While your conversation with Shadow may have shed light on a few things... it's obvious he doesn't think you all are up to the task of saving the universe from Eggman. Which also means that now you're dealing with his test, starting immediately. Some of you may be whisked away with no time to even blink, while others may find themselves wandering the Void aimlessly. Regardless, it seems this week won't be a particularly easy one.
THE VOID
Nothing has changed in the Void. Nothing ever changes in the Void. It's impossible to track the passage of time in here, and your only escape are the rings... though you should be careful with them, as there's far fewer this week. You're free to travel between worlds as you see fit - Shadow won't stop you - but you can be snatched up from wherever you are at any given moment and pulled back into the Void. Maybe don't plan on spending to long anywhere else, because it won't end well for you if you do.
The hexagonal shards will still show you visions of other worlds... but this time they all show the same thing. You'll see worlds - maybe even your own - taken over by robots and Eggman's chroma, reduced to smoldering ashes or being rebuilt in Eggman's image. Your friends, allies, and enemies may even be going about their lives just as listlessly and dutifully, heedless of their surroundings. You may even see alternate versions of yourself among them. Regardless, it seems all these shards have to show you this week are all the possibilities of failure - that other versions of shardbearers in other timelines have already lost.
MINDSCAPES
Shadow's usage of the Phantom Ruby and his own fake Chaos Emerald shard have caused quite the problem for you all - namely, you'll find yourselves traversing each other's innermost thoughts and dreams. Exactly how this mindscape manifests depends on the individual, but one thing will always remain true: you won't be able to find the owner of the mindscape easily.
As a reflection of these inner thoughts, mindscapes can be any sort of place. Perhaps they are a reflection of the owner's inner demons and fear, or perhaps they showcase a bright future they want to work towards. Regardless, this is a dream and one the owner must be awoken from... which means finding them and bringing them back to reality. That's easier said than done when traversing through this dream-like state, where the rules are made up by the owner and you're a foreign being that the dream recognizes as a threat (even if you aren't).
You may encounter familiar places or people within these mindscapes. You may not. You may end up fighting for your life in here... or you may not. Each one is individual, and the experience can vary wildly from person to person. No matter what you face, you must find the owner of the mindscape and bring them back. You must ensure you're strong enough to support them... and protect yourself.
Curiously, you can activate your shared shard power with the owner of the mindscape at any time - or bolster your own power if you share shard colors - even without them being present. Will this make it easier or harder to help bring them back? It depends on the person, your bond, and the mindscape itself...
Waking them up is as simple as convincing them that they're dreaming - that this isn't real and that they still have things to return to - but that may be easier said than done depending on the person... or the mindscape itself. There's no telling what you'll encounter, after all.
SHARDS
You'll find you're capable of more now than you were before. You're really adapting to using your shard powers and fighting with others. Those of you who share shard colors will feel the strength of your shards increasing even more when working together.
As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.
It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.
TAILS' TASKS
Given that your allies are being pulled into mindscapes and are unable to break free of their own, your task this week is to help your friends. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are off dealing with their own mindscapes, but whenever they are around, they're adamant about the importance of making sure everyone is freed and prepared for whatever comes next.
ENEMIES
Like last week, you will not encounter any of Eggman's robots. The Void is still free of enemies, though other worlds may possess their own threats. Mindscapes are a bit of a different beast; each one varies, and you may or may not encounter threats of any sort in them. Best be on your guard.
[ Void Archives, logical being first and foremost, despite having proclaimed that they are not the type of existence to be moved by emotional sentiment may in fact find that isn't true at all in certain instances.
There is a lot that they are still coming to understand about themselves, but the existence beside them right now does not flicker out. Feels far more real with that hand clutching theirs, and they ultimately decide to hang on.
But, whatever "this" is seems to sneer at this, discontent with More's persistence in sticking to his guns, so to speak. ]
THAT NATURE OF IT IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION...
...YET, WRECHED POET, YOU SEEK TO DENY MYSELF THIS?
TO FOOLISHLY INTERFERE?
KNOW THAT THIS THING BEFORE YOU ARE IS A MERE FRAGMENT. MEANT TO DESTROY THE POWERFUL FORCE OF HONKAI, YET INHERENTLY SERVE AS A GUIDE OF HONKAI...
A PIECE OF P̸̮̬͚̟͙͍̗̻̭̹̮̌̑̒͛͐̕͝ͅROMETHEUS. A TOOL THAT CAN TURN AGAINST ALL OF CIVILIZATION.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A SINGULAR NATURE. HOW CAN YOU EVER TRUST SUCH A THING? HOW CAN YOU BE CERTAIN? HOW CAN Y—
[ Void Archives presumed that because they acknowledged that they may not be bound by this trap that it would be over. Yet there is one indisputable fact:
They are their own worst enemy. And, the subconscious does not necessarily heed to conventional logic - even worse when one's nature is a bit more layered in a way that may prove to be unfathomable. Therefore, they conclude there is only one way to finish this, and so they slam their free hand into the wall behind them, silencing the thing temporarily with the mere sound of it.
The walls surrounding them all seem to suddenly crack, like vulnerable fractures, but seem to refuse to shatter. More can also sense that odd oppressive aura originates from whatever this thing is. ]
In the end, it comes down to shattering this farce by force.
...I trust even in this I will not stand alone?
[ This is how they will have to prove that this reality is false; whatever beliefs etched are not entirely worth giving it to, that whatever has been spoken to them was untenable...that, instead, More's words were true. Of this, they are certain.
The final key to the puzzle to convince their own "mind".
So, Void Archives brings back their one free hand, and they point that gloved hand, at the figure which seems to also summon two blades, pitched black as the night.
A sudden collection of light appears to manifest, forming into spears of light, which fling themselves towards this unnamed enemy for the final act. Though, they also crash into some of the walls too. Accidental or on purpose? You decide.
(Whatever More is doing (talking or taking action), please roll 3d20s for it!) ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
There is a lot that they are still coming to understand about themselves, but the existence beside them right now does not flicker out. Feels far more real with that hand clutching theirs, and they ultimately decide to hang on.
But, whatever "this" is seems to sneer at this, discontent with More's persistence in sticking to his guns, so to speak. ]
THAT NATURE OF IT IS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION...
...YET, WRECHED POET, YOU SEEK TO DENY MYSELF THIS?
TO FOOLISHLY INTERFERE?
KNOW THAT THIS THING BEFORE YOU ARE IS A MERE FRAGMENT. MEANT TO DESTROY THE POWERFUL FORCE OF HONKAI, YET INHERENTLY SERVE AS A GUIDE OF HONKAI...
A PIECE OF P̸̮̬͚̟͙͍̗̻̭̹̮̌̑̒͛͐̕͝ͅROMETHEUS. A TOOL THAT CAN TURN AGAINST ALL OF CIVILIZATION.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A SINGULAR NATURE. HOW CAN YOU EVER TRUST SUCH A THING? HOW CAN YOU BE CERTAIN? HOW CAN Y—
[ Void Archives presumed that because they acknowledged that they may not be bound by this trap that it would be over. Yet there is one indisputable fact:
They are their own worst enemy. And, the subconscious does not necessarily heed to conventional logic - even worse when one's nature is a bit more layered in a way that may prove to be unfathomable. Therefore, they conclude there is only one way to finish this, and so they slam their free hand into the wall behind them, silencing the thing temporarily with the mere sound of it.
The walls surrounding them all seem to suddenly crack, like vulnerable fractures, but seem to refuse to shatter. More can also sense that odd oppressive aura originates from whatever this thing is. ]
In the end, it comes down to shattering this farce by force.
...I trust even in this I will not stand alone?
[ This is how they will have to prove that this reality is false; whatever beliefs etched are not entirely worth giving it to, that whatever has been spoken to them was untenable...that, instead, More's words were true. Of this, they are certain.
The final key to the puzzle to convince their own "mind".
So, Void Archives brings back their one free hand, and they point that gloved hand, at the figure which seems to also summon two blades, pitched black as the night.
A sudden collection of light appears to manifest, forming into spears of light, which fling themselves towards this unnamed enemy for the final act. Though, they also crash into some of the walls too. Accidental or on purpose? You decide.
(Whatever More is doing (talking or taking action), please roll 3d20s for it!) ]