The Wasteland [TRAINING]

[Dante]

With a grunt, the teen sat up from his bed, rubbing his face to waken him further. He was refreshed from the fight he had battled through and he was ready for some more training! Oh, what was he kidding!? He was beat! Dante felt like sleeping in, but when he saw the new clothes and the note, he sighed and knew that it was time to get up. The warrior stripped off his battered rags and placed on his new threads, reaching for his cleaver and placing it in its rightful place.

"The main hall, eh? Well, better get going, then." Dante stepped out of his room and looked up and down the hallway, seeing no one. He made his way around the winding stairs and many halls before finally reaching the destination. Man, it took forever to get from one point to the next in this place. What with all the stairs. Hallways were no trouble, since it was usually a straight path towards either end.

What did Kassom and Magus want, he guessed. Were they getting ready for another training exercise, or had Dante failed his test and was being sent away? Whatever the reason, he knew that he had to get it over with sooner or later and Dante chose sooner.

[nascent]

Upon entering the main hall, Dante would be surprised to see several new faces look up at him. Magus and Kassom stood amongst the group, but there were four others now...

Standing nearby Kassom were two people of his own race, both with dark-hued fur. One was an odd-looking old man in a discolored lab coat, while the other was a girl about Kassom's age who wore soot-stained clothes over what looked to be some kind of heavy body armor. They looked at Dante with curiosity, but made no overt moves towards him.

In the center of the room was a young woman decked out in what could only be described as pirate attire of the most flaunting variety. She gleefully grinned and waved, perhaps with just a bit too much enthusiasm.

Magus, as usual, stood leaned up against the wall; nearby, a young woman in armor and a flowing gray cape looked at Dante with a calculating gaze, as if sizing him up for an opponent. The shadowmage himself didn't move as Dante entered.

Kassom, however, strode over to the young warrior and patted him on the back. "Congrats, kid! You've made it through the basic initiations, and from now on you're one of us!" With that said he handed Dante a small black stone that shone faintly with a purple light. "With this you can create a portal that'll take you back here at any time. Just focus your thoughts on it; simple as that."

"Without further ado," The young lynx gestured dramatically around the room. "Allow me to introduce the rest of our 'happy family'! Those two are my sister Iris and my crazy uncle Vates--"

"Who are you calling 'crazy', you ungrateful brat!" Vates interjected in a huff.

"-- our resident expert on oceanic marauding, Cordell--"

"CAPTAIN Cordell, ye scurvy dog!"

"-- and old windbag, Mel."

The armored woman made a face. "Melana Sonalir, wind knight of the Kialon Order. Pay no heed to that demon."

Before bickering could erupt, Magus stepped forward into the middle of the room. Everyone went silent as his gaze fell upon Dante.

"You have passed the tests I put before you; therefore, you've earned the right to know why all of us are here, in this place, training in secret..."

"Tell me, Dante... do you believe in fate or destiny?

[Dante]

Dante made a small, two finger salute to everyone, flicking his index finger and his middle finger from his forehead. So, this was the 'happy family' that Dante was now a part of. These guys didn't look to be bad people at all, although the Cordell woman seemed a bit queer. Still, he smiled as Kassom patted him on his back and handed him the black stone. He listened to everything that was said, rolling the stone around in his hand. It felt like a piece of onyx... but he could feel a simple energy within it.

Then, Magus stepped forward, speaking with a deep voice. "Tell me, Dante... do you believe in fate or destiny?" Dante had to think about this one. The warrior had never given any real thought to these two factors. "I guess... both. I never really gave much thought to either, really. I guess I just let life happen as the days dragged along." The Ex-Apprentice glanced over the entire group, uncertain to wether he was correct by not choosing one.

"Everything happens for a reason. Life goes on and so do people. Grudges begin and then they end... Enemies are formed... and then they're beaten. That's what I go by." Dante stared at the ceiling, still having more to say. "If you think about it, fate and destiny, they're both extremely similar. So, wouldn't believing in one mean believing in the other?Hell, now that I think about it, I really don't believe in any of them. Nothing binds you to a certain destination. Nothing can predetermine the route of life you take. Nothing can ever tell you what will and will not happen." Dante clenched his fist looking at Magus. Something set of the talkative side of this warrior, probably the idea of the predetermination of life.

"So, saying that, I guess neither of them are real, now are they?"

[nascent]

(OOC: Prepare for a glimpse into a long-term plot idea that I have brewing.)



The mage let out a good-hearted chuckle, something uncannily open and honest for someone as reserved as him.

"Well said, Dante. There is wisdom beyond knowledge in your words, truth that you may not even fully comprehend." Magus began slowly tightening one of his gloves. "Fear not... I will make it clear to you."

"You are free to believe what you wish... but ask me and I would tell you that Fate and Destiny are, I'm afraid, both very real. It is because such forces exist that those you see before you have assembled -- enemies putting aside their differences in pursuit of a common cause."

Magus began to wave his hands in a series of arcane gestures, weaving unseen energies to his will. Promptly a dark haze began to fill the room, blotting out the walls and ceiling from sight; all that could be seen was the floor and those nearby.

"Let me tell you a story."

The haze suddenly seemed to solidify, more a wall to sight than a cloud... and the most remarkable thing appeared. Stars. All around them in every direction were radiant, glorious stars sparkling against the black canvas.

"Regardless of how the universe began, most people agree that it did have a beginning. What I am about to describe takes place before that... if that is even the right way to describe it. A time before time, a story before history..." Magus gestured dramatically to accentuate his words, and remarkably the surroundings reacted as well. All the brilliant stars began to converge upon one singular point, becoming a brightness that was almost impossible to look at. "This is not a tale of gods or creation, but of the beginning of a conflict that has been with us almost since the beginning of all things... a struggle beyond good and evil, predating Light and Darkness..."

In a surge of darkness the gathering stars were no more... and in their place, surrounding Dante, Magus, and all the others, was what seemed an endless sea of radiant silver-hued water. It was like they'd suddenly gone from the void of space to the depths of an ocean. Magus continued.

"Imagine an existence entirely apart from anything you can see, touch, hear, or confirm with your mortal senses. An existence of pure Time -- a Sea of Time, in which past and future have no meaning. A single, eternal, ever-present moment."

The sea, which moments before had surrounded them, suddenly became distant, appearing like a massive bubble of water floating in a black void.

"The Sea of Zurvan, they call it." Magus explained. "Though those who were its original inhabitants did not give it a name. There were, in fact, no names at all. No distinctions. All that was simply was, and would forever be... or, so they thought."

"There was, actually, one distinction... a group of individuals who dreamed of exploring existences beyond the confines of their ever-present. Such a thing was thought, of course, to be impossible..."

Suddenly and without warning, the surface of the massive bubble ruptured, sending water gushing forth in all directions. A chorus of terrified, screaming voices filled the air, and then just as suddenly faded away until they could barely be heard. Where the water touched the darkness stars, like eruptions of fireworks, burst into being -- an uncountable multitude of stars and galaxies and nebulae.

"No one quite knows what happened," Magus explained. "Only that the universe -- ALL universes -- were suddenly awash in the waters of Time. From this union of Space and Time all of existence as we know it was able to spring forth; whether creation was a divine or natural act is beyond the scope of this tale."

"The children of Time were no longer in the calm, peaceful basin in which they had always dwelt; they now found themselves intermingled with the physical and energy realms, ever rushing onwards as past became present and flowed towards future. Some were awed by this -- a multitude of new worlds, springing to life all around them -- while others were unable or unwilling to cope with the destruction of their home and the foreign realities they now inhabited."

"It was not long before the different reactions became grounds for conflict. The Race of Time, however, are not like beings of flesh and blood -- while Time endures, so too do they, and thus they are unable to harm one another. Nonetheless, two factions formed: those who wished to find a way home -- to restore Time to a separate, isolated existence -- and those who sought to embrace what had happened to them."

The endless starlight faded, and in its place the group found themselves suddenly in the midst of a forest. Before their very eyes day became night and day again, a rapid progression. Seasons came and went, trees rose and fell, all within the space of mere minutes.

"Seeing that the natural order progresses inherently from order into chaos, those who sought to isolate Time speculated that it was the fate of these 'new' realities to fall into disarray and eventually cease to be... and when that happened, they thought, immortal Time would be free once more. Branding the whole of creation as a 'horrible accident', they determined that they would hasten the inevitable and thus return sooner to a placid existence."

Almost at his words, the entire forest gradually began to die, becoming a cracked and desolate wasteland.

"It is beyond their power to outright destroy, nor are they godlike and able to control all they survey, but their presence within the flow permits them to stir the ichor of existence and disturb the riverbed of reality. They usually exert power is over the small, seemingly inconsequential things; chance encounters, unexpected thoughts, so-called 'random' occurrences -- these were, and are, the primary tools with which those who call themselves the Powers of Fate puppet-master history towards their own ends."

"Dante, you said it yourself: 'Everything happens for a reason. Life goes on and so do people. Grudges begin and then they end... Enemies are formed... and then they're beaten.' How right you are."

"Fate and Destiny are similar... but also radically different. One stands for annihilation and inevitability, while the other champions hope and the heroes who defy Fate's agenda. There are, of course, those amongst the ancient Race of Time who ally with neither cause -- who, for one reason or another, simply don't wish to get involved or believe that manipulating history is wrong -- but they have little influence on the outcome for earthly mortals such as ourselves. Those of which I speak are not gods any more than the eagle is god over the ant -- they are different forms, with different perspectives that share the same world as us..."

"...but just as the thrashing of an eagle's wings can unsettle the ant's small realm, so too do the thrashings of Time's children disturb the flow of history. They elevate some and cast down others, neither creating nor destroying, yet stand fixed upon the principles of both. And that, Dante, is why we gather here, we few who have become aware of this hidden war between these invisible powers."

The forest faded into haze, and the room was suddenly a room once more. Magus gave Dante a very serious look, an expression of both sincerity and warning. "Neither Fate nor Destiny can control our choices, Dante. They simply engineer scenarios and set up situations, and in this way attempt to direct our free will to their own aims. On my own world, Fate had conspired to harvest the strength of the entire planet using a terrible beast called Lavos, one of the great tools of destruction they have been preparing for eons. However, Destiny intervened, raising up heroes from different time periods who could prevent the disaster... I was one of them."

"I have only recently learned all of this, about the Time Race and their role in history. You may believe me or not; it is your choice. The purpose of this place, however, is that heroes may be ready to confront whatever plan of oblivion Fate sets in motion next... and I hope, should such calamity occur, we might trust you to stand alongside us."

"What say you, Dante?"

[Dante]

As the scenery changed rapidly and as Magus continued his speech, Dante began to wander. Of course he was listening, but something else caught his attention. If Fate is the dangerous one of the two, then maybe it could've caused his downfall into darkness. Then again, maybe not. For now, he would have to stand alongside this group of new and odd figures, giving his help where needed.

Magus had stared at Dante with a certain expression, making the teen feel a little unrelaxed. "Stand alongside you? To protect these universes from Fate?" The Ex-Apprentice turned his back towards the group, looking down at his feet as he thought. "I will stand with you all... But there are some things of my own that may get in the way. I hope it isn't a problem with you all."

Dante turned around, a very slight smile on his face. Madam was his top priority at the moment, and he may not be able to help these people when they need him. "What's next on the agenda, Magus? Any other deadly obstacles?"


[OOC: Oooooh. A plot idea? I'll be happy to join.]

[nascent]

(OOC: Thought you'd like that, Dante.

Also, don't forget that you can apply what goes on here towards a Role Play Discount, so choose your next experiences wisely. ;D)



Magus gave a faint chuckle. "Dante, look around you. Consider those who would stand at your side. You are hardly the only one with personal entanglements and concerns. Fear not; part of the training here is meant to help prepare us to conquer our own matters."

"Now then..." The mage turned halfway to the group, keeping his eyes on Dante. "Until you feel ready to face the final obstacle, the rest of your training is your decision. At your choice you can challenge anyone here, though the rules of engagement are theirs to decide. Even Vates and Iris take part in these challenges, though their 'battles' are quite a bit different from the rest. I can say no more -- this is your choice, and yours to discover."

"Alternately, just as you learned from Kassom earlier, you can choose to study under your fellow warriors. Each is prepared to teach you something of their specialty."

"The wind knight Melana will teach you what she knows of swordplay and combat technique."

"The malevolent rogue Kassom will tutor you in the ways of a scout and hunter, and show you the agile prowess of his kind."

"The piratess Cordell will show you how to tactically manage a small force of minions in the heat of battle."

"The esoteric tinkerer Vates can show you secrets of magic and energy."

"Flame-born, Iris will teach you the ways of metallurgy, how to create and maintain weapons. Perhaps if you're a good student, she'll even let you make something to keep."

"And I..." Magus threw back his cape dramatically. "Will illumine the subtitles of darkness and its power for you. The choice is yours, young warrior; you may study under whoever you wish, and none of us will turn you away. You may also challenge us if you wish to test yourself... and, when the time comes, you can opt to face the most difficult obstacle we have here. Choose wisely."

[Dante]

Dante listened to Magus's little speech on his next course of training, the warrior thinking about who to train under. His best picks would be either Melana, or Magus, both of what they would teach the Ex-Apprentice vital to his training. Then, he remembered her face and her demonic laugh... Madam and her training flashed through Dante's mind, making his body shiver. Torture was the best word to describe the practice that Madam put all of her pupils through. Ten would be put to the test, five would usually pass with their lives.

His mind was made up, now, and he was ready to announce his choice. "Magus," the spunky teen turned to face the other dark user as he spoke. "Teach me how to control the darkness. I need this power to face a challenge in the future." Once he learned to tame the wild energy known as darkness, Dante would use what he learned to train by himself. Maybe then, he could rival any new powers that Madam may have taught her new Apprentice.

[OOC: Yeah, I remember. I should get a nice discount. You can use this as a discount, too, Magus. Anyways, this should be fun. Can't wait to see what Magus puts my warrior through.
._. ]

[nascent]

"Hmph." Magus folded his arms across his chest. "I had a suspicion that would be your answer. Very well."

With a gesture, Magus conjured a swirling orb of pure darkness in one hand, large enough to comfortably fit in his palm. "Tell me then, Dante: what do you know of the element called Darkness?" The shadowmage tossed the orb to his new student.

[Dante]

Dante watched as the ball came to him, cupping it in between his hands and staring at it before answering. "Darkness is an element that causes pain, or pleasure to others, much like any other element, but Darkness is very special. It can be used to bring down entire civilizations and it can create life within the worlds. It's an element of surprise, really. Unless you can tame it like a wild creature, you're better off sticking to fire or some other base."

The Ex-Apprentice crushed the orb in his hands, releasing the energy. "It makes people the way they are today. Even the lightest of all creatures have that tiny bit of evil in them. This element demands your full attention at all times while using it. It depends on the time you've been able to actually spend on it that matters. I myself have only spent two years finding out Darkness' arcane secrets."

Dante created another orb, though this was much smaller. He twirled it in his fingers, examining his fine work. Even this took his full power to manipulate, Magus apparently having many years of practice.

[nascent]

MUSIC: Wishmaster by Nightwish

"Good, you understand the weight and responsibility of that which you seek to master." Magus nodded, then his expression became very serious. "But there is more."

"You know that Darkness stems from the heart, but that is not its only source. In truth, Darkness acts as something of a wild card amongst the elements of magic... because the nature of Darkness is not concrete. It is malleable, and in fact reacts to those who use its power. This is why Darkness can be used in so many differing and distinct ways, and will seem slightly different for every person who wields it."

"In scientific terms, the power of Darkness is a psycho-reactive mimesis that exists in reciprocal causality to the living mind -- it has little of any true nature in-and-of itself, and thus requires a host to take on any noteworthy form or function." With that he reached down and laid his hand upon the stone floor. "Even so, a measure of Darkness can be found in almost everything that exists -- some have speculated the Darkness is the 'raw stuff' of creation, from which everything was made."

Pulling his hand away revealed smoke-like trails of darkness that quickly evaporated -- he had pulled Darkness from a stone.

"There was a time when people speculated that 'dark matter' existed in the universe, and it does... in fact, it is potentially all around us. Dark matter is simply mass that becomes over-saturated with Darkness and begins to disobey the ordinary laws of existence. Darkness is inert until we make it active, until we add mind, heart, and soul into the equation. Then it can distort into almost anything -- this is how Heartless are born, as echoes of life distorting darkness."

"But these echoes can linger and spread... once Darkness has tasted transformation it does not easily return to a state of void. This is why Darkness seems so elusive and mysterious. It was once like still, calm water, long ago... but those waters grow more troubled as they are touched, and where ripples meet waves may form, cascading over hearts and worlds."

"Darkness is, and it is not. It is us, and something else entirely. To master it is a task of unremittent difficulty; mastering ones' self is a crucial first step... but it is not all. One might even say that true mastery of Darkness requires mastery of the universe entire."

"Still, a measure of control can be gained, and by knowing what Darkness is and how it operates it becomes possible to guard yourself from its more... corrupting influence."

"Now tell me, Dante... what is it you wish to achieve with Darkness? For those who pursue Darkness as its own goal inevitably become lost in it."

[Dante]

The young warrior nodded as Magus spoke about the Darkness. Some of these things he was aware of, but a myriad of what the shadowmage had spoken about was new to Dante. Another question was asked and the Ex-Apprentice began to speak. "Me? I plan to take my life back from someone who has great control over Darkness. It's because of certain happenings that I even know what you're talking about, Magus. I need to be matched with the one I aim to challenge, or else I'll just make a fool of myself and get nothing accomplished."

Dante began to roll the small orb around again, this time tossing it in the air. It wouldn't be long before it dissipated into complete nothingness because of the lack of sufficent energy needed to keep it contained. Would Magus actually help him achieve his goal, or will he just taunt the teen and make him go into a blind rage? It was up to the World to decide on this choice. Not his, or anyone else's.

[nascent]

"I see... though it is not always wise to fight Darkness with Darkness. Still..." Magus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Since it seems to be your innate tendency anyway, I will help you."

The rest of those assembled wasted no time in clearing back to the edges of the room, clear of anything disastrous that might occur. Magus began tightening his gloves... and shocks on black electric-like energy surged on and around him. "Now that you know Darkness reacts to the will of the one who uses it, applying that knowledge is the logical next step."

The mage's eyes narrowed. "Brace yourself, Dante... and take control of the Darkness I use against you!"

With that, the shadowmage leveled one finger at the ground directly in front of Dante, and instantly a growing blast of dark energies erupted there. If Dante didn't act, the Dark Bomb's blast radius would sweep over him and knock him back.

[Dante]

"Wait... What!?" Dante saw the sparks fly from Magus' tightened hand. Not even a brainless monkey would mistake this for a good thing! Then, the shadowmage lifted his finger and the blast burst from the floor below him and he brought an arm down to stop it. The warrior could control Darkness from within himself, but utilizing it from someone else was a completely different thing. The blast barely went down before it shot Dante backwards and into the wall.

"Argh!" The Ex-Apprentice slid down on the wall he had hit, bringing a little dust with him. He took a deep breath before attempting to stand up, his arms a little bit shakey. The cleaver also did a little damage to his back when he collided with the wall, leaving a painful bruise. Dante removed it and put it aside, facing Magus once more. "How do I... control Darkness that's not mine," Dante complained as he braced himself for another incoming attack.

"Try it again. I'm prepared this time."

[nascent]

A faint grin came to Magus' face. "Good question."

Black sparks once more built on his gloves. "For every action, there is an equal an opposite reaction. For every yang there is a yin; every active force has a passive force which is able to counter it. You may immediately assume that the counter to Darkness is Light -- while this is true, it is not all."

"Study your opponent. What is their nature? From what does their Darkness draw its strength? Hate? Despair? Lust for power? By finding this, you find the deeper nature within their Darkness... and then you can disrupt it, weaken their hold, and make it your own."

The shadowmage tightened one hand into a fist and held it up for Dante to see, arcs of dark energy leaping wildly off it. "In my case, the answer is simple. Though my experience with and knowledge of Darkness surpass your own, you have an innate advantage over me." He watched Dante's face for signs of surprise or disbelief. "I am a Nobody, Dante. I have no heart, and my existence is a hollow form of reality. You, however, are a whole being. You must use your heart's strength to disrupt my control."

He waited but a moment more, then repeated the spell exactly as before. This time, Magus thought, the results would likely prove different.

[Dante]

Taking note of what Magus had spoken about, the warrior attempted to use his Heart to bring forth the deeper Darkness from within him. He didn't have time to do much, though, since Magus had already activated the spell once more. In the short amount of time he had, how would the Ex-Apprentice use his Heart's Darkness? Thinking of Madam didn't help at all. He had gotten so used to the pain that it didn't affect him anymore. The loss of everyone's memory of him didn't trigger any special feeling in him. This made Dante feel as if he were actually starting to become a Nobody, void of emotions.

Then, in the deepest part of his mind, he found her. Angeline, the one he loved, would never love him again. His Heart began to finally succed in creating pain, thus sending forth a Darkness of sorts. If what Magus had said was true, then he would be able to counter the spell. The Darkness gathered in his right hand, a thick, black aura surrounding his clenched fist. Dante brought his hand down in a great slamming motion meeting the spell on its way out of the ground.

The impact sent a few flashes of Darkness into the ground, the spell beginning to get weaker and weaker until it finally died out. Dante didn't feel accomplished at all, really. Even though he had just found out one advantage to beating Madam, he was still very hurt inside. Couldn't there have been something else that triggered the Darkness other than Ange? It made him so pissed that he just wanted to break down in an emo fit, but Dante wasn't emo. The feelings were only from the Darkness so everything would be fine after it faded back into his heart.

He stood up, sighing as he rubbed his head furiously. "That good enough? Release Darkness from my Heart, right? Trigger it somehow," Dante began to say in an agitated tone. "What's next on the agenda? More countering, or some more teaching?"