Void of Stars

The Void of Stars is a realm cut off from the rest of existence by an ancient primordial. Very few can enter this realm and fewer can survive in the ever changing atmosphere. For one to be called here, their renown should be great and their skill greater lest they fall to the trials present within the broken, divine realm. Should the realm reappear to the rest of existence, a calamity tied to the fates of Aether, Nether, Divine and Forsaken is imminent.

EX 000: Phantasmal Distortion -Act One: It awakens...-
"Sometimes, I wonder why the world works the way it does."

"For what reason, Annie?"

"It often sees as if the worlds are held together by the thinnest of strings, dangling ever closer to the scissors that will eventually sever them and start 'That'."

"Anira, you're worrying too much. When the time comes, you'll be ready. We'll all be ready. It's that or death, no middle ground to stand on."

"That wasn't reassuring, Akua."

"It wasn't meant to be. We don't have much time left before our connection is severed by dimensional interference and boundary feedback, I have to tell you something before that happens."

"I see. Speak quickly the- What the hell!?"

"Annie, get yourself and my daughters out of there!"

"What's going on!? Alisa! Iylessa!"

-Transmission End-

"That was rather disconcerting," mutters Volmond, sipping a cup of tea, "Those three are rather important to my plans... Seraph, could you awaken Helios and Asteria? It seems that I will need them to do something for me." The doctor receives no verbal answer from his "assistant," instead he senses a slight energy fluctuation that notifies him of her departure. Several seconds pass and another energy fluctuation occurs, signaling the girl's return. Volmond does not turn around, knowing he will be displeased at the sight behind him, and continues to sip his drink.

"Did you not have the time to make yourselves decent? For shame," he sighs. What sounds like twisting and tearing metal being ground against stone fills the doctor's head, followed shortly by the sound of a sorrowful angel's song. Volmond's eyes narrow and he glances at the two indecent beings standing behind Seraph. "Dress yourselves and activate your vocal modules before you return. People must be able to understand you for the job I have in store for you two." He receives a pair of nods before the two beings behind Seraph vanish. A moment later, he sighs. "I'm beginning to understand why you chose to do what you did, Seraph." A rare look of longing enters his eyes. "Just as you would do anything for the Judge, I would do anything to have 'her' back."

The doctor receives no answer again, though he does not expect to. The longing in his eyes diminishes just as the two beings return. He is greeted by the sight of his two masterpieces in their peak forms.

On the right stands Asteria Adventus, a slender six foot tall female humanoid with piercing red eyes,  wild forest green hair that flows to just below her waist, skin the color milk chocolate and several patches of scales grouped in symmetrical pairs. She is clad in a combination of black leather and cloth styled into torn jeans, a corset under a thin jacket, boots, several overlapping belts and a choker with a red heart insignia. On her hands rest several rings decorated with various inhuman skull, partially obscuring the swirling tattoos that flow up her arms.

On the left stands Helios Avant, a being better known as Heaven, a male humanoid standing slightly above Volmond's five feet and seven inches of height. He is fair in tone and slim in build with honeyed blonde hair and turquoise eyes that gleamed even in shadows. He wears a simple white coat with white fur lining the hood over a cyan, short sleeved turtleneck and silver jeans with golden stitching. His feet are shod in what appear to be simple sneakers, but on closer inspection tiny blue flames erupt from their soles.

Volmond smirks at his two creations before giving his orders:

"Asteria, I need you to locate several willing people to help me with a... Project of mine." The female humanoid nods before vanishing in a plume of flames. "Helios... I need you to visit Yosai Fortress and request a favor from Lady White in exchange for a favor greater value from me."

"And what would I be asking for, Volmond," questions the humanoid.

"The assistant I picked out during my last visit," answers the doctor, "Her assistance will be required before the day is over and done with."

Helios nods then vanishes in a storm of feathers. Volmond sighs.

"Today shall be long."

-Interlude- The Doctor's Reason
The Void of Stars, empty. The usually quiet realm had grown eerily quiet during the time in which Volmond left to deal with White. When he returns with Nezumi, he notes the difference.

"...The stability of this realm is worsening. It may be best if we process with-" before the word "caution" can leave the doctor's mouth a large blade erupts from the ground, creating spreading white cracks as it slides through the ground then returns to beneath the surface. "...The message is clear is it not?"

"Yes, it is. I will follow directions you need me to do."

"Then my first instruction is simple: Loosen up," replies the doctor, moving himself and Nezumi out of the path of another blade and the paths of those that follow. Initially, he had been surprised by the blades, but now he appears to expect them and know where each one is at any given moment. "I don't know what White told you to make you this stiff, but for your sake ignore it. I know that she trusts me to be within a yard of her, but a large amount of her wariness is unneeded... Ah, we've arrived."

The area Volmond notes doesn't appear much different from the rest of the Void of stars, but the air is different. While the rest of the realm felt cold and distant, this area pulsed with the power of the eight elements and another, older power. Additionally, there were several bookshelves, each crowded by dozens of books, and a large crystalline orb that floated several meters above ground.

Volmond snaps his fingers and his desk appears, messier than before if possible.

"Make yourself at home, it will take me awhile to decipher why there is such a clause within the spell," says Volmond, shifting papers around on the desk and opening the books around him to specific pages, "Until I'm finished, read a book or do what you normally would. You don't have to worry about safety, only the people I allow can enter this place and no outside interference can enter this place."

She quietly sits down and does little else except look around.

''She doesn't get out much, does she? I find that rather sad, but I cannot judge White for that. ''

"Is something on your mind?" Volmond continues to shift the mess around until something catches his eye. "Aha!"

"Nothing. I am just waiting. Have you found something?" She asks impartially.

"Possibly, though I can't be sure... Hm, it may work... or it will exile us to the Tartarusian Quarter... I'll see if I can find a safer method," mutters the doctor. "By the by, do you absorb knowledge and power like the other one like you? Not the one Lady White lost, but the one beside her at nearly all times."

"All of us have powerful minds. How we use them is subjective. All of us have the power to aquire new abilities, however. White creates batches of us to determine the most favorable attributes that can be produced, and through process of elimination has found her preferred variances for my generation. Our generation, the Eta will be made as long as White is content with us. She always looks for new ways to hybridize and improve us. When she finds the next race of interest, she will merely replace us with the generation that will result, and we will simply sleep until the time comes she has want of us."

She says this with no emotional intonation of how she feels about what she has said.

"That is indeed saddening, then. You've described your brethren and yourself as tools...," Volmond says. Suddenly, his eyes light up only to dull. "No, Antiva isn't fruendly this time of year... Or anytime of year for that matter..." He sighs before gesturing for Nezumi.

She gets up and walks over to him. "What is it?" She asks.

Volmond gives her a hug.

"Don't demean yourself, it leads to a cold existence... And no, the Land of Departed Souls would only reject the Realm and expel it this world," says the doctor before growling, "This is going to be a long day...!"

"Are you looking for locations to send the realm?" Nezumi asks. She looks at the books, curious.

"No, trying to keep is from being warped to inhospitable dimensions," replies Volmond, smiling, but annoyed at his lack of progress, "And so far, I'm failing~"

"I see. How did you learn of my mistress, if I may ask?" She pauses. "And no, I'm not being told to ask that by my mistress. She's meeting with the others." She laughs, weakly, though not out of an attempt to hide something, more of just seemingly unsure how to laugh, strangely enough.

"Oh, that orb. Phoenix has been on one of its displays since White I and Hadari seperated," answers the Doctor, "I only really took interest during the previous generation. Also, please inform your mistress that I am somewhat, actually very disappointed in her treatment of your kind... Now if you'll be a dear and take a few steps back, I'm going to get serious and I don't need you to have a mental overload."

Nezumi takes a few steps back as he asked her to. "Interesting. That long? What exactly does it do?"

Volmond snaps and the crystalline orb roars to life, becoming blindingly bright before several circles appear on it, one of which has the image of Yosai Fortress. Not looking up, a storm of papers and eldritch sigils erupts around the doctor, thousands of equations and phrases phasing in and out of existence each second.

"Just what are you...." She wonders for a moment, then shakes her head. "Why do you care about what our mistress does with us? ....Sleep is better than the waking world...."

''Call it an interest of mine. I care for beings such as yourself because your situation is similar to mine or at least was...'' Volmond's mental voice trails off after connecting to Nezumi's conscious.

She sits down and watches what he's doing, quietly thinking to herself.

Hours pass with little success on Volmond's end. His frustration mounting, he stops and slams his hands on the desk before taking deep breaths.

"Ask me a question," he more so commands than requests.

"...Is there something I can do to help? You are.... trying to banish? This realm somewhere?"

The doctor grows more irrate, but reins in his temper.

"Depends," he pauses, "Can you understand Chaosian, Eldritch and Aetheric Languages? If not, no, ask something else. I am trying to permanently seperate this realm from your plane of existence, something that is already grossly complicated. Then there are the secondary effects I'm trying to avoid as well, mainly expelling us to another, locked dimension."

"Do you know of the seven beings that guard Yosai? White never tells me much of them, she largely ignores the questions about them I ask."

"Elemental Warlords. They are 'allies' of Phoenix and are related to their swords, the Slayers from what I recall. There are eight, but the eighth is ALWAYS with White from what I recall. Anything else?"

"....I don't know what to ask to be honest...." She trails off.

"I have a story to tell, but... It isn't for eavesdropping ears..." Volmond trails off...

"I understand.... White is too stubborn to relent.... I'm sorry."

"I wonder," says Volmond, a thoughtful expression, "Could you ask White what her opinion of dreams and ideas?"

"....She asks what are you implying by that? She also says that dreams and ideas are pointless in a world where Mythos are denied their existance and hunted like animals. The Second World shall put an end to the days of oppression and fear. That's what she said at least."

"A thing or two... Could you ask if she has five minutes?" The look on Volmond's face is priceless.

"She would like to know why you're asking these things. Very much so," She says, a little nervous.

"She can ask in person when she arrives~" Volmond smiles eerily as the crystalline orb begins to spin. The image of Yosai Foryress is replaced by a feed of White's face with several icons floating around it. "White, care to hear a story? You may even bring your two protectors and the Warlord at your side if you'd like."

White sighs. "Fine. I'll hear what you have to say." She rubs her forehead.

As White speaks, the image of her brightens then swirls before drawing White into the realm.

"It seems my job is to pester you at this point in time," Volmond smiles, "At least until I come up with a new possible solution to fixing Grand Schism's flaw. Have a seat please, I'll begin my tale shortly."

She sits down next to Nezumi with a sigh. "Very well....."

Over the next hour, Volmond explains his rather difficult life, though he does not over act or embellish the story. He explains how he met Aeon and how he got her body in return for a homunculus body and how she reacted when she found her powers limited. He goes over the creation of Helios and his betrothed, Asteria, and the story of Seraph, who was once a human in love with the embodiment of order. The only part he seems to skim over is his time with the Lord of Inverse.

White sighs when he finishes. "A rather interesting story you tell Volmond. Though it worries me that you have such enemies." She looks at him. "What was the point of the questions you asked of me? I despise cryptic conversations."

"I wonder," smiles the doctor eerily, "Maybe I was curious, maybe I was bored, maybe I had some reason I'm not interested in disclosing... Indeed, I wonder."

Her next sigh comes with a bonus of smoke and cinder that lightly bellows out of her mouth from her annoyance. "Whatever...."

"Please be careful with any flames," Volmond chides, "I cannot allow anything to be caught on fire at least not at this moment."

"Then don't annoy me further...." There is still a hint of smoke in the air from her slight outburst.

"Lighten up," Volmond pauses then erupts into laughter as if he heard an amazing joke, "S-sorry, I realized that wasn't the best thing to say, but seriously, relax White, a little fun never killed anyone... Oh wait, I DO have coffee, just not very strong coffee... Have some." Three cups filled with steaming coffee appear on the desk before two float away, one towards Nezumi and one towards White... Before all three cups promptly explode in the faces of the recipients. Volmond is not amused.

"..."

If it was just that particular moment, or just a result of pent up stress, he doesn't know, all he knows is a definitive 'snap!' in her mind goes off when she looks at her slightly singed hair. She lets out a growl and a jet of white fire spews at his general direction, aimed at his face.

Volmond dodges the flames and prepares to apologize when he sees his diagrams and books burning. Immediately his irises become the color of the sun and six armored wings sprout from his back.

"Those papers were IMPORTANT," he roars, clenching his hand in White's direction. A moment later, an explosion of black flames jettisons the chair white was sitting in skyward.

".....Volmond." Nezumi speaks up. "I don't think that's normal paper. Look."

Volmond holds a silencing finger in Nezumi's direction, but glances at the papers anyways. Much to his surprise in the papers aren't completely gone. In their stead are  thin, sturdy metal frames that form parts of a picture. His anger drains and he immediately begins to arrange the frames until a genuine smile forms on his face. He cheers loudly, then runs to Nezumi, twirls her around then activates a different function of the orb. The crystalline mass begins to slow before it stops entirely and glows a faint white. Shortly afterwards a complex seal with various ancient symbols and equations form within the sphere.

"That's it! That's the flawless version of Grand Schism," Volmond gushes, "White, I'd actually kiss you for this, thank you... Oh, oops..."

She slows her ascension with large white dragonic wings, letting the chair fall unceremoniously back to the ground.

"Ah, you aren't a stain in the sky," sighs the doctor, his wings melding into a coat with three tails, before repeating what he did to Nezumi, adding a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you very, very much, White! It's complete!" He plants another kiss on her cheek before releasing her and surrounding himself in a rapidly fluctuating storm of sigils and ancient symbols.

She flaps her wings, before gracefully landing. "That was... rather frightening."

As if on cue, maniacal laughter bubbles from the storm before Volmond reaches out to White telepathically.

''Don't think for a second I'm done with you. I have to reward you, even if yyou didn't intentional aid me. Corvus, Kokua, Freischutz, take your pick.''

''.....And... those are....?''

Are you sure you want a cryptic answer?

''Just what are you offering to give me Volmond? ''

For one reason or another White sees the mental image of Volmond's eerie smile, often accompanied by his  cryptic "I wonder". Volmond does not say the words, instead answering vaguely.

Superweapon...

''I don't really care Volmond... whatever you want. I'll take whatever....''

''The lack of anger makes me think either that you've developed a slight, molecule sized soft spot for me or I've simply broken your drive to be angry with me... Take Kokua, which I will not explain how to use.'' Outside the storm materializes a pair of black metal loops with four oily colored metallic feathers connected to each. Shortly following is a black gauntlet with the crest of a crow on it.

"What is the gauntlet for?"

"Accuracy and precision," replies Volmond, stepping out of the storm, "Nothing else to say. Now to actually prepare for the spell. White, since you are here, you may as well enjoy the show... Things are about to really kick off."

-Interlude- The Inverted King
The Void of Stars. A mysterious place with an even more mysterious inhabitant. Very few recognize the name Volmond Blatt, and fewer have seen the secretive man without him wanting them to. The man claims to be a doctor of sorts and indeed does practice the art of mending, but there is far more to him than simply healing and dealing with others... What motivates the enigmatic man and why does he go through such lengths to to conceal his past?

"It seems that Asteria has returned earlier than anticipated," observes Volmond, "And it seems she has brought...!" The doctor chuckles then adjusts his glasses. "It seems she's brought something... Rather someone I'd never expect to be outside of that realm. It has been some time since I last dealt with a Relic God..."

White looks at the newcomers with equally distrusting gazes as she has for Volmond.

Nezumi pays them little attention, instead merely sitting quietly.

"Volmond, there is an issue," states Asteria, letting the one she brought with her fall to the ground. "Is the barrier up?"

"The barrier is always up, why," asks the doctor, confused.

"''We were followed by something, something very powerful and very dangerous." ''As if on cue, static and high-pitched whine begin to ring in everyone's ears.

White's eyes narrow. "You dragged it along for a ride...."

"It was after me for some reason, but I don't know why," admits the humanoid. Volmond narrow's his eyes at Asteria, but for a different reason than White does. He prepares to ask her a question when the volume of the static and whine increases. Shortly afterwards, a being similar to a large mass of white noise materializes at the edge of the invisible barrier around Volmond's domain. The color drains from the doctor's face when he hears the being's voice.

'''"Sylvanea, did you really think that a place like this would conceal you from..." The entity trails off, "turning" to Volmond, "You... It has been some time since we've last seen each other? How is Koku-" '''Volmond unleashes blast after blast of black flames at the entity, rage etched into his normally calm face. At the same time, a long golden cloth gently wraps around White, Nezumi, Asteria and the woman she brought with her.

"What is going on here...." White is now thoroughly irritated with the situation.

"White, now's not the time to ask questions," hisses Volmond, "You can ask when the God Eater leaves!"

"You make it seem as if I'll leave on my own accord, without my prize," responds the entity, '''"Hand over Sylvanea and Algiata and I'll leave you all intact. This barrier..." '''The entity moves into the invisible field, causing it to ripple then boil before shattering, though at the cost of some of the being's mass. "Will not protect you, nor will the Fleece... At least not for very long."

White quietly grabs an amulet around her neck, a faint blue light emitting from it.

Volmond's wings reform and his eyes turn cobalt. "You aren't going to harm anyone..."

"And you'll stop me, I presume? Unlikely, not even that wench of a deity could stand toe to toe with me and she eclipses all but Sylvanea," scoffs the entity before sending what appears to be a particle in the group's direction.

Around White, a thick red energy begins forming over her, then sections of it snake towards the others, its presence powerful but subdued, and begins wrapping itself around the others inside the Fleece, slowly enveloping them as well, those being touched by the energy feel an extremely old, powerful force behind it, though if a conscious being is directing it is not apparent.

Volmond blocks the slow moving particle with an outstretched hand, but is forced several meters back. Soon his being ripples, then cracks, but before any more can happen to the doctor, he repels the particle back towards the entity. The being disperses, but reforms into a smaller mass of white noise that vaguely resembles a humanoid in size and shape.

"Is that all you can do? I expected more from you," mocks the being as it waves a hand in White's direction, sendig several particles towards her and the others.

A sound akin to laughing, only inhuman and electric in nature quietly echoes, and the presence detected in the energy surrounding them becomes apparent to both the being of white noise and Volmond, as a faint red 'shadow' appears in the space of Volmond's realm, too hazy to make out for sure, but some sort of humanoid creature, baring an energy signature of something from non existence. The particles approaching White and the others dissolve upon touching the being.

"I see... That's who you are. Interesting," says the entity, uncaring. '''"My time is up for now, I'll return in the future and I'll show you both what nonexistence truly is." '''The being loses focus, then entirely dissipates, much to Volmond's relief. He collapses to the ground and glows brightly before reconstituting himself and sighing.

"Talk about saved by the bell," he huffs. Strangely, his left arm hangs limply at his side.

The red shadow slowly dissipates, drawing into the amulet and disappearing, White appears to have a much more pale, unhealthy cast to her skin, and is sweating, even as the amulet's glow returns to blue, then fades altogether. They hear one more inhuman chuckle, before its presence is gone for good.

"Doctor Vol-" begins Asteria only to be cut off by a wave from the doctor.

"We'll speak in a moment, Asteria," he says pointedly before stepping over to White and placing his hand on her forehead. He mutters something and emits a green pulse to speed up White's recovery. "Are you alright?" There is a genuine note of concern in Volmond's voice.

"I'm.... I'm fine.... ....it just drained some of my energy to use as its medium.... by some.... I mean alot...." She pants a bit.

"I noticed. Here, let me help you up," the doctor says, slowly pulling White to her feet and sitting her in a chair. "I'll let you have some of my energy, I don't need nearly as much as I have." Volmond glows a soothing blue and transfers the aura to White. "Feeling better?"

She lets out a breath. "....Yes."

''Is he honestly concerned about me? ....This just gets odder and odder....''

A distant look goes in her eyes as she checks up on the situation at Yosai.

''Still fighting.... that man.... ....is going to be an issue.''

"Thank goodness..." Volmond trails off before the name that came to mind escapes his mouth. A conflicted look enters his eyes before he rubs his temples. "Asteria, please explain why you were being chased by the Lord of Inverse and why you've effectively become a goddess in terms of power and explain quickly. The fact that he knows who you are means he'd been watching you for some time..." The goddess swallows hard before explaining what happened in the Tartarusian Quarter.

White listens to the conversation dully, eventually pulling her attention from the battle over Yosai.

Nezumi, monitor the situation, and let me know if anything happens.

Yes ma'am.

Volmond sighs once Asteria has finished her tale.

"That was... most enlightening," he says after awhile. He looks at the goddess beside Asteria and sighs again. "Asteria, be a dear and take Cruxia to the lavatory and clothier. While she may be fine with being covered in dry blood from however many people she's tortured, I am not." The humanoid goddess nods and vanishes in a twister of floral energy withe the other goddess in tow. When the two are gone, the doctor clutches his unmoving arm and slumps against a bookshelf, his mask of being unaffected falling. "Long day indeed..."

Nezumi looks at his arm. "What's wrong?" She asks quietly.

White sighs. "I must have either the worst or best luck to be stumbling into affairs of the gods... I had hoped to be done with the subject after I defeated Jibaku and Valeric.... ...just my luck..."

"Well, my arm is sort of completely hollowed out. That particle I blocked basically erased the inside of my arm on contact and started to do the same to the rest of my body before I repelled it," he explains, "While it doesn't hurt, it's not going to heal for awhile and it's going to be very, very useless until then." He looks at White. "That's this issue. The moment you get involved with gods, it is impossible to avoid running into them. I should know, somehow I always manage to encounter gods when I decide to do something productive and end up sucked into their business. Luckily, I have a weapon or two capable of felling most gods." Volmond summons his rounded stone tablet from his operation on White.

White sighs. "Wonderful."

Nezumi looks at the arm. "....Would my Restoration be of aid?"

"Not really, but thank you for offering Nezumi," Volmond smiles, "For all intents and purposes, it's as if I have a prostetic limb... Well more of an arm shaped shell actually. Until my body can 'remember' how my arm worked and what composed it, healing will have no effect."

White looks over at Volmond. "So. What happens now?" She asks quietly.

"We wait until Helios returns from the errand I sent him on. I do not know where Seraph went, but I know that she is on Echo doing... something," he says, "After that, we begin the operation... Oh, you may return to your base of operations if you wish to. I will not keep you longer than you want to be here."

White looks at Nezumi. "....I think I shall remain a while longer. My guardians are.... entertaining a.... ....guest."

"Let me guess, it's either some strange woman punching titanic craters into the fortress and walking through everything thrown at her or its an armored figure with about a hundred floating gauntlets emitting Primal Force," says the doctor without looking up. "One or the other, those are the only two I'd know to do something like that... Grand idiots as they are."

"You're quite good at guessing. He's currently busy with the Avatars. ....Starkiller huh? Kagayaki seems to be ramping up the heat." She laughs.

"...That may not be good. If it is indeed the king of the Endlos, his seal is probably broken and he's going to use Hecatonchieres," says the doctor, "You'll know it if a giant ball of white and black energy forms... Warn your guardians to avoid that like death itself, they won't want to get hit by that or its follow up, Infinity."

"I see. I'll keep that under consideration. Out of curiosity, how much do you know of Phoenix, and that of my predecessors?"

"Not very much, I don't tend to watch over you as much as I do the others that appear on the orb," he admits, "I at least know that you are the eighth and possibly last White, and that there is more to your plans than you are letting on, but I will not pry."

-Interlude- The Calm...
The Void of Stars. The eerie calm about the realm remained, though upon the return of Seraph, Helios and their acquaintance, things began to change....

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhh!" A crash followed the piercing, high pitched scream, very feminine scream that escaped the boy's lips before he fainted and crashed into a bookshelf upon seeing White, Nezumi and Asteria. Volmond sighs and rubs his temples with his good arm while Helios and Cruxia stifle laughter. Seraph looks torn between helping the teen and remaining angry at him, while Asteria looks on confused.

White smirks faintly. "I didn't realize a man could make such an embarrassing sound. .....My day has now been officially made delightful."

Nezumi blinks in confusion. "Why did the man scream like a girl?"

Helios and Cruxia stop restraining their laughter and fall to the floor at Nezumi's comment, confusing Asteria more.

"I am confused as well, why did the boy emit such a sound?"

"Alexiel has a certain phobia... of women," explains the doctor slowly, "I don't exactly know what happened, but something terrible scarred the boy into doing what you just witnessed shortly after he and I met... The only exception appeared to be Seraph, women whose gender he could not discern and goddesses, but apparently the latter most is untrue. He will not wake up for a few hours at least... Hopefully."

White smiles. "I think I'm going to have way too much fun with that fear." She looks at Seraph and Helios for a moment, looking at the two, before rubbing her forehead.

"Please limit whatever you have planned," sighs Volmond, "I need the boy to be more than slightly alive and sane."

White sighs. "A joke. It was a joke."

"You make jokes, my lady?" Nezumi says in wonder.

".....Don't you start."

"Nezumi, I believe she does, she just pretends not to," says Volmond, signalling for Helios and Seraph to carry Alexian to another location, "Heaven, make sure that he doesn't wake up screaming. Get the good sofa." The angelic humanoid grunts before materializing a fine black leather couch and having Seraph dump the unconsciuos teen on it.

White sighs. "An interesting group you've assembled here, Vol."

"I'd agree, but wait until the Kaiju and Phoenixes arrive before saying anything else about it," he answers, "Are you by any chance hungry or thirsty?"

"....Noooo....." She says, and then her stomach gleefully betrays her with a loud rumble. ".....Damn it. ....Anyway.... Kaiju? Phoenixes?"

"You'll see when Alexiel wakes up. Until then, tell me what you'd like, I'm actually a very good cook."

White sighs. "I like sweets. And various meats. ....I occasionally delve in red meat. Though anything with meat .......or ice cream..... will work fine."

"One moment then." Volmond disappears in a flash then reappears with various gallon containers of Ice Cream, each of a different flavor. He sets them on a counter that he materializes before White. "Take your pick, I'll return in a few moments with meat... Fried, Roasted, Grilled or Baked?"

"...Roasted."

White looks over the icecream, her dragonic pupils now seem almost catlike as her eyes scan the containers of icecream, greedily taking a cookies and cream flavored bucket.

Volmond suppresses a smile as he vanishes again, reappearing several minutes latter with roasted ham, turkey, chicken, shishkabobs with mushrooms, pineapples, ham and peppers, grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon, piping hot stuffed baked potatoes and a large garden salad. "Food for you and anyone else."

At this point Cruxia gapes at him then turns to Asteria.

"Where does all of that come from, Sylvanea?"

"I do not know, Cruxia..."

"Do you think he...?"

"It's rather obvious... I think."

White ignores them and goes for a plate of roasted ham, Nezumi eating some of the salad.

White pauses after a few bites and blinks. "Oh. Thank you. I appreciate the meal." She resumes eating.

The doctor smiles again then vanishes this time reappearing in a different location.

"What is troubling you, doctor," asks Seraph, stepping out from behind the doctor, "It is rare to see you distance yourself like this. Is something wrong?"

"Sera, I believe I understand your feelings for Alexiel now," says Volmond. He chuckles, "You know, before I became who I am currently, I felt that I had a heart. I remember everything I felt and how it was ripped away from me when the Lord of Inverse captured me and Kokua... I remember shutting down my emotions and banishing my heart... Then I meet her and I feel everything I locked away rush back. She reminds me of Kokua, of the path she could've taken, but chose not to..." The doctor looks down.

"Zwei, please don't cry. Tears don't fit beings such as us," replies Seraph, "Until our ambition is reached, we must discard our tears. You told me that when you saved me from breaking again... I will not allow you to break." The doctore scoffs.

"Thanks Sera. I'll try to remember my own words." The doctore returns to the populated area of his domain, a calm overtaking him as he sits at his desk.

White's interest turns towards that of the icecream, eating some of it from a bowl. After a while though, she sighs and closes her eyes not eating anymore. A slight look of exhaustion is on her face.

"Mistress?"

"Don't even ask.... I feel like I'm getting too damn soft...."

Volmond sighs then rests his head. "Wake me in exactly two hours." The doctor then falls into a quiet slumber.

White quietly sits on her chair, occasionally saying something to herself, such as, "Listen...... ....No I don't care what the excuse is. .....I understand, but tell me, how many divine or otherwise otherworldly beings have managed to slip through your damn fingers this past week? .......That's what I thought. Why don't you try harder and make sure this doesn't keep happening without advanced warning? ....I understand, but next time it happens, I'm pitching you off the side of the fortress, then you can make all the excuses you want before you fall into the ocean."

About an hour into Volmond's rest, he begins to sleeptalk in an unintelligible language. At first nothing happens, but shortly afterwards blue lights fly around the area, slowly forming into a projection of a massive battle taking place in a place of sorts. Dragons breathe flames and other elements at one another, armies clash only to burn under light from some sort of divine being, angelic beings swarm the skies fighting off equally demonic beings. In the center of the battle are two figures, one of them cloaked and masculine, the other has iredescent hair and eyes.

White quietly watches the projection, though seemingly not surprised by it. Nezumi also watches, but is likewise seemingly unconcerned, or at least not bothered.

The projection continues before all sense of coherence is lost and cacophony of sounds reverberates around the area as the scene blurs. A moment later the projection comes back into focus, this time focusing on a black haired person with icy blue eyes. The person focuses on Volmond for a moment then the scene explodes into blue particles and Volmond partially stirs.

White looks at him for a moment, curious as to what happened. ".....this man is full of surprises...." She mutters.

"Trust me, that's an understatement" says a now awake Alexian. His eyes are covered by a scarf and his ears are plugged. "Just wait until he transforms or uses a person as the base for a complex seal." Despite the fact that he cannot hear or she White, he is speaking to her.

"I'm well aware of his nature, thank you very much lady-man." She says dully.

"Who're you callin' a lady-man, man-princess!?"

"I'm not the one who went: KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhh!" She perfectly mimics his voice, and dramatically falls out of her chair.

"I'm not the one who looks like a prepubescent boy crossdressing as a woman," says Alexian nonchalantly.

White keeps her temper in check. "You remind me of the little brat...." She gets up and moves away from him off where no one else is sitting, and sits down, though her pearl white claws are now showing.

"Struck a nerve, did I? I won't apologize. Anyways, you should probably wake Zwei up."

She looks at him with an irritated expression. She then snaps her fingers, creating a sonic boom that deafens them and shakes the area.

"You're a-"

"Alexiel, stop antagonizing White," chides Volmond, now awake, "I wasn't aware that you performed that bizarre courtship ritual that humans do."

White sighs with a 'tch!', spouting a small white flame between her teeth as she does so.

She wearily sighs again, and looks at Volmond out of the corner of her eye. "The fool finally quit.... he should have minded his own business...." She growls.

"Still, she's a-"

"Alexiel, I will rip the cloth off of your eyes and paralyze you until I need your talents," growls Volmond. The teen goes silent and the doctor nods, "Good. Now sit and be quiet." Alexian grumbles, but listens.

White sits in her chair, and closes her eyes, her face slowly changing to become much darker in expression. ".......Did I hear that right....? .......Took everything...... ....and just left.....? .....I see. .....When I get back.... .....we will hold a meeting to discuss..... .....their punishment." She says to herself quietly, a steeled anger in her voice.

"It is time," says Volmond, standing up. "Nezumi, would you say you are ready to begin?"

"I have been so. What is my instructions?"

"Well..." Volmond explains how Grand Schism works and its aftereffect will overcharge her for a few hours. "Expect giddiness and random laughter... among things." He continues, outlining the timing and duration of the spell. "The spell will not activate the instant you cast it, it will activate approximately five seconds afterwards." Additionally, he emphasizes not draw from the Aether for focus. "The Aether Realm is currently collapsing. Drawing upon it will only hasten that process and warp the spell, which I may not have fully emphasized as a bad thing. It is, don't question me on that, you already will have enough cut out for you." Lastly Volmond specifies the location of the spell. "We are aiming for the space between realms, which isn't exactly hard to access. The hard part is the timing and focus."

The doctor turns to Alexian. "Alexiel, you will need to delve into the Realm of Wayward Souls to find Anira and his friends. I will not say that your task is easy, but with your familiar and Seraphim's aid, you should be able to find them and bring them back." Finally he turns to Helios, Cruxia and Asteria, explaining to them that they will need to sever the bonds connecting and attracting the Void of Stars to the universe. "Ready?"

Nezumi nods quietly. "I have understood and created backlog memory as to assure no corruption or error will occur, even if my mind makes a mistake, the correct version will overwrite my actions. I shall follow your instructions carefully and accurately."

The feather like metal attachments on her head begin to sprout and grow into a full headpiece that completely covers her face, the main portions are black metal with red highlights detailing the headpiece's sidings.

"''I am ready to begin. I will await command to begin operation." ''She now says in a more robotic sort of voice.

Volmond sends the others to preform their various tasks before beginning the spell preparation. Suddenly he grows pale.

"White.... I suddenly have a job for you to do as well..."

"What is it?" She stands up.

"I need you to act as my left arm... I need two hands to begin the preparation and keep the spell stable..."

White's eyes become normal pupils, and she walks over to his side. "Alright then, I understand. I'm ready when you are, just tell me what to do."

"First, drape your right arm over my shoulder then place your left hand above mine and concentrate on a sphere," says the doctor, not looking at White, "While you do that, I'll concentrate on the formula and algorithims needed along with the formation of the seal."

She drapes her right arm over his shoulder and places her left hand above his and begins concentrating.

Slowly but surely, a sphere of energy forms in front of the duo, followed by the seal from earlier and strings of symbols and numbers. All at once, the sphere blinks out of existence and the crystalling orb begins to ripple then disolve into thousands of tinier orbs that form into the seal, this time all of the key points having a crystalline spike.

-Act Four: The Storm-
The Void of Stars, warping. The pillars linking it to the universe have been severed and the spell cast, taking the realm on journey into what lies between realms. Unfortunately, something appears to have other plans...

"White," Volmond groans, getting up from the ground after the jaunt between dimensions knocked everyone out from its intensity, "Are you alright?" The doctor looks around, eyes cloudy as he tries to make out the others in the now darkened domain. Everyone appear to be there... Everyone, but Seraph... ''Right, at the last second she was pulled back into the Realm of Wayward Souls... Poor Alexiel, poor Helios...''

"....I'm fine. I don't see why you'd be worried about me. Nezumi, are you alright?"

"Mmmmmmm..... I... think so?"

"...Nezumi, this is going to come off as strange, but do you feel happy," asks the doctor warily, "Or excited or like you drank a barrel of sugar?"

"......Hee hee, kinda...." She has a faint smile as she laughs.

White rolls her eyes. "A hyper Chaos Engine.... ......great. I'm glad I didn't send Azula...."

"Trust me, it can get worse... Nezumi, you there? I need you to take a seat and count to twnety seven times then close your eyes and think of your happy place or something that makes you happy..."

She complies, counting slowly, then doing as he said. "Hmmmm..... .....I'd love to go back to sleep......"

"Now Nezumi, if your lady was in danger, do you think you could protect her," Volmond asks cautiously.

"Of course I could! It's what we were made for."

"Good because we will have company of the unneeded sort soon and I'd prefer she not exhaust herself against something we could easily defeat another way... White, Inverse is back and this time with a more permanent form... What class I do not know, but be wary."

White looks at Nezumi, and the look in Nezumi's eyes grows bleak and dull. "....Acknowledged..." She says quietly. "Eta Class Chaos Engine: 'Draken' 310 Activation Authorized. Class response?"

White says quietly, "Archangel."

An incandescent glow comes over Nezumi, as her eyes grow blank and lifeless, and the headpiece grows down to completely envelop her body in pure black metal armor with red trim, and from her back five golden wings erupt forth from her back, followed by an equal number of mechanical winglike structures that refine the feathers of the wings into serrated blades of Divine energy.

"''Archangel Mode Engaged." ''Her voice comes out completely robotic and devoid of emotion this time.

"Disengaging Access Lock. Code Phrase: Moon in Full Bloom," intones Volmond, his eyes glowing a faint red as a golden scarf wraps around his neck and over a dozen scalpels float around him. A single sword hangs from his hips, the hilt wrapped in chains, and an iron gauntlet with a red stone fused into the knuckle appears on his hand. "Mind Stabilized and sharpened."

A moment later a familiar static sound enters the area, though accompanied by ghastly wails and pain filled shrieks.

Panels open on the metallic wings, revealing concealed missiles of some kind. A series of seven blades of divine light appear about Nezumi, arcing with brilliant power, and creates two broadswords of the same energy in her hands, then settles in a fight stance.

The sound increases in pitch and discordance until a figure emerges from a distortion of space. The figure towers above Volmond in terms of height, but is extremely slim. Its skin is plated and covered with layers of black and orange scales, its eyes burn with a lifeless light and various spiked portrusions come from its body. Six tassel-like tails fall from its waist, the flesh and scales arranged in such a way to appear as clothing or rudimentary armor.

"You are... Requested.... Cannot Eat... Comply or be slain..."

"Protection of Mistress takes priority over all actions. Protocol commands to ensure safety and to eliminate threat. Will not comply until condition of Mistress is assured. Threat level SSS."

"Nezumi, you keep it busy, I'll handle weakening it," says Volmond, grabbing six floating scalpels between his fingers.

'"I'll eat you both... Even if against my master's wishes... Be killed!" 'The creature seems to glide towards Volmond, arms outstretched and mouth gaping, revealing thousand of rotating fangs. Just as the creature appears to grab the doctor, Volmond phases through it, leaving several deep gashes in its hide as he does so.

Nezumi begins launching missiles, they spark with some kind of energy. The beast begins to dodge, when Nezumi speaks, a ripple of energy flowing from her.

"Time Distortion Unit Engaged."

The beast is reversed back to its previous position, just in time to be bombarded by the missiles. In the midst of the explosion, Nezumi sends the floating blades in a spinning fashion and they begin to slash at its eyes, face, legs and arms at blinding speeds. Her missiles recharge.

Volmond phases through the creature again, leaving a large cross shaped gash across its chest as he passes.

"Nezumi, aim for the bleeding areas," says the doctor before vanishing nd raking his scalpels across the creature's torso. The creature growls and attempts to recover from the damage take, but the momont its wounds clos, they burst back open as if made anew.

"This... Will not be tolerated," it growls, black and white energy crackiling from its hands, "Be... ERASED!" The creature hurls two balls of nothingness, both eating away at the space and time that they interact with as they jet towards Nezumi and the doctor.

A section of panels open up on her chest, revealing a strange device, which suddenly charges a condensed sphere of energy.

"Chaos Drive Activated. Doctor. Evade."

She lets out a highly condensed burst of what seems to be time space energy, which overrides the sphere aimed at her, then sweeps and blasts the one imbound for Volmond, missing him narrowly, and then sweeping back towards the being and blasting it straight in the section Volmond had cut open, beginning to devour its being and converting it into energy as it drills deeper into it.

"Close shave," comments the doctor phasing out again, "Nezumi, good work. I'll handle it from here." The doctore warps under another attempted attempt to erase him. "Yes, yes, Erase us, Eat us, Slay us. If you could even competently use your power, this would be more difficult."

The creature bellows in pain and anger before it forcibly expels the burst. It's eyes darken and its scales lose any gleam they may have had.

"K-kill you!... Kill you both!" The spikes on the creature begin to elongate and grow bonier in appearance. Scale is replaced by plate and the creature begins to twist into another, more sinister form when Volmond appear just above its head, a dull look in his eyes.

"That's good and all, but you've overstayed your welcome," he sighs, raising his good arm as a wicked black blade emerges from the palm of his gauntlet clad hand. "Do me a favor and die." The doctor makes a quick and fluid slash through the base of the creature's neck, black and white 'blood' spewing from the injury as the creature tries and fails to regenerate from becoming akin to a pez dispenser. slowly, black and white particles emerge from the creature as a low static whine begins. The creature contorts, against its own will, as the whine increases in pitch. The doctor tackles Nezumi to the ground and commands his scarf to wrap around them as the whine reaches an earsplitting pitch. A moment later, what sounds like a static discharge goes off and a faint shockwave hits the trio. The doctore orders the scarf to return to its normal size, allowing the three to see the large open void left by the creature's demise.

Nezumi flies over to White. "Threat appears terminated. Threat perhaps to increase in a possible future encounter. Recommendation to summon the others. Word?"

White looks at Volmond.