shoulder, which made shake in fear, and then he said, gritting through his smile. No hard feelings, right? I was just fetching you like she requested me to. The Guardian glared with glowing eyes at the two of us, but I felt the negative sentiment was more directed towards him than me. Then he turned around and walked away while signing with both hands above his head to the Shoyru, and I just watched for a moment, confused.

Another hand landed on my shoulder, startling me, and I turned to face the Guardian, who was staring with familiar glowing eyes at me. Don't mind him, he's just throwing yet another tantrum. Now, you have what you wanted, aren't you going to get going? Unless you want to stay at your own risk... I looked at the Shoyru, once more bewildered, and a question slipped out of my mouth before I could register it.

Who... Are you? The Guardian looked at me blankly, before answering with a question.

What do you mean? I have already introduced myself to you.

Still lost, I didn't know what to say next, before remembering once more that I had a counted time in this place, and had to get going. Walking away from the Guardian, I looked around, and then, once more making my Keys into staves, I used their power to seek a gate I wanted. When I felt like I had found one, I was suddenly interrupted by a comment from the Guardian.

You have gotten the hang of them rather quickly, haven't you? I mean, you even used time travel already, that is quite commendable, I didn't expect you to figure it out this quickly.

Um... I was just- I had to- Um it was not- Thanks. The Shoyru chuckled, and then I looked back at the Keys, warily, but couldn't do the spell before being interrupted once more.

It is good that the Keys are fit for you, it helps to have a good conduit for your magic. I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I just proceeded with searching for a gate, and then followed to it.

I didn't look behind while walking up to it, but I felt like the Guardian was following right behind me. But yet, right as I opened the gate and was about to cross it, I just peeked over my shoulder towards where I thought the Shoyru would have been standing but I was wrong, and looking around, there was no one around. Where had... Never mind, I had no time for this. I stepped through the gate and hoped this wouldn't be so bad.

And it wasn't, it really wasn't. Once again, I felt like once more I had come home, despite the differences once more this world had, a third time had me accustomed to them... To some degree, that is, because I also maintained some level of worry about what could come to happen here as well. Either way, I couldn't shake off this awful feeling of not belonging in here, which didn't help because I played along with the narrative, once again taking the place of the Nora that belonged in this world, once again gone missing conveniently before I inserted myself into this universe.

At least in the last timeline, I had the others I had helped, who were also strays from other worlds and universes, and I had grown friendly with them after they settled in, it all had made me forget some of the weight. Now I missed that as well... I guessed I must have been crying while deep in thought, because my sister caught my attention by asking.

Nora, are you alright? There are tears rolling down your cheeks. I stared at her, both of us were out in town for something I had already forgotten, before deciding to just lie.

Yeah, no, I think something's caught my eye. I quickly rubbed my face and eyes with the corner of my sleeves to hide it. She didn't buy it, like she didn't buy any of my excuses I had been telling since the moment I had arrived.

Seriously, what is with you? Mira said in a chiding tone. You have been acting so strange since you've returned back, you have been distant, and strange, and cold, you have been disappearing every so often and you don't explain where you go or what were you doing, you seem to be hiding something, or many things, always lying and deflecting questions... I refused to look at her in the eyes, despite her positioning herself right in front of me. "I have been asking you for weeks now, did something happen, is something wrong, but you just deny anything!"

I had thought a million times about explaining to her, and thought once more of the possibility of confessing what was going on, this time and in past times. And yet, I feared not only it all overwhelm her, but also it would obviously give me away as the impostor I was, an intruder who took over the life of someone else and was faking it, and I couldn't have that, then the entire illusion I had of home would be shattered and my own sister would never trust me ever again. But even not considering my own selfish reasons, I could not let her know of her past, or well, alternate past selves and their horrible fates, that would destroy her inside.

Realizing she was still expecting a response, I tried dismissing it again, I had no energy to fight back either way. It- It's nothing, nothing happened. I'm just tired. That only made her angrier, and she pressed on even more.

Clearly it is not nothing! Why are you lying to me? We are family, we are sisters, I thought we trusted each other! No, technically we weren't sisters! I was just a copy, a replacement in the story, shoehorning myself in and faking it to you and to everyone and to everything! But I couldn't say that, so I said whatever else that could hurt her before I thought twice about what I was doing.

Leave me alone! Why are you so obsessive about this, I said I am fine, I already said I am fine, you keep on pushing me and testing me! I was exploding over this, this was clearly an overreaction and I felt horrible and shameful for this, but this was already in motion, and I couldn't help myself to stop myself anymore. You want to know what's my issue? You! You have been so overbearing and smothering in these past weeks since I've been back, it's hard to have a second of peace of mind! Obviously I'd be going out every so often, I need some fresh air away from you, all you do is nag and nag, on and on, can't you take a hint? Buzz off! The blue haired faerie looked at me with incredulous eyes, hurt and shocked at my reaction. After a few seconds where I was catching my breath and regretting my reaction, she then said.

Alright then... I guess I will 'take the hint' and 'buzz off'... And just walked away, presumably to our home, but I didn't bother following her, ashamed of my own actions and even more that other Faeries and Neopets were watching our skirmish.

I decided to go cool off in the outskirts of the city, following a path that led me to a garden park I knew had hidden benches behind bushes and under trees, which would give me some level of privacy I needed at that moment. Choosing a particular bench situated underneath a low hanging willow tree heavy with its thin waving branches and leaves, I sighed, burying my face in my own hands. What was I doing? I felt horrible, many feelings and thoughts were culminating once more within me, and yet, I felt completely estranged by how I was feeling, things were back to normal weren't they? So why couldn't I act accordingly? I couldn't tell it myself.

All of a sudden I had this overwhelming feeling of being watched, which made me shoot up and look around, but there was no one around me, nor even nearby, nor even in the distance, I couldn't hear anything or anyone. Actually, the realization of the absolute silence that surrounded me struck me as odd, even unsettling. And then, I was suddenly embraced by something, sending chills down my spine, which then was proceeded by a familiar voice.

Hello, Nora! I came to check on you. Noticing the white arms with draconian claws for paws gripping just a bit too uncomfortably, I looked over my shoulder and was met by the Shoyru's yellow eyes and wide smile. So, what's up? What's with all the gloom?

What- Why are here? I said apprehensively, which was responded with a tutting as the Shoyru let go of me, and started playing with my hair.

Didn't I just say I came to check on you? I can't help but feel responsible for you as my underling.

What?? I turned around perhaps a bit too quickly, as I felt my hair tug painfully before it was let go, making me flinch. The Guardian stared at me serenely from right behind the bench.

What what?

What do you mean by underling??

I gave you your Keys of Time, didn't I? I helped you then, you didn't think that was just for charity? My stomach sank, and the Guardian reacted by giggling and then adding on. Don't fuss about it, it's no big deal, it's not like I'm forcing you to do anything you wouldn't want. What did that mean? The Shoyru then hopped over the bench, and slid down to sit right next to me, but I got up immediately.

I never agreed to anything! I said, indignant at this revelation.

Then you shouldn't have asked for anything. The Guardian said, leaning back on the bench with one leg crossed over the other. But why is it of any matter? Aren't you happy with your results? You got exactly what you wanted, and multiple times at this point, I mean, in which world are you on right now? Your third? Fourth if you count the one you originally came from? I would say it's worth it. I guessed so, although I still feared what was the price for that? I was never told anything, I never agreed to anything. Although, I think it's quite boring how you've used my gifts, don't you have any sense of curiosity? You could access any sort of reality you could imagine, anywhere where things that are impossible could be possible, do whatever you please! Why stick to the same? I didn't feel like explaining myself to the likes of the Guardian, and I remembered doubts I had that were adjacent to this topic, and temptingly brought them up, given the opportunity.

This reality I'm in, this timeline I entered, I noticed that there was a Faerie who filled my role, and had my name, and everyone here knew or had interacted with previously... The Shoyru nodded along with what I was saying. But yet, she had gone missing before I came over here. In fact, this is not the only time this has happened, in the previous worlds I've been, the same had happened to the ones who I had... Replaced... I hesitated before continuing on. What... What is going on? Is this some sort of coincidence? Or are the Keys-

It's no coincidence, said the Guardian while shuffling on the bench to sit cross-legged on it with the head on the hands and elbows on the knees. Universes follow a set of logic rules, otherwise they'd fall apart and cease to exist. You can't have two of the exact same being or even object, otherwise it causes an inconsistency, so what happens is that whenever you enter a universe where there is a copy of you, the universe has to deal with the inconsistency, so, that Nora that originally existed within this universe, for example? The universe would do her away in one way or another, fixing the timeline so you're the only one existing in here from the moment you step foot into it.

That made sense... But the implication was grim, and only caused me to feel even more guilty, which was picked up by the Guardian.

Oooh, you didn't realize that? I mean, isn't it obvious? One would think that it is quite obvious... Getting up, the Shoyru then walked up to me, the yellow eyes staring right through me, unblinking and malicious, and yet, the tone remained the same calm coldness as throughout the entire conversation. The Shoyru kept on stepping forward, closer and closer to me, making me have to back up. Or perhaps you did, to some degree... Go figure, barging into a world that is not your own, substituting someone in as the impostor you are, lying about yourself to everything and everyone, even to yourself, is not a victimless crime, hm? Your search for artificial normality and comfort has consequences, Faerie, what do you think of that?

Wha- What do you want from me!? I screeched fearfully, which was responded with a chuckle.

Oh, no, I am not here to ask something from you, you've already disappointed me that way. I am just stating those things as they are. Seeing a flash out of the corner of my vision, I ducked just in time as a blast or energy hit the Guardian, and the bench behind, and even the tree. Looking up, I recognized once again the light being who had hunted me down earlier, once again furious, and I feared this was going to get bad, so I started scrambling to get out of range while he yelled at the Shoyru.

I knew you were distracted! How DARE you not even give me full attention in my own audience, you literally dismissed my request about my sister with no regards to anything I said! The Guardian got up in a jolted manner, like a puppet being tugged upwards by invisible strings, and glared at Ignis.

I already said my decision is final, suck it up and go throw your little fits somewhere else!

You didn't even listen to me, or actually to any of us! What is your issue, why do you obsessively hate her so much, we have served you willingly and happily since forever, have done every single request you've told us to, and this is the thanks we get??

Your sister has always questioned me in every sense, undermining my authority and lacking in respect, I only tolerated it because I found it to be cute to hear her whine, but my patience for her antics has run dry. You don't want my patience to run dry for your antics as well.

Bet!

You ungrateful, insubordinate, traitorous idiot, you and your sister owe so much to me, and this is the thanks I get?

We also did so much for you, Izzy! Don't act like you're some big time savior to us, we were literally helping you from day zero, and yet you literally threaten my sister, and now me?? So much for us being family, or friends! I couldn't stay any longer, I had to take my chance to leave before the focus was back on me.

Stumbling through the park, took out my Keys and ran, trying to invoke a portal to get me out of there. The shape of an archway formed ahead of me, and quickly flooded with bright light, which I hopped into, not even bothering to look back to see if I was being followed. A moment later, I opened my eyes, and was for once grateful to recognize the surreal grass plains under the fake star dome once more.

Without a second of hesitation, I thought of seeking yet another gate to go through, but I stopped before I did the searching spell once more. I couldn't just enter any universe, mainly after that revelation from the Guardian, no, I would have to seek somewhere without an equivalent of me... I focused on thinking of that while using my Keys, but, to my surprise, it yielded no result. I stood there for what seemed like eons, my heart racing at the thought of the two coming back out of that universe and coming after me, but yet, I felt no magic pull towards any other archway.

That was weird, was I doing something wrong? I kept on trying to think harder of my wish, and when that failed, I tried other similar wishes, and even smacked the staves against the ground in frustration, were these things suddenly broken? I was very exposed out here in this place of this realm, and my anxiety of being caught was making me sweat cold at that point, so I eventually gave up, not quite understanding the reason behind this fluke. I just sought a world like any other, and quickly found a gate the Keys were attracted to, which only reinforced my confusion over the earlier issue, but I had no time left to question that, so I just flew through it and left Chaos once more.

Upon arriving in Neopia once more, I thought twice before going after my homeland and reuniting with my sister once more. I felt guilty over the fact I was once more replacing the one alike me, permanently, and consequently I felt disheartened at the thought of attempting to slot myself into her life like I was her. But also, I didn't know where to go or what to do, so I just wandered around the main continent, and eventually found myself taken to the moon by my own wandering... Or perhaps for some other reason, which I hadn't realized until I decided to, in my detached wanderings from any semblance of Neopian existence, leave the colony on the moon towards its more hostile and remote side.

I had been wandering for a long time, not guiding myself beyond what I thought was mere instinct and mindlessness through the arid, crater-ridden dark surface, aimless and with an echo of hopelessness. I wasn't hoping this was going to be my final destination, I truly wasn't, but I had no wishes to go back, to civilization, to the Neopia that predominated the sky view, to anywhere really. I had deeply hoped that perhaps if I found myself in this desolate, isolate landscape perhaps everything and everyone would just leave me be, for once and for all. And, yet, despite the reasoning I had given myself, and the hopes I had, I found myself looking at something sinisterly familiar as I reached the top of a rather large and deep crater that spanned at least a mile in diameter.

At the depths of the crater, there was a structure that resembled a temple made of light purple crystals, and creatures seemed to be working on that temple, all which had distinctively glowing yellow eyes. The Princess's minions! When had they come here? Were they always here? What were they doing? And mainly, what was the purpose of this structure? I attempted to approach inconspicuously, keeping myself low and hiding behind the loose rocks and deformities of the surface of the crater, and made it pretty close. I watched what looked like Neopians walk into the temple with some objects of notoriety, while others were busy building the exterior of the temple and detailing it with specific glyphs or other images that seemed of relevance.

I crouched as I skeetered to another deformity of the ground, a small peak of exposed rock, to attempt to look into the temple, to see what was this for or what was the relevance of the objects being brought in. I squinted pretty hard to attempt to see what was in there, but all I could see was something that resembled a large arc... Perhaps an archway? Was this a portal then? But for what? Didn't they have enough of those back in Chaos? Wasn't the one I took still working? Or perhaps this was a special type of portal...

Identify yourself, intruder, or face consequences! I turned around in a jolt and faced a Kougra with the signature glowing eyes, pointing a sort of lance towards me. I instinctively shielded myself with my arms while holding the staves that were given to me and closing my eyes tightly, fearing the worst, to which was responded with a soft gasp and a hesitant voice. The- The Princess's Time Faerie... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to threaten you- Confused, I glanced at the Kougra, who looked terrified and shaken, as others approached us with weapons and wariness.

What is going on here? A Jetsam, who was ahead of the crowd, yelled from a distance, and the Kougra scurried over to them and mumbled. I got up, bewildered, and saw some of the others were hesitant, and others were shocked, and the Jetsam then said loudly. Faerie, you have come from Chaos, right? Have you any news about our assigned leader, Flame, who works under the Princess's direct command?

I frowned, suspicious. I have no idea who is that.

The one who is luminous and boisterous.

Ignis? I said hesitantly, to which the Jetsam shrugged, and I assumed that was perhaps the case. He's... I mean, he was in another universe, last time I saw him, fighting the Guardian. The Jetsam asked the others about who was the latter one I mentioned, but no one seemed to know that Shoyru.

So he has abandoned us after all, as we feared. The Jetsam said out loud, to others' dismay and disappointment. Are we meant to continue on with the plans then? Do you know of anything? This question was addressed to me, but I had no idea what to do or say. We have been diligently collecting magic and constructing the portal that was requested of us, but with no sign from beyond, we are all lost and hesitant about what to do besides that.

What is this all for? Why do you need a portal? I asked hesitantly.

Why, to bring Chaos to here so we can bring on the end of times here. ... What?? The Jetsam, noticing my now terrified expression, then went on to explain further. I know it sounds horrific, but this is all for the greater good, not only are we helping her become stronger with this, but we also all will be granted eternal life and return to our native land and paradise in Chaos, basking in her wondrous glory and beauty.

Her... The Princess? Wait, how did this all tie back to the Princess? How did ending this universe help anything? Were they behind the destruction of all the universes I had been previously? If they were working for the Princess, or, well, for Ignis, who is the Princess's personal friend, or was, then was she behind all of the suffering I had endured up until now? Not only from being persecuted by her underlings for offending her, but also the many times I had seen everyone fall around me, and the world and everything get destroyed, was this all the Princess's fault? I flared up in anger and confusion, but before I was able to ask more about it all, the Jetsam then added.

Why are you so sad, though? You should rejoice! It is the ultimate reward we all seek, to finally find refuge from these hostile lands we've been placed in! The Jetsam sounded excited, and yet it came off so disturbing to me.

Looking down, I felt overwhelmed, I wanted to fight, and scream, and cry, and I had to hold myself, as I also feared that somehow doing this would attract her attention. Suddenly, I noticed things were oddly silent, and, upon looking up once more, I noticed everyone had fallen quiet and become still. Not only the group that was talking to me, but the others further down near the temple being constructed all stared at me with a piercing gaze that chilled me down to my very core, and then, in synchrony, they all smiled widely.

I have found you once more, Nora. You are not that good at hiding, did you know? They all said at the same time, with the same familiar intonation. Was this... The Guardian?

No, wait, something else had clicked in my head, as I was quickly reminded of the fight I had previously escaped. This was the Princess, and so was the Shoyru I had been talking since the beginning! It was all her, and all her doing! But why? Why would she both help me, and also antagonize me? Why would she hurt me and destroy everything I had, multiple times, and yet keep on acting nice and concerned with me? The more I tried to make sense of this, the more it made my head swirl.

Is anyone in there, or have you already broken mentally? I had expected you to last a little longer. Harnessing all of my broiling rage, I replied with one word.

YOU! All of her minions dropped their smile with hesitation, before smiling again, and this time maliciously.

Why, you have managed to figure out quite a lot already. What a shame, I really had hoped this time we could have solved things pacifically so you could actually come and live with us in my castle.

You were ready to end me! I yelled, and then continued. Also, what do you mean this time? What have you done to me before? Or actually, what have you done to other versions of me, before?

Well, that night, and perhaps the upcoming days after that... But I am a reasonable being, I realized I had to calm down, after all, I cannot blame you for being an irritant and acting very rude with me, you are just a fancy-looking little thing I wanted, your opinions are not of my matter. But you could come back now, and we could just... All of the strange Neopets waved their left hand dismissingly. Forget it all happened, and just move on with everything. And live on happily ever after, how about that? I felt almost offended by this proposal, it felt so tone-deaf, it made me livid as all of my emotions bubbled up and overboiled.

How could- How could I just move on from all you've done to me! Everything I've been suffering has been your fault! I yelled, straining my voice. You- You have been toying with my existence since the beginning, since the very first time we met, you destroyed my world, and now you're destroying every single subsequent world I've been in, or- Or sending others to do that!! I started tearing up. You have- You have taken everything from me, my friends, my sister, my world, multiple times! Why? Why did you do that?? She stared at me with a neutral, perhaps even angered expression through their many eyes. Why would I want to go with you, mainly after figuring out all of that... I sobbed, and weak on my knees, fell down.

Are you done there? Everyone said at the same time while tilting their head slightly, and I stammered something, but to no avail. How could she be so nonchalant? Did she not care at all? No, in fact, she had acted the same way when I confronted her back then... Was I just like the creatures she had caused chaos through her creation, a source of mild entertainment at the cost of their own misery?

Wha- What do you want from me?! Do you just enjoy my suffering?? I shouted with a strength unfamiliar to myself, despite being devastated and terrified and bewildered beyond anything. They all straightened their head and said in unison.

I have already said what I want from you. Come back to me, and quit running away. It is getting old, after all.

Or what? I hesitantly got up, arms half-tensed as I held out my staves for some sort of protection. Are you- Are you going to do whatever you did to the past versions of me? Is that what happened, I defied you and you got your way with me? A scoff echoed before all of her minions started walking towards me.

Quit wasting my time...

I dashed away, stumbling back up the side of the crater in an attempt to gain some distance, but I needed to figure out what to do. If I stayed in this place, she'd still hunt me down, sending more of her minions to chase me down; if I returned to Chaos, she'd probably have the Guardian come after me, as well as everyone else in there who served her, there was definitely no safety in going to there. I looked over my shoulder as I climbed a steeper side of the crater, and saw the strange Neopians were rushing towards me, closing our distance quickly. I needed to... I needed to somehow escape this universe, but without having to use the gates.

Stopping mid-climb, I looked at my staves, which had been getting on the way of my hand having a good grasp on the rocks, and thought that perhaps it would not hurt to take a chance. I closed my eyes and wished with all of my being for a way out of this timeline onto another one, any one, whichever was the closest universe to this one. Feeling a jolt of energy, I knew something had happened, whatever was that happened.

When I opened my eyes once again, I found myself all by myself on the surface of Kreludor, on a very similar crater as to the one I was previously in, but with an evident lack of any creatures or structures. It was all thankfully intact. I looked up to the Kreludan sky and saw Neopia, which seemed somewhat different from the previous one, or so I guessed, I couldn't remember for sure. I had... I had done it? I think I had done it indeed! I had managed to escape that timeline without using her gates!

And yet... I felt hesitant, could she know what I had done? Perhaps I couldn't stay here, perhaps it wouldn't hurt for me to try to move timelines a couple more times, since this was apparently possible. And so, I stood tall, and once more wished for the passage to the next timeline, the nearest universe, and repeated it multiple times, feeling that jolt of energy many times, until I felt like it was enough, and perhaps I would be safe here. As initially foreign and strange the concept of using the staves and their time-travelling powers was to me, I had apparently reached some level of comfort and ability that I knew what to do, for the most part, with them, and so those spells were coming to me more instinctively now. I wasn't sure what to make of that, perhaps it was a good thing? And yet, this was the Guar- No, the Princess's gift and apparent binding tool as to the contract I did not know I had entered into with her, as she had said through the Guardian. I wasn't sure.

What was I going to do then? I had escaped her for now, but she seemed to always find me somehow. It was probably a matter of time before I met her once again. Perhaps... Perhaps I could ask for help, although the only one that could, by a slim chance, help me was none other than that irascible light being who I had last seen confronting the Guardian. That was the only thing I could think of... The only plan I could think of in a whim. And on a whim, I wished upon my staff to go to wherever, or rather whenever, he was.

Once more feeling the energy flow from shifting in between timelines, I opened up my eyes once more to yet another Kreludor and yet another Neopia. Going off from a conjecture I made regarding the last place I had seen him in the other time, I decided to return to Neopia and to what I assumed was the equivalent of my homeland, despite the differences being quite stark at this point.

In fact, I could not find anywhere the equivalent to originally what was my village, and I had asked about it to some travelling Neopets I met in the forest that I had seen multiple times by now, who were in awe to see me. Strangely, they knew little about Faeries beyond what they presumed to be myths, and supposedly Faerieland just disappeared one day, with no explanation, and their inhabitants went with it. If I weren't so pressed for time and fearing for my own safety and life, I would have been inclined to investigate into this whole story. Instead, I asked about whether anyone had seen some sort of monster or creature that were made out of obfuscating light, or some sort of happening where lots of creatures were found lifeless like I had seen him do, and none of them knew anything about it, but were very shaken to hear of such a creature. I also asked abut the incidence of strange Neopets with gleaming yellow eyes and unnerving nature, but they also knew nothing about anything. The only thing a Gnorbu traveler could tell me was that nearby where we were, there was a cave that was rumored to be haunted by a spirit with gleaming eyes, but they were not yellow, and you could not see anything beyond their eyes.

After getting the directions to said cave, I thanked the group, who asked me to bless them since I was a Faerie after all and they had helped me, and then, I left to find this cave. After excursing for a while in the depths of these woods, I finally reached a hill with an entrance to the said cave, and, sensing something familiar about the energy that lingered in that place, I decided that this had to be the right place. I hesitated though, recalling the times when he reacted poorly from being accused of doing something relating to me, or a past version of myself... But what choice did I have? I approached the cave entrance carefully, and yelled into it with the little strength I had in face of my fears.

Hello? Is anyone in here? Which had no answer at first, but as I yelled once again, repeating myself with more firmness in my voice, I got an answer.

WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLEEP!? Echoed throughout the cave walls, making me shudder, and I gulped before answering.

Ig- Ignis? Is that you? I need your help! The travelers were not wrong about the eyes, a pair of white eyes appeared in the depths of darkness of the cave, gleaming.

Nora? Ugh, what in the world do you want? I stammered some words before saying something more coherent.

I need to hide, she's going to come after me, she has been coming after me all of this time, it was all her! She has been toying around with me all of this time, for whatever reason, and now, she wants to force me to stay with her!

Oh, so she's not going to finish you off anymore? Cool. Exasperated by the curt answer, I repeated myself.

Please help me! I can't go back there, mainly after discovering all of that! You were standing up to her back then, perhaps if you could- I was cut off by a long grunt of frustration echoing through the cave.

Hey lady, let me languish in peace here! I've already had enough for a while, and that whole fight did not go well for me, and besides, why would I even care about you enough to help you out? You've come to the wrong person if you expect me to valiantly protect you due to kindness, or solidarity, or whatever else. I couldn't care less what happens to you. So fly away!

He closed his eyes, making the cave absolutely dark once more, and I stared into the darkness for a while, not sure what to do next. I had no other options, and I couldn't see myself fighting the Princess and her minions all by myself. Was my only choice to accept my fate at her hands, and hope she'd be less cruel from then on. I felt utterly, completely hopeless, and fell to knees, sobbing, but was eventually interrupted by loud groan.

You're STILL HERE?? I looked up to see his eyes glowing in the depths of the cave once more. Can't you read the room? You're being really annoying and inconvenient by crying at the entrance of this cave, you do realize the echo here is incredibly loud, right? I didn't know what to say in response, but I did end up holding back my sobs from just the sheer awkwardness of the situation. How did you even find me anyway? It can't be by sheer chance that you ended up in this very same universe as me, the chances of that are practically zero.

I tracked you down with the Keys of Time. I mumbled, raising my staves to show him what I meant.

Oh word? You can do that? I could see him now, faintly glowing on the cave floor, half-seated.

Y-yeah- Not me, I mean, this is the Guardian's- Well, the Princess's Keys, I guess... But yes- Uh, I asked it to find you and it led me to this timeline.

Huh. Well, can it find anyone? Staring at the Keys while contemplating the question, I didn't see why not.

Uh, I think so? Why? Ignis got up quickly, although not as energetically as usually and accompanied by quite some pained groans. He clearly didn't look at blindingly radiant as previously, and added to his voiced pain, I concluded he was probably injured or even depowered in some way or another.

Can it find my sister then?

I was going to answer it, but then I realized a major issue. I knew what Ignis was like, I knew who to look for, but yet, I had never met his sister, despite having heard quite a bit about her already. How would I be able to do this? I gulped, looking at the staves cluelessly, I hadn't thought of that sort of possibility.

So...? Ignis said, impatiently.

I- I don't know- I don't- I have never met your sister, I am not sure how would I be able to track her down. An exasperated sigh announced what I should have seen coming, but was surprised and scared by either way, as the light being leapt out of the cave and took my staves once more. He fiddled with them for a short while before huffing and turning to me, irritated.

Hey, is this a joke? These pieces of junk are not working!

Well, it was a relief to learn that he couldn't just run off with my only means of escape and protection, but I wondered how did the Keys of Time work. Perhaps they were meant for only me to work with them? I would guess so, but then why would the Princess go through such a trouble as to make such an exclusive tool for someone like me, who was just being toyed around with? This all seemed so strange.

Did you hear what I just said? Your little metal rods here are either broken or there's something you're not telling me on how to use them! Either tell me how do your 'Keys of Time' work, or you'll see what's good for you! He snarled his threat, all angry and puffed up as he approached me, but I could tell there was an undertone of desperation on his voice, which I could try to leverage. I got up, and inhaled, hoping to harness some courage to confront him, but the words did not come off as cohesively as I had envisioned in my mind.

It's- They're- They're only for my use! No one else! You can't get to where you want unless you have my help! So- Uh- You've got to- Uh- You either have to help me escape the Princess, or I won't help you find your sister! I announced loudly. At first he seemed surprised, his mouth agape and eyes wide as a response to my blackmail, but then he scoffed and responded.

The nerve of some people! First you disturb my sleep, very rude, then, you continue to bother me, crying at the entrance of the place I'm trying to rest, and now you want to make an offer I can't refuse? Well, alright, No-ra, I will then help you however you so wish, BUT only after you help me find my sister, deal, or no deal?

Deal! I said quickly.

A'ight, then... He walked up to me and handed me my staves, which I took back eagerly, and I had a passing thought that could be the solution to my conundrum.

I think- Uhhh- You need to hold the Keys with me and sort of... Ummm... Wish upon them together with me to find your sister? Maybe that would work. Ignis looked at me, puzzled, and then said.

Well, alright?? If that's what it takes... And grasped onto my Keys, and I closed my eyes and concentrated on trying to tell the staves to take us to wherever his sister was, whoever was that.

I thought at first it was not working, but then I felt the jolt of energy once more, which I hoped to be a positive sign. I opened my eyes to see a completely destroyed surrounding, with dead, seemingly petrified stumps instead of trees, greyed ground and skies, and this sensation of staleness and rot that made my skin crawl. This world reminded me of how the end of times had happened to the timelines I had been in previously, but something felt different from that. Ignis quickly flew out and was hovering many feet above the ground, searching the land, but I felt too uneasy and also very tired from using my powers constantly, and just decided to sit on the ground.

While looking around, I thought to myself how there was really nothing much left around here. What could have possibly happened here? Perhaps a large catastrophe could have occurred, wiping the surrounding region. It would explain the destruction and decay I saw extend for miles, in fact, it extended on to the hills and the horizon... I hated this place with all of my being, and wanted nothing to do with here, but yet, what choice did I have? My train of thought came to a halt suddenly as something caught my attention.

I saw a source of light in the distance, which at first I thought was Ignis who had returned, but there was something off about it. The hue was different, and it didn't seem to be flying or even above ground like he was, instead it was approaching by ground. I tried squinting to see better, it looked like some sort of creature, and only part of it was luminous, the rest was not. I couldn't tell what it was, but I could tell the moment it noticed me, as it stopped still and seemed to be looking in my direction for a while, and a chill ran down my spine. Everything told me to start running then, and I obliged, getting up in a hurry and stumbling to a pace, but yet, I quickly stopped as I realized this was not going to work. Holding onto the longest of my staves, I heel turned, ready to confront whatever that was.

Before I saw it again I knew it would be catching up to me, but I was still surprised to find it to be almost directly behind me. The creature resembled a misshapen dark Uni, it was taller than me, and had elongated, thin legs, a larger than life body, and a long neck that led to a flaming skull. It also had wings made of bare bones aflame, and even its tail and hooves were blazes, and it left scorchmarks and sparks as its trail. As it approached me, I stepped back, and attempted to threaten it, my Keys glowing with my magic, which made it stop, and, to my surprise, speak to me.

I see she has not learned a single thing, and still plays the same way with the same toys... Why are you here, Nora? Have you been sent by Our Royal Highness after me, or were you running away and accidentally come across this time? How did it know me? Did another version of me meet it? Before I could say a word, though, it continued on. What does it matter, either way my response is singular... You have made a grave mistake coming here.

It then resumed walking towards me, and I tried attacking it, blasting it with my magic, but that did nothing to slow it down, it did not even wince. I screamed as it prepared to pounce like a predator, and started running, but I was brought down to the ground by its immense weight as it landed its flaming hooves on my back, and the crushing causing me severe sharp pains. I screamed more, trying to squirm out or fight back somehow despite being pinned down in a very difficult position, and all I could see as I attempted to look back was the fiery Uni skull's opening mouth coming terrifyingly close to me. Then, an incoming flash of light made the creature duck and step sideways, getting off from me, followed right after by a crash. I turned around with difficulty, as the pain mainly in my ribs made it difficult for me to breathe, and saw Ignis getting up from the ground several feet away from the two of us, a trail of displaced dirt indicating he had crash landed for some reason.

Owww, what the heck, Brigid!? He yelled as he got up and brushed dirt off from him and approached the two of us. I'm sore all over too, this hurt pretty bad! The monstrous Uni turned to him and answered in a much less threatening, and very much annoyed tone.

You know I don't like hugs! Mainly when you do those tackling hugs, why do you think your landing hurt so much? You literally send yourself at terminal velocity towards people for no reason whatsoever! It's so annoying! Bewildered, I assumed to conclude this was his sister, but how did that work was beyond me. Also, what the heck I ask you, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?? Then, the monster glanced at me. Are you responsible for bringing this Faerie here? You do know she will be very angry with you for messing with her things!

Jeez, I don't see you in like, forever, and the first thing you do is scold me? You never change... He answered, annoyed as well. Yeah I'm with the little Faerie, she's the one who led me here, I was looking for you.

What have you done this time?? Brigid questioned, to which Ignis hesitated to answer.

Ehhh... Uhhh... Weeeell...

Well?? I know you didn't come here to just visit, you wouldn't be risking getting on her bad side like this. She shot another glance towards me.

I actually... Am already... Far past that... Then I could barely hear his mumble as he revealed his problem. I kind of picked a fight with her over a discussion...

YOU WHAT?!?

I had no choice, alright? His tone was far more emotional than any time previously, his exasperated anger barely covering an underlying sadness. I had been trying to talk to her and convince her to take you back and to have you guys make up and all, and we could all be friends once more like we've always been, but she kept on dismissing me and ignoring me! I even tried to bring in the others to the discussion, but she didn't care and also treated me like an idiot! And the others treat me as an idiot as well, and even were accusing me of stuff I didn't do, it's like, everyone hates me all of a sudden! The monstrous Uni lowered her head upon hearing that. So, of course, I was only left with the option of making a fuss, I mean, she was being so disrespectful, she literally was having a chat with Nora through her little puppet on a different place while we were talking to her! I don't get it, why is she so bent on hating you, it's like all of a sudden a switch flipped or something!

No, actually, that's wrong... She's always been like that. Brigid said to Ignis, who was confused upon hearing that.

Wh- What? No, she wasn't, I mean, Izzy's always been our friend, we were all thick as thieves before whatever caused this weird schism.

No, not really, you were, because you acted like her hype man, and she liked that. We were always not in the best of terms, she acts like she loves people to advise her and help her, but she hates criticism of any sort. Unless you're always praising her and making her happy, she will act pettily mean and cruel with you all the time... You think you're the first one to have the others suddenly turn against you, or have her demean you for no reason? I just got tired of her stupid antics. The light being was pensive and serious, and didn't respond nor react. Anyways, no, there's no repairing this situation, mainly after the last thing that I did before I left, and that was stupid that you've risked yourself like this because of me. Now we're both on the run from her.

We could still appeal- He started, but was quickly cut off.

I am not going to crawl back, I don't care if you are feeling nostalgic for past times, if you feel like you still have a chance then you go talk to her, but don't rope me in, I am done. Ignis became despondent, and yet, he then commented while holding back a grin.

You know, it's sort of hard to take you seriously when you look like that.

... Like what? The Uni asked, deadpan.

Like a demonic 'my little pony. Ignis chuckled halfheartedly. I had no idea what he meant, but that was enough to irritate his sister.

Ugh, quit joking around! And with that, the creature shapeshifted into something similar to a Faerie, with a similar body structure, but still maintaining the skeletal head and flames on her head, appendages and wings, and downing a dark flaming cloak. There, now will you focus??

Much better! At least you're not questionably quadrupedal anymore! Ignis answered, now with reinvigorated snark.

I am going to beat you up... Brigid threatened, raising a closed fist and walking threateningly towards him.

Okay, okay, I'm sorry, jeez! Ignis said loudly, raising his arms defensively against his sister. I'll quit messing around!

You better! She said, and then huffed, lowering her arms and placing her hands on her hips. I chuckled weakly at the ridiculousness of the scene, but it quickly turned into a pained cough given my condition. The both of them looked at me when I was coughing with a surprised look, as if they both had not noticed they were not alone.

Oh, you're here, riiiight... Honestly I forgot about you for a hot second, sorry. Ignis said first, taking the roundabout way away from his sister to come up to me. Wow, she looks pretty banged up, did you do this? He turned to his sister for that last question.

Yes, I was actually busy disposing of her before you attempted your little landing stunt. She looked at me threateningly. It is the better fate for her, knowing what our ex-friend does with this Faerie every time she gets her hands on her, this is a kind act.

Noooo, no nonono, you can't do that! He reinforced that by crossing his arms as to form an X, drawing her attention. I made a promise I'd help her, in return for her lending her finding powers to find you. That'd be like, breaching a contract, it's illegal.

... You do realize something is only illegal if there are actual laws to enforce something, and you're breaking them? Also, what do you mean by finding powers? She looked at me, and I just mumbled my answer, finding that I was very dizzy and weak at this point.

I can use my staves to find others through timelines... That's how I found Ignis and that's how we came to here... I coughed more, wheezing. Brigid looked at Ignis with newfound concern.

You do realize what this means right? Those staves are the Princess's! Ignis frowned, shrugging.

Yeah I know that, Nora here already told me that. Brigid huffed impatiently.

No, ugh- You idiot, I mean, if they have such an ability as to find others, that means that's her abilities! Much suddenly made sense for me despite my weakening senses, and yet it took Ignis an extra second to get it.

Oooooohhhhh!!!! Oh, that's bad!

Yes, that is bad, that means she could literally find us anywhere! That means she could be coming any time now to here to hunt us down! Brigid looked around at that last part, paranoically scanning her surroundings.

Well, what do we do? Ignis gave a quick lookaround in response. Another voice, terrifyingly familiar, chimed in.

Why, if it isn't my two favorite starlets!

Both siblings gasped and looked in the direction behind my head.

Connor! Brigid announced, and the two prepared to attack, but I lapsed for a while, finally collapsing to the pain and weakness inflicted on me. When I opened my eyes again, I saw quite some magic sparks fly around, and I overheard shouting and grunting, and I saw Ignis fly by, blasting many enemies I could hear shouting in pain. I couldn't hold my eyes for much long, but the next time I opened my eyes, my heart sunk with newfound fear, as I was enveloped in darkness, and a recognizable shadow with gaping holes for eyes and mouth was hovering right over me.

It's your fault, this is all your fault! Umbra said, hissing, seething with anger. Ever since you were first brought over to our perfect city, there has been an explosion of dumb infighting and discussing!

I couldn't move.

Look what you have caused, now both of the two traitors are going to be tried by the Princess herself, we have captured them and ended their little escapade.

Different from previously, where I was in pain while moving, but yet I could still move my limbs, it was like I had lost all ability to move anything.

You think I'm happy that this is happening? We were friends, best friends, actually, I was closer to her than anyone else!

I couldn't even turn my face, or move any part of it. I was beginning to panic, what was happening??

You are a blight in all of existence, a seed of discord, and yet, you yourself are not even that relevant, if it weren't for the fact that you are a simulacrum of someone important to her, you would have been long forgotten and would have never caused any of this!

I couldn't do anything, the only part I could move was my eyes. I teared up in fear while she continued to screech at me.

Just count yourself lucky you are still favored by the Princess, who told me to bring you in, because if it depended on me, you would not have had a chance to return at all, at least not in one piece. Her hands reached for my face, and I clenched my eyes closed, which was a good idea because I felt like she was smothering me.

Once again I drifted away, this time into a seeping darkness that desperately dragged me down with it, into the eternal abyss, and I desperately fought to keep myself from slipping into it. I didn't know I would ever be able to wake up once again, and thus I sought console in the idea that perhaps that meant I could finally rest and be with my sister once again, the one way back in my original world long gone. And yet, that consolation never came.

Waking up, I was blinded by the many lights floating from the ceiling, which resembled the galaxies I had seen way back when the Princess had showed me her powers, populated with countless luminous orbs spiraling and orbiting in clusters. Lower down from the ceiling, which seemed to be of reflective dark crystals that reflected the floating orbs, I noticed the walls were decorated with high curtains that covered the room's high windows, letting in only a fraction of the outside light through their layers of lace. As I sat up on the bed I was in I saw that all across the many walls of the room were enormous mirrors adorned with delicate trims, forming a pattern of reflection that resembled the inside of a crystal, and making the room slightly disorienting. The floor as well was all mirrored, which only added to that illusion, and it seemed to be one pane too, although I wasn't sure because of all the things that were in the room with me.

I got up, noticing I was wearing slippers and a dress with a large tulle skirt, which was the strangest fashion for me to wear, and I felt uncomfortable in it, although I had no choice at the moment to change it. I walked around, looking for an exit, but I ended up getting distracted by the many, many things sitting in the many tables and stands that littered the place. There were many things with me, in fact, some were recognizable, some were not. It seemed like a couple of high value treasures were in here, many being highly ornamental, intricate items that sat on cushionings sitting on tables, or even on small glass frames of their own. Some even resembled jewelry, like crowns and heavy necklaces, although made in a fashion and from materials I could not even imagine.

There seemed to be some other things that resembled toys from back home, like dolls that seemed like Faeries but without wings, and plushies of creatures I had no idea were named, and even a large dollhouse, or, in fact, doll castle, all purple and covered in facets like a beautiful crystal itself, although upon second notice its structure eerily resembled many contorted shapes morphed into one. I didn't mean to, but when I opened it to see into a question that cropped up in my mind, I triggered some internal mechanism that caused it to start playing a melody like a music box. Its notes resonated so loudly across the room, their trills echoed within my very core in an uncomfortable manner, almost like they were screeches.

All around the room, different things started to move in cyclic manners, following the rhythm of the song. There were some things that just spun around in a circle, or rotated around themselves, or just swung back and forth; but there were also other things, some that eerily resembled living creatures now they were set in motion, and did complicated motions, like taking off what resembled hats and bowing, or spinning around in dances, or even one that was riding on top of another creature that resembled a racing cargo animal; some flapped their wings, some waved and smiled, and one near me, that was a life-size creature as well, verbally greeted me with a grin turned grimace while opening its arms, making me jump with its Hello, and then it proceeded to fold its arms back together and looked aside, before restarting its cycle. I really didn't like being in here, despite all its beauty, everything was moving too much, the song was too loud, and I was beginning to feel somewhat panicked with the way how the walls and floor reflected each other.

Oh, you're awake! Finally. I turned around quickly and was met with her intense yellow eyes very up close, which made me stumble back. I was beginning to wonder if I could actually save you this time, given how badly damaged you were. I am definitely never trusting anyone else with your safety ever again, it seems like no one respects my wishes around here.

She once again looked like a child, and was once again in a different dark and strange outfit. Her dress was, once more, black and velvety, and went all the way down to the floor, but this time it was sleeveless and neck-high. It had a simple repeating pattern in bright gold of interlocking waves that followed along its vertical length and almost looked like eyes if you didn't pay attention to them. She also wore velvet black arm cuffs, and gold bracelets on top of the cuffs, and those too had waves around the encrusted gemstones in purple and yellow. Lastly, on her head sat a strange black crown that resembled antlers, but yet, something about the branching pattern also made them look like hands. That last piece was so large it towered over me despite the Princess's height matching my shoulders.

She was looking around her toy castle, verifying that things were in good shape, and then gave a long look around her room, before turning back to me with a large grin. Do you like it? Do you like this place? It's really neat, isn't it? I actually didn't feel that positive about it, but I didn't want to upset her, so I just slowly nodded in response, to which she scoffed. Cat got your tongue? Or perhaps it is just the psychological aftereffects of being so close to the point of no return? I know I did a good job, so perhaps it is just a question of time before you are completely back to normal. That is fine, I guess then I will have to speak for the two of us.

She hummed to the song once its loop restarted, and started dancing to it as well. Then, she walked up to me, and grabbed my two hands, and made me dance as well, going round and round. She even started singing along in an alien language once the loop started once again, and sung for three loops what sounded like a lullaby. At the end, her voice seemed to break a little bit, which made her go silent and look away, but we kept on dancing for a while more. Then, she finally stopped and let go of my hands, and took a while before she looked up again, with a forced grin, and then said.

Pretty, isn't it? My mother used to sing that to my sister and I when we were little kids... She then paused, and added. Well, in fact she probably sung once or twice, and maybe she sung one or another more song to us in her language... She didn't have much time for us, after all... Dismantling an Empire was busy work, mainly when you work from inside out. She then paused for a little bit more, before pointing to the castle and adding. But this? That was a gift from my friends when we first settled in here, although the little music box aspect to it was all Connor's idea. He actually in fact made the cylinder himself, he doesn't even speak that language, but he did that for me. Lovely, isn't it? She looked almost hopeless at that moment. I can't believe that everyone would eventually betray me like that!

She shoved the castle out of its table in a bout of fury, but it did not break once it hit the ground, which only made her angrier, and, in her tantrum, she climbed the table to the other side, and stomped it multiple times. Stepping away, I could not tell what she was breaking, but I could tell it was a lot, as the song of the music box was interrupted constantly by painful notes, and eventually the mechanism gave in, after the Princess jumped on the castle remains long enough. Out of breath, she looked at me with a dangerous gaze while she fixed her crown, which had slipped down along her now disheveled long hair.

Why are you so spooked? Who cares, that was just a dumb little toy! She said with annoyance at me. I can make another one, in fact, I can make anything! I made that, I made that, and that and that and that... She kept on pointing around the room at the different things that were moving with the music, but had come to an eerie still with the music box's destruction. I made the real castle, I made so many things, even my servants, everyone gets to be cut from the same cloth, and that cloth is me. She aggressively pointed at herself with her thumb. In principle, all that I've created work the same way, they're either objects, like a table, or a castle, or automatons. Only some things are more complicated than others. I mean, that automaton doesn't have feelings and a personality, like many of my servants do. She pointed at the creature that was once greeting me, and now was also dead still. I know, the terminology is wrong, automatons do not have minds of their own, they're technically not alive, but I mean, before I got the hang of creating things with life, all my servants were all literally just self-moving mechanisms and lifelike dolls, all mindlessly doing tasks for me and the others.

She hopped out of the toy castle's wreckage, and went around the table to meet up with me, walking up so close to me, I stepped back another couple of steps, and stumbled onto something, falling seated onto a table. Something fell behind me, as clued in by the loud crash, and she gave me a disappointed look.

I liked that! Oh, well, I will fix it later... Anyways, the issue is, despite how fascinating and fulfilling it is to be served by toys of your own creation, there is only so much interaction you can have with something that is not alive. Sure, I have my so called 'friends,' but, I mean, I have them also running errands for me all of the time, since I can't really go anywhere else without causing the destruction of the fabric of reality in a universe, and that is just not tactical when you're running an arms race against your own sister. I can't just destroy all of that, I need to absorb as much as I can, you know? Of course, she doesn't care, she takes the hydrus tactic, which I think it's wasteful, but whatever, it is her choice to make... She paused, trying to recall what she was talking about. Oh, yes, and bottom line, I felt very lonely, and thus I dedicated my time when I wasn't busy consuming a universe to trying to make more complex creatures, not just physically, but also in other aspects.

Sure, there are also the beings that the others have brought to here, but those are basically trophies, or toys, in fact I'd say they are closer to toys indeed, considering how the others play with them... Also, they are so wildly uninteresting, I mean, it didn't help that they all seem to eventually shut down emotionally, or even physically! But they are also very averse to here, and that meant they are more like rats in your walls than actually interactable characters, they are always scurrying about and hiding, probably also because of how they're treated... I do not care for them, and I have no interest in creating unnecessary rules, so I did not stop my 'friends.' Anyways, I put all of my effort into creating things that would emote and react and think on their own, but the issue was, isolated like I was, I had little reference as to how one would think or behave. Save for those others who had come with me to here, of course.

She tilted her head slightly, and then smiled snarkily. They were furious at first, which was hilarious, but at least some of them got over themselves. I thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery... But I guess not everyone likes flattery. Only issue was, now with personalities and free will and thinking, the automatons became harder to control, and far more unpredictable. I mean, they are all iterations of the same four, but yet, they are so much trouble... Also, it feels more like I'm mothering a bunch of children now, which was not something I planned for. Mainly when I was looking for some companionship, now I was still lonely, and yet I have to babysit for so many little copycats of my bad 'friends.' What a nightmare. Even more of a nightmare when my own creations started rebelling against me, the utter disrespect. I knew my 'friends' were good for nothing the moment I saw how their little clones behaved. But it still hurts, you know? Betrayal hurts regardless.

Looking once more sad, she spun around and walked away, and I noticed something strange and terrifying in the reflections. My reflection and everything in the room's reflections were all as usual, repeating themselves like reflections do. But hers every other reflection were not repeated, in fact, they were not even the same thing, instead of her physical appearance being reflected, her every other reflection showed this monstrous creature, covered from head to toe in eyes; with arms and hands sprouting from other arms and hands recursively, like tree branches, also covered in eyes; with wings formed of fully formed hands of many sizes; giant clawed feet like a bird's that were also covered in eyes, save for where their talons sprouted; multiple tall horns that twisted upwards; and her trademark long dark hair with two stripes. She was still ranting, but I had completely lost track of the conversation from how horrified I was at whatever was that in the reflection, and froze up completely. She had not noticed that yet.

... I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? I am the incarnation of this primordial deity, or, well, my sister and I are, but I am she and she is I, in fact we are one and the same save for our physical forms being distinct... Anyways, my point being, why not claim it all as my own, and crown myself as the Princess of Everything, Nothing and All That Is In Between? All is mine to consume, and as the prophecy foretold, I am but the physical embodiment of a reminder of the eschaton, and also its physical form... But what was I doing going on this tangent? Oh, right, that is why I don't mind the others dumping their little toys on my city, since they only go to universes to help destroy them. Or, well, that is how it was, before my first so called 'friend' decided to turn against me. Every time she mentioned "friend," she gesticulated quotation marks with mockery.

But, yes, either way, bottom line, I am lonely and my only 'friends' clearly never were worth anything, given that even Connor, Mr. Romantic himself, would rather defend his sister when she literally broke one of the few rules I placed down, than stick with me. But I already had grown suspicious of them, and knew that them turning against me was just a question of time. I did not expect every single one of them act like that, and so quickly, but sometimes surprises are not all good...

And this is where you come in. Now, I know you are not much different from the terrified little creatures the others dump in here, but you are at least more interesting than... A walking cactus, for example. You have asked me many times already what did I want from you, and, well, I mean, I thought I had made it obvious, but I guess I have to say it more clearly. I like you, you are pretty and somewhat entertaining, I want you to stay here, no more fighting, no more escaping, no more upsetting me, or crying over things you have already lost and are just fooling yourself into thinking you can have once again. I am tired of fighting, can't you see? All I wanted was for things to exist in harmony in my supposedly perfect place, but everything falls sideways, or falls short... So can't you just quit being a brat and accept your place in here? Otherwise, I feel like we'll be fated to play this game of cat and mouse until you've exhausted yourself... Permanently. And I don't want that, I never wanted that, but you give me no choice, you know?

She turned around and was surprised to find me so tensed up and terrified. "What? What is it??" She spun around, searching the room, and noticed her dissonant reflections, and sighed, and, with the snap of her fingers, all the mirrors in the room shattered, causing me to flinch and scream. Shards were sent flying several feet forward from the wall mirrors, covering the room and raining down on every single object, damaging and breaking several delicate pieces and parts. Also, there were shards flying from the floor mirror upwards, which also hit everything from below, and stuck to many surfaces and things, but I was somehow spared. She was still looking at me, and irritation was clearly shown in her face and voice as she commented, There, happy now??

A hurried knock on the door that was revealed behind one of the broken mirrors turned her angry attention towards it, and someone rushed in. Your Highness, the prisoners, they've broken out! Scowling, she growled with frustration.

Can't things just NOT happen for ONE second?? She walked around the table I was sitting in, storming towards the door. Someone must have broken the twins out, or else it is plain negligence from you incompetent lots that led to this. I told you to watch out and be careful with these two, and with the others!! Now look what is happening!! The yellow-eyed creature in the room shuddered in fear at being berated, and others in the hallway also looked terrified at her reaction, almost making me feel sorry for them. I want every single one of you out there and running, stat! Slow them down as much as possible, I guess I will have to personally deal with this! Her orders seemed both directed at the group at the door, who all nodded and left in a hurry, including the one inside the room, as well as for beyond. She then looked at me, and smiled. I am sorry, I have things to deal with at the moment, I guess I'll have to put you away for now.

With a new snap, everything resumed looking as pristine and intact as before she had arrived in the room, including even the toy castle was back to its original place on the table, in its original state. The Princess now had her adult form, although in the same outfit, which readjusted itself to her new frame, and her reflections all now reflected her true form, as she seemed to not care anymore. I got off the table in a scramble, realizing what she meant.

No, no, no, please, take me with- But within the blink of an eye, she was no longer there, and there was no more apparent door. Not giving time for panic to settle in, I went to the mirror I remembered being where the door was, and I inspected it, but there was no mechanism, nothing that would reveal a secret handle or something to open it.

Frustrated, I banged on the mirror glass with my fists, hoping to shatter it, but it was sturdier than it looked, and all I ended up doing was bruising my hands. I shuffled through my pockets, thinking of a second plan, and was surprised to find that my Keys of Time were in there, although I didn't think they were of much use in this realm... But tools were tools regardless of their specific use, and I made them into staves once more, and first attempted to break the glass by hitting them against it. That proved fruitless as well, I just didn't have enough physical strength for it, but perhaps I could use my magic for this.

Concentrating in the staves, I fired a blast of magic towards the mirror, and that did the trick, and the mirror was shattered, falling off the frame like dangerous rain. Thankfully I had stepped back just in time so to not get the worse of the shards, and also I had closed my eyes preventively, but when I opened them up, I saw that behind the mirror was just the crystal wall. Perhaps I was wrong about where the door was, perhaps I had misseen it, I didn't know, so I just tried the same trick with the one mirror next to it... And nothing. As the shards exploded out, there was no door there either. Trying it again with the mirror on the other side of the first mirror I destroyed, I saw that there was no door behind the shower of shards either...

Perhaps she switched the room around? But then, I would have to test out every single mirror in this room, until I found it, right? Blasting one by one, I frantically searched for the door, but every single mirror unfortunately had the same answer, nothing, no door, nada. Breathing heavily, I frantically destroyed all the mirrors, one by one, until I reached the last one, and the worst case scenario was the result: there was no door. No, that couldn't be, there was a door earlier? Unless she took it away because she knew I would attempt to escape. A thought flashed in my mind, the high windows I had noticed earlier, I could fly, couldn't I?

Taking off from the ground, I flew towards the floating clusters of light orbs, and then directed myself to one of the illuminated curtains, and, blasting that out of the way, I came to the grim realization that was not a window behind the curtain, it was just a more luminous crystal tile. I destroyed all the other curtains as well, and found the same applied to the rest, there was no window to the outside, they were all solid walls! Looking around, I saw no other potential means of escape, and so I thought, maybe perhaps if I could break a wall? But the walls proved to be far more difficult to blast than a mirror, and even my strongest magic barely left a scathing mark on them.

Choking, I fluttered down to the ground, and, wounded from the glass shards and hopeless from the situation, I broke down sobbing, surrounded by all the other contraptions and decorabilia she kept locked up in the room with me. What was I going to do? Was this it, was I fated to live for the rest of my existence, for however long or short that would be, as the little personal possession to a being so horrifying, she had no care whether she made me suffer, and even threatened to continue it if I didn't go along with her request? What would happen if she got tired of me, like the others get tired of the creatures they bring along and toy around with? What would be of me if I upset her again? I stared at the glass shards littering the floor, and wished that something, someone, anyone, anything, whatever, could help me out of this situation.

A large, fiery blast destroyed the wall, sending debris flying everywhere in the room, destroying some of the things once again, and I had barely any time to shield myself from it. I looked up to see one of the Princess's minions, but with white eyes instead of yellow, and who I presumed to be the author of the blast, Brigid.

There, happy? She said to the minion, who answered.

Bingo! I knew she would have the Faerie here.

Whatever, this is just slowing us down. She then looked at me. Are you leaving or not? I only came over here because my brother bothered me about it. I got up shakingly, and started making my way through the debris to the breach on the wall.

Yeah I did, she kept up her side of the bargain, it would bother me eternally if I didn't keep mine. The minion then looked at me as I reached the two, leaving the room. Well, go figure, she does like her dress up, but isn't this just a bit on the nose?

Whatever, she has always been weird about her choices and antics, or are you only noticing it now? Anyhow, now that she's freed, I've got to go. And with that, the flaming being left us, and the minion with white eyes then said.

You know how to escape the castle, don't you? Find us at the plains beyond the castle, and we'll discuss how to get the Princess's gaze off from all of us for once and for all, and then you will be free to do whatever you want. And with that, the creature fell to the ground like a lifeless ragdoll. Shocked, I didn't flinch at that, but I had no time to process all that was happening, as I heard voices in the distance, and my first instinct was to run.

I raced down the hallway, trying to gain distance from the room that was my enclosure, and whoever was down in the other direction, but I heard voices shouting in a distance also in my direction, and so I had no choice but to test some doors, and enter the first one that was unlocked.

It was pitch black in here, and I could not see a thing, and I tripped over something that felt oddly soft and yet firm, and landed on... Oh no, this was hair, wasn't it? And clothing, I could feel the texture of the cloth, too. I attempted to get around it, by feeling for the floor, but while I could place one foot down on hard, solid floor, the other one stepped on yet another thing, and I fell again, yelping. I got up by pushing against what I didn't want to think about, but I heard shouting of instructions on the hallway, and multiple approaching parties, so I went with the first thought I had in my head, and decided on trying to blend in and play dead, laying on top of whatever was this and closing my eyes.

The door opened up and light flooded from the hallway, and, in a moment of morbid curiosity, I just opened my eyes slightly, and my heart sunk once more, as I noticed the hair I had touched was the exact same shade of orange and length as mine. I closed my eyes, trying to hold back tears as well as hold my breath, and just hoped they would go away already. I overheard a couple of her minions discuss the possibility of searching the room to see if I was among the other similar bodies, but there were multiple protests, and the general consensus was that this was too macabre for even their sort. After some debating and even some near-fighting, since no one was willing to walk into the room, they all agreed to leave the place and go search elsewhere. Finally, the door was shut once more, and I could breathe once more, inhaling sharply and yet exhaling in a broken pattern. I waited a few more minutes until the hallway was dead silent, and just crawled towards the door for what felt like much longer than the time it took for me to walk into the room. I reached the door still in the darkness, as I refused to acknowledge what was in this room, and, upon finally getting up and finding the handle, I opened it and left that unhallowed place as fast as possible.

Adrenalin rushing through the veins, I paced down the hallways, once more trying to find my way out. I stuck to the advice I had been told way back, and went down hallways always turning the same way, in hopes that this would lead me out. A couple of times I had to hide, though, as loud groups of minions rushed past or nearby, presumably searching for me, but I was lucky enough to be able to evade everyone, and eventually found a smaller gate that was surprisingly empty and unguarded, and I rushed out of the castle, but wasn't free yet.

Now I was once more in the midst of the puzzling structures, and hearing distant booming noises and screaming that indicated a fight was happening nearby, probably on the main entrance, I just decided to go through the alleyways, keeping myself to the shadows. As I rushed down the maze of buildings, I noticed eyes were on me, not the Princess's minions, but the poor beings that were trapped in here, and I could tell that there were some who even decided to follow me. My concern was that this was risky and could draw unwanted attention to all of us, but yet, who was I to stop them? And yet, could I actually help them? Reaching the city walls once more, I saw that the group of runaways was actually quite large, which made me question the answer to that question, but what choice did I have?

Following along the wall to find the gate, we all moved as a group, and when some of the Princess's minions spotted us, not only was I surprised these refugees were taking on the enemy, with weapons and magic alike, but they actually had managed to completely overwhelm the group of yellow-eyed foes, and we managed to push out to the gate, and escape the city. I couldn't see the two siblings who had promised me to help, from the noises I could hear at a distance I assumed they were still caught up fighting, so I had to think on my own what to do with the group that had followed me. With my staves in hand, I thought the best solution was to just send them off into different universes and hope they'd be safe then.

To save time and guarantee their safety, I thought it was best to open multiple portals, but my question was, could I even do that? I had to try, at least. Staking my staves to the ground, I concentrated on their power, wishing for many nearby gates to be opened. I could tell this was a much more draining spell, and I had to put all of my energy into it, and even then, I feared this could not be enough. Pushing myself to the limit, I saw that this was working, and many gateways now had been activated and shone bright.

Go! The gates are open! I announced to the group in a strained voice. The beings all nodded and started crossing the gates, and I put as much effort possible to maintain the gates open, although this was quickly draining my stamina, and I could tell I'd quickly weaken. Go! Go! Go! Hurry! I unfortunately had to yell at them. As I started to lose strength, some of the gates started shutting down, but thankfully most of the group had crossed already, and nothing was coming our way to cause trouble.

And yet I spoke too soon, as I saw beams being shot in our direction, and knew those were the Princess's minions who had caught with us. The refugees were few now, thankfully, and so I decided to shut down most of the gates and draw a protective shield so no one would be hurt, as fighting back now would just make me lose my concentration and waste the last of my energy without helping the others. As the minions caught up with us, the last creatures were gone, and I could finally drop the shield and close the gates, but as I turned around, ready to fight, my body stopped responding to me.

It was like an invisible hand had seized over control of me, and I couldn't move how I wanted, instead following unknown orders, making me step steps that were not my own, and I could only watch within my own body. Her minions stopped attacking me and opened a long path that followed along towards the city, and, at the end of the path, there she was, her eyes shone like stars, and her hand extended towards me, beckoning. She drew me closer against my own will, making me walk all the way, and I couldn't do anything besides cry, and, when I stopped in front her, she grabbed my face and put on a mock-sad expression.

Aw, you've ruined the makeup that took me so long to put on you... Also, look at you and your clothes, they're all ruined, dirty and ripped, all in the span of how long? At this rate, I won't even bother giving you nice new looks if it is all going to waste like that! Letting go, she then spun around and said, Well, that's the last relevant runaway, now that we've got it all under control, let us head back inside, we've got a trial to run.

But not giving time for her to even start her procession back, two flashes that resembled shooting stars crossed the sky and landed on the field with the archways, revealing two recognizable beings, one of light, and one of flames. The two siblings blasted all of the Princess's servants into smithereens, and, feeling her grip disappear with the distraction, I ran away as far as I could from the battle, but managed to trip and fall. The two proceeded to attack the Princess herself, who flew upwards with her wings to avoid the enormous blast impact of their combined attacks, and Brigid followed after, shouting something about vindication. Ignis then rushed over to me, who was still laying down on the grass, trying to muster some courage to attempt to run off once more.

Sorry we're late, too bad we couldn't talk for much longer, we had a little run in with our friends and had t- Uh, that's none of your concern, and no time. Uh- Yeah since I told you I would help you in return, here's something that will keep you off the charts from her. Blowing into his closed hands, he then opened his palms, revealing sparkles that fluttered down onto me and disappeared upon touching me. Now we're even. And then he flew off to join his sister in battle.

I watched as they dueled up in the sky with their leader, creating an impressive display of magic and destruction, and I could tell the two were putting all of their effort into it, but yet, for some reason, it felt like the Princess was not matching in effort, instead just deflecting their attacks and halfheartedly attacking back. I could not hear what they were discussing, as they were high off the ground, but I could tell Brigid and Ignis were shouting about her treatment of them, and the Princess was shouting about betrayal. Then, when the two fell to the ground, hit by a direct hit from her, she didn't pursue them, and just remained in the sky, watching, and I could see some hesitation in her actions.

The two got up with some struggle and she first tried to raise her servants, but they seemed too far gone to respond, so instead she materialized multiple versions of the Guardian, which they could easily fight off with one shot each, but given she could create multiples of these Shoyrus, they were easily getting overwhelmed. I thought of something extremely stupid but that could help them escape, and, with some resolve, I got up and decided to go for it. It being running in another direction while attracting attention, to distract the Princess from them. I started running and screaming, acting like I was going towards another archway far away from the battle, and looking over my shoulder, I saw this was, in fact, working, as I saw her flying down towards me, and I was once more ensnared in her control.

And where do YOU think you're going?? She landed in front of me, her hand extended while she cast her magic onto me, furious and distraught. Haven't you had enough of your escapades? Don't you think this is getting old?? But her disarray turned into shock as I right guessed she noticed the two she was fighting had managed to escape. No! No!! NO!!! And within a second, she realized my part in it. Why... YOU!! Her extended hand clenched close, and it was like some invisible force was crushing my entire body, making me feel dizzy and awfully in pain. Oooh, you don't understand how mad I am at you now... But I didn't get to hear the rest of that, as I passed out for one last time in this nightmare of a realm.

Waking up once again, I now found myself on the cold, hard ground, coughing up and choking for air, shaking. I wasn't sure where I was, but as my vision returned to me, I noticed the glare of many, many luminous yellow eyes that surrounded me, and the most brilliant of them coming from directly ahead and above me. She sat with wings open and holding a long staff that had a hand on top on a tall throne made of a crystal that mirrored the universes she had shown me, dark and glimmering with intricate designs that shifted every second. Right next to her, on both sides, stood the two other siblings, the pale monster with no features, and the shadow creature with see-through sockets for eyes, both seemingly avoiding to even glance at her; and halfway down the staircase that separated the floor I was on from her throne were three terrifying beings, one with four arms and two legs and a pair of moth wings, one with four arms and four legs and a long silk gown that led to the floor, and one with many, uncountable arms and legs, and with large pincers for mouth. Then, at the floor level, all of her servants were separated into both sides of the room, leaving a passageway where I found myself in the middle.

Nora the Faerie, originary of Neopia, you stand trial for crimes of conspiracy, insurrection, and lèse-majesté. Started off the Princess. How do you plead?

Wh- What? She brought me to a trial? But for what purpose? She is the ruler and in full control of everything here, why even bother with this?

Sighing, she then said, You have insulted me and my kingdom, spitting in the rules of hospitality and on my face, yelling at me over and over in your tantrums, and also morally demeaning this perfect kingdom I strived so hard to create and maintain. You've conspired against me, teaming up with two other criminals, helping others escape this place, and even helped with the insurrection earlier, making it possible for said criminals to escape. Those are the charges that are brought against you by yours truly, with eyewitness of many, how do you plead? This made no sense, and felt more like a mockup than anything else.

Uh... Not guilty? I said, temptingly, in a bout of perhaps foolish courage, which made her visibly irritated.

Really? You will take the difficult route like that? I was hoping you would beg or ask for forgiveness, since, you know, all of those charges are pretty much undeniable.

Y-yes. I said, trying to keep a serious face. She scoffed, rolling her eyes, and then announced.

Well, I find you guilty, on all accounts, and I sentence you-

Wait! I yelled out, cutting her off. This is not fair, this was barely even a trial, you just accused me of things and went on with it!

My realm, my rules! Anyways! You are sentenced to... A game. She said in a mischievous tone.

Wh- What? I said, confused.

Since you like running away so much, I thought, why not play a cool game of high stakes chase? It gives you one last chance to survive, perhaps even escape to your so loved little planet, but, if you are caught... She did a grim gesture, dragging her fingers across her neck. But, this is not a normal chase game, as instead of one it and many runners, there is only one runner, you, and everyone else here is it, including me. I will call it... Faeriehunt.

I felt even more conscious of everyone's stares now, considering what she had said, and started evaluating escape routes. If I were to survive, I would have to escape the throne room and the castle one last time, and run through the city and then out to the field... I just hoped this was feasible, I never had to outrun so many enemies.

Oh! Also, last addition... This Faeriehunt will be... In the dark. With a snap of her fingers, everything became pitch black, save for the luminous pupils of every single one of her minions, as well as her own.

Taking the hint that the game had started, I scrambled to get up, and started running towards the direction I thought was the entrance of the throne room, just barely dodging all the bright-eyed creatures that were closing in my path. Making past the initial crowd, I could tell I had managed to exit the room, but I had no time for a break, as there were more of her minions coming in my direction, and announcing my location. Noticing that once more my Keys sat on my pocket, I took them out and started blasting them out of my way, before realizing that this was going to be fruitless, given how many of them were pouring in.

I took off from the ground, zooming past all of her creations, who attacked me to no avail. Hoping that I'd not hit some sort of low-hanging decoration or low archway, I pushed to go the fastest possible, while using my staves for illumination, as I zig-zagged down the hallways. Once more lost in the ever-changing maze that was the interior of this castle, I feared I had no chance of leaving this place, and I didn't even want to look back, that would only slow me down, but I had a distressing feeling she was probably behind me, and that pushed me to try to fly even faster. I was hit by some of the attacks, I wasn't sure from where or who, but that didn't stop me, I had to get out, that was all I had in mind.

Noticing I had managed to find a higher ceiling area, and noticing that on the other end I could see the entrance, with the city gone dark sitting foreground to the faux night sky beyond it, I zipped towards it, and managed to make it before its tall gates were fully shut. I was out in the city, and chose to remain airborne, finding that to be a way faster means of transversing it, and at least the night sky helped to see better... And yet something chillingly unsettling caught my eye when I gave a second glance upwards, to try to orient myself at least by the position of the literally fixed stars. Those were not stars anymore, those were eyes! In fact, the moon was a large, yellow eye as well, and they all seemed to be following me.

As I was distracted by that revelation, I was hit by a far stronger blast on my wing, and spiraled downwards, falling right short of the city gates, but despite the pain, I had no time to rest, as I saw her minions closing in. Limping, I ran the fastest I could, fighting back everything and everyone who approached me, and crossed the gates, rushing into the grassy plains. It was all dark as well, I could barely make the dark outlines of the archways in the distance. All I needed was to reach one archway, open one gate, and I would be saved, this nightmare could end, I would be saved-

Something grabbed my ankle, making me fall to the grass, but that was not grass anymore, and those were not grass blades. Those were distinctively long fingers with sharp nails, and they were attached to hands that sprouted from the floor, raising up with their arms to grab me and hold me down, sinking me in. Screaming, flailing, I attacked them all with my magic, trying to free myself from their grasps, and I stumbled as I attempted to gain footing and rush to the nearest archway I had spotted, which was just a few feet away. I could barely maintain balance, though, since the ground was moving and shifting, and with no choice as to fly, my wing badly damaged, I just had to try to hop and stumble, and fight back the grabbing and dragging.

Little by little, I managed to reach near the archway, and, despite being exhausted, hurt and desperate, I was happy. I glanced back, noticing that a pair of brilliant eyes were approaching me in a high speed, and, blasting away some of the hands, I had a small window of time where I could call for a gate. As soon as light flooded in, I just jumped in, closing my eyes and hoping for the best.

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