Log:Arion Awakes: Treachery Revealed

The Regent Legacy 2014/07/16 	 Paragon Chen

8

The house is relatively full but quiet. Chen is sleeping in a guest room. Paragon opens the door to her room, where Arion was left to rest with Lightray watching over him. She nods once to the revenant and offers, "Thanks, Lightray. I'll take over watch here if you want to patrol outside and stretch your legs?" It's a changing of the guard. Paragon had been keeping watch on the perimeter, but now it's Lightray's turn. As he exits, Paragon walks over and stops by the bedside, looking over Arion to see if there's any changes to his condition.

Arion's eyes slowly open, he feels a presence..it is one that is in resonance with his own, it is a remnant of the Regent..."...help me..." he says in a whisper.

Paragon's helm flicks back and retracts into her suit, revealing her face. She drops down on one knee to bring herself closer to him. "I'm here, Arion. You're safe right now. What happened? Are you alright?" she asks quietly, reaching a plated hand out for Arion's. With a thought, the armor surrounding her hand retracts, and she gently grasps Arion's hand for support and comfort.

Arion tries to reach out but pain shoots through his body in waves, "...where am I...who are you? you are no heir.."

And so, when Allison got back from her trip to Starguard and all the business that went on there, she headed home to binge work on some new things. When Julius reminded her that she needed some solid fuel to avoid having her nanotech run out of proteins with which to maintain her body... she went to the fridge as she rolled her eyes and blinked. "When did I eat all of them?" she asked, looking at the empty cupcake tray. "Okay, it's time to go visit sis." she muttered to herself as she grabbed the tray, stepped outside... grew drive pods on her back and shoulders to project her grav-field and whoosh!

She lands outside the Bayside house, reaching up to knock on the door while trying to school her expression into her best rendition of sad puppy eyes.

"Stay still..." Paragon urges. "You're on earth still. I'm Paragon, remember? The Lords and Ladies of the elements assigned me as your protector." Meanwhile, downstairs, the knocking awakens a sleepy Chen, who lets Allison in and tells Allison that Paragon is in her room. She then sleepily goes back to bed.

Okay, perfect sad puppy eyes wasted. Allison nods to Chen and heads towards that room to knock gently... once more preparing her sad puppy eyes while holding the empty cupcake tray in hand... lower lip trembling.

Arion's back arches as the pain runs down his spine, his body lifts off the bed, as he floats, his fingers curl as if in arthritic pain, and his eyes are squeezed shut against the pain that continues to run through his body.."...too...much..." he says through gritted teeth

Paragon continues to hold on to his hand as she stands up. "Just squeeze...how can I help? I need to get you to a--" she hears a knock and looks around quickly while the boy's doing an exorcist act above her bed. "Allison! What..." she doesn't understand what the tray is for right away. "Please, help me...he's in pain," she says worriedly.

Eek... Allison blinks and steps forward. "Julius. Call up medical files. I need everything you can find." she remarks as she goes to the bedside and starts checking the guy out... not really like he's a guy so much as like he's a machine more than a person. "Try to hold still." she suggests while trying to take pulse and such. "What are the symptoms you've observed?" she asks Paragon.

From his eyes, an inner golden light begins to glow, and from his hands flames begin to emerge, dancing upon his skin, alive, his body though begins to ice up, and a dark haze starts to form around his body...the wind in the room begins to whip and papers and other light items fly through the air.

As tempted as Ally is to say, 'well, there's your problem right there...' she doesn't. She just raises a brow. "This isn't a medical condition." she remarks. "What is going on with him? I suppose that if it is painful, I could prescribe some painkillers."

Paragon just shakes her head for a moment, not really sure how to answer that. "Just this right now. Pain. Earlier he exhibited shadow-like abilities. He's been--" and she just stops talking as Arion starts exhibiting powers of all the elements. She stares wide-eyed. . o O (He's the last one. He's the regent now...)

Arion floats to an upright position, and he curls his body almost to a fetal position his aura fluxes, cold, then extremely hot, to darkness fields, and then a golden bubble of light, to a tornado like wind barrier until finally surrounding his body is a ball of opalescent translucent stone. inside he floats like a fetus in an egg..

"Okay. Paragon..." says Allison as she stands up and steps back from the ... event. That's the only word she can think of for it. "From the beginning." she suggests, "And cupcakes."

Paragon mentally counts things off in her head as she steps back from from the cocoon formed around Arion. "Light and Darkness. Fire, ice, air. What about earth?" she murmurs to herself. An element is missing. And she's talking to herself while she stares, entranced. It takes her a few moments to register Allion's presence, but even as she gazes at her adoptive sibling, her mind seems a thousand miles (and a few extra dimensional planes) away. "You missed a lot," she summarizes. This could definitely explain the lack of replacement cupcakes.

"... Fire, water, air and earth. What the heck do light and darkness have to do with the four elements?" asks Allison. She shakes her head and shrugs, "Seriously... I hate magic."

Paragon claps a closed fist in an open palm in an 'Ah hah!' moment. "Ah, earth's there, too. All six."

"What do you mean six?" asks Allison. "In China, there are five sure, but nobody uses 6 elements. In China, it's Fire, Air, Water, Wood, and Metal." That said, Allison looks back to Arion. "Julius... scour the web. Find any references to light and darkness as -elements-." she instructs.

Paragon nods as she tries to focus on Allion's presence again. "I know I'm a product of magic in some way, but I understand so little about it. This," she motions to the shell containing the boy, "is Arion. He is the last surviving heir of Regent, and inheritor of his powers over the 6 elements."

"Okay Julius. Project." remarks Ally as she holds out a hand, a holo projecting from her palm. It's like... half a dozen computer screens in mid-air. Searches flowing along all the screens... Void... Musashi.... God of light... of darkness... sun. Gods, whatever... people made things up when they couldn't explain'em... that's her thought. But there are lots of such references. None however actually name 6 elements. "So, if there -are- such things, nobody published any documentation about it." she remarks. "I should get a scanner and document this stuff as a link to things thare really aren't right. Maybe I can actually figure out what it -really- is as opposed to people just saying... it's maaaaagic."

Shaking her head, she gets the REGENT references and then Allison nods, "Okay, so apparently, my best theory at this point is that there is something within his body, some resonance, maybe genetic, but it could be something implanted in him.. that is channeling energy from other dimensions... likely from the same source as those the Regent used."

"So, magic?" Paragon asks simply.

"I don't have the capabilities to scan energy waves built in..." says Allison before she smirks and adds, "Yet. But.. yeah, I'd have to make a guess that magic is definitely involved. Oh hey, I've got more reference material involving elements and gods." And she projects an image of a heroine who was around for a while who claimed to be an Asgardian sea goddess. "Apparently named Himinglaeva... after one of the nine daughters of Aegir... god of the ocean."

Arion's Egg explodes into a thousand thousand shards, the shards, sharp as daggers fly through the air, imbedding themselves in the walls, bed, floor...people..

The explosion blasts through Allison's displays and then rip into her body. Pieces of nanobots flake off, but they regrow immediately. She ends up on her butt, the displays still floating before her. But she moves them aside and inclines her head, "Um... yeah, magic." she mutters.

Arion glows with an inner iridescence. Unlike prior times, he now speaks with a strange otherworldliness, "It is almost complete..I am almost reborn.." he says.

Paragon raises up her hand to guard her eyes as the shell explodes. The shards cut past her, others shatter or collapse against her formidable armor. Once piece skims along the side of Paragon's exposed face, gashing her across the cheek and temple area. Blood drips down her face and spatters on her armor. She lowers her arm once the chaos has subsided. "Arion...what do you mean almost? You're the last surviving heir. This should be it, shouldn't it?"

Parts of the ceiling begin to fall in, but pieces bounce off an bubble of protection that surrounds Arion.

"Reborn.... I think the original Regent is remaking his heir into his image." says Allison. "He is projecting some power, some essence, -into- this young man here and remaking him." She looks to Paragon and her eyes are wide with a bit of fear. "Um, it's like you... what he used to be is, I think, being overwritten... erased, replaced with new. I could be wrong but.. that's what I am thinking."

Paragon's helm snaps up and covers her head, while her uncovered hand also armors up again. A tile and some plaster tumble down and bounce off of Paragon's shoulder and she restrains the sigh she wants to let out. "Are you alright, Allison?" she looks down to her friend. "I knew he'd inherit Regent's powers. But I thought his personality would remain the same," she sounds concerned, looking back to Arion.

"This place isn't structurally stable," Paragon announces. She looks back to Arion and takes a hesitant step forward, testing the ground to see if it can support her weight still. "Arion, come with me. We need to move to someplace a little safer."

Arion surveys his surroundings..he pulls his hands together and waves them in a pattern, the stone shards float in the air, removing themselves from the walls and float back to him he makes a motion as if compressing them in his hands, and they crunch together, compressing, until they form a solid crystalline ball about a foot across. it floats in front of Paragon. he then looks at the walls and they start to repair themselves, the elemental parts of the broken home mending itself.

".... We need to get him to the gym.. NOW!" exclaims Allison. "If I can download the essence of who he is now, before he is remade... maybe we can preserve the man he is now.." says Allison as she fires her thrusters and lifts off the floor.

Paragon stares at Allison, confused. "But..he's not even machine or human. Not fully. He's part elemental."

"We have to try.... I... you..." Allison shakes her head, "Do you want to just stand here and watch everything he may be, everything he might become... get deleted like a formatted drive?"

Paragon's eyes dim. "No. I don't. I don't even understand why his personality is being overwritten. This isn't what they said," she looks over to Arion, deeply concerned. "If we can save him, we have to try."

Arion cocks his head to the side..."Paragon, we are not yet complete..." he seems to recognize Paragon in a different way, and says, "It hurt didn't it...when she died. She is wants me to let you know she didn't suffer much."

"We have to try." adds Allison. "Do you want to grab him or should I?" she asks. She knows what happened to Paragon, and she'll be damned if she watches anyone else lose themselves.

Paragon falls a step back in surprise. "It...it did," her voice is shaken. "I'm glad she didn't suffer much. It wasn't fair..." her voice trails off. Her eyes brighten suddenly at a realization. "What do you mean you're not complete yet? What's missing?" So much happening. She says to Allison while still locking eyes on Arion, "You're faster. Carry him. Or both of us, if you can."

Her body suddenly growing bulkier as the nanotech adds mass to the myomer muscles, Allison nods and says, "Grab onto me." before she floats forward and reaches to try to take hold of Arion gently in both arms. "Not complete... well either way, we should have him at the gym where I can erect shields to contain any further explosions." And if all of that works, she'll thrust off into the night..... accelerating.

Arion puts his hands out, "It is not what you think. We are 6 souls, and we are one soul. We are remnants, and we are whole beings. We will not be lost, nor are we possessed, we simply are seeking unity, for ever have we been connected." he says to Paragon, "You understand yes?"

Paragon nods slowly to Arion as she holds onto Allison. "But Arion...this doesn't sound like you from before. You were angry at the Regent for doing this to you. To -all- of you..."

Yes, Allison doesn't like magic, but her brain works fast... and I mean -fast-. She rips through some calculations, and some math to reach the end of an equation where she just.. stops. She doesn't grab Arion, doesn't take off. She just inclines her head and asks a simple question. "How long?" to Arion.

Arion looks to Paragon..."It is not fair. We are suffering, every one of us, Even I, who live, have suffered." he says sadness creeping into his voice, "My father lies in wait for his fate to be given by his greatest friend, and leader. we have all lost. But there is one more, None of us know who, or where they are."

"So... of the five, you're missing one. Yes?" asks Allison. She looks to Paragon and grins, "He's not being overwritten. He's... a shard. Think of it as.. a fragmented disk drive. Or rather, several drives split up. Once you put the memory all together, you have a working program. Right now, he's just an incomplete program."

"Do you know if your father really did this, Arion?" Paragon asks delicately. The world rarely seems fair, but that's never stopped Paragon from trying to save everyone she can. "--Wait. One more? One more remnant? I thought you were all connected. How can there be one more that you don't know?"

Paragon's eyes shut off for a few moments as she listens to Allison. They flicker back on eventually as her head pans to her friend. "But they were all children. They had names. Families. Lives," she says in a low, sad tone.

"They... are all inside of there. Inside of him. They were representations of memories or portions of the life. Perhaps sides of the soul. That is what I think is going on." says Allison.

Arion ooks at both of you, "We are individuals, we loved our parents, we know our lives, even those which were very short. We mourn for those lives taken, but they continue to live here with me. The Regent's soul is immortal..it is as if we are family meeting each other for the first time. It is mournful and yet joyous. We are not facets of a gem, we are siblings in a circle holding hands, and more powerful for it." he looks at Paragon, "Do not be sad for us, we live on."

Paragon shakes her head slowly. "You don't understand. I felt it. I -lived- it," her voice starts to break up. But of course Allison doesn't understand. Paragon can't explain it. She looks at Arion, her voice regaining its strength. It's cold and steady. "It wasn't worth it."

"The... wait you.. huh?" Ally is lost again. Then she ahs. "Oh, the life of that one shard was inserted into you as a memory? You possess the memories of an entire life, and death?" she asks. She understands psionics at least.

"Three lives. One very painful death," Paragon says hollowly.

"Ouch, memories forcibly inserted... against your will?" Allison asks. She turns her gaze, and eyes that somehow... even though they are not organic... still show a dagger-like stare towards Arion. "Why would anyone do that?" she asks.

Arion nods to Paragon, "No.it was not, We would give back the lives would it that we could. It is strange how death can teach so much, how so many presumptions of life can be laid asunder, and in its wake, golden truths released, but never to be seen by the living." he looks at the scientist girl, "Yes..you use strange words, but yes, that is true." he returns his gaze, almost lovingly at Paragon, "We cannot go back, the wheel but turns in one direction my dearest companion. Do not grieve. all of our deaths were painful, All save mine, for I live. But we are not whole here either. The other has half our essence. I have gained the light, but the other..the other has taken the pain, and the fear and the darkness of our souls, it is a blackheart."

Dearest.. companion. Is this weirdo making moves on Allison's best (and really, only true) friend? Her eyes are still narrowed as she adds, "I think we can move beyond terms of endearment here. But seriously. Can we just find the puzzle pieces, put the jigsaw puzzle together, and all that?" she looks to Paragon and asks... very carefully... "Do you want to keep those memories? Or are they something you would prefer to excise?"

Arion looks back at Allison, "Is it not clear to you? As we die, we grow stronger, and when we are complete, we shall have the Strength of the Regent within us, we have a duty to fulfill, the protection of the realms, but we always have the choice. The Blackheart would forsake all the Regent has ever stood for, he would become a tyrant of the realms."

Waving a hand as if dismissing Arion. "I'm not asking about that right now. What I want to know is why anyone would have made -my- best friend live and die in her head... make her experience such things. And if she wants to be rid of such memories."

Paragon's voice softens, her eyes flickering in confusion. She knows a little about defying the wheel, but doesn't know the how of it. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop any of your deaths. I'm so, so sorry." Then she just shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Arion...I'm not the person you must think me to be," she says in response to the companion comment. Now that the danger seems to be over, her helm retracts again. There's still blood running down her face from the cut, in some ways reminiscent of Artemicia's injury. "So there really is one unknown heir? How can they have gone unnoticed?"

Paragon gazes sadly at Allison, but she smiles softly to her. "I think it would dishonor their memory if I just chose to forget. It was painful...but I want to remember. I want to remember that they lived."

You paged Allison with 'That doesn't mean an accident won't happen later down the road...heh.' Arion shakes his head, "We do not know, but it is known that the gods have the means to hide the heirs, Persephone did so for a number of years.." he pauses, "You do not understand friend of Paragon, she and I share a connection, she also has a remnant of the soul of the Regent, she joined with his soul willingly, and as such forever shall we be linked."

Nodding then, Allison turns her eyes from Paragon and back to Arion. "Okay, now.. that's handled. One thing at a time. Systematic, that's the best way to handle things. So, how do we locate some... other shard, other soul, whatever heir you speak of?"

That news comes to a shock to Paragon. Her eyes flit to Arion, eyes widen at the revelation. "I do...?" She doesn't recall when that happened. But maybe that explains the why of it all. Ever since the witnessing event. And then comes a possible understanding. Her expression becomes more neutral with it. "Does that mean I have to die too for you to be whole?"

"You're already dead." says Allison as an aside to Paragon. "And if you are unaware of the link, then perhaps he isn't exactly correct that you -willingly- accepted it." She stands up and rolls her neck, "So, how about it? How was this -link- formed?" She's about a hair away from turning her arms into cannons.

Arion smiles, "We cannot locate them, but we do know which soul is missing.." he points at some point a few inches in front of him 6 times, a ball of flame, a stone, a snowball, a ball of light a ball of darkness, and a mini tornado form. "6 are the planes represented here.." he points at a 7th invisible point, "Water is missing. It is the plane of water that still lives."

Arion shakes his head, "No Paragon, yours is the witness, you need not fear." he looks at Allison, unperturbed.

Arion says, "She was asked by Gaia, if she would bear witness, she agreed. They were bound." he says this as if it explains everything, "And thus..it was."

Paragon's brow furrows. "I thought water had died at birth. Then why would your father hire the shadow assassins to kill the heir of Light? We need to tell the Lords and Ladies about the Water heir."

"To bear witness is not the same as saying... will you link yourself, your soul, to his?" says Allison. "This is why magic sucks, because they change the rules as they go along, and never explain anything clearly."

Arion pauses, "We all thought water hath died at birth...but Water was ever the 1st to bear the bond, none within me lived when Water did."

Paragon stands in the ruins of her bedroom, her helm retracted. Parts of her room is starting to repair from Arion's abilities. There's a gash running along her cheek and running up along to her temple, and blood flows freely down her face and onto her armor's chestplate. "I suppose so, Allison, but I did agree to it." The door is wide open, as are parts of the wall still as they rebuild.

Shaking her head, Allison just mutters, "This sucks. It just sucks...." She looks to Paragon and says, "You don't want me to help with the memories, I can't help him... and I am out of cupcakes. This day just plain sucks." That said, she just sits back down on the floor... she hates feeling helpless.

Chen returns to the house. Her first instinct when the explosion occurred was to head outside and talk firmly to the attackers. Only there's been no sign of any attackers. "What just happened?" she asks when she gets into Paragon's bedroom. Then heads for a first aid kit. "You're bleeding. Are you hurt badly?" she asks Paragon.

Arion cocks his head at Chen, "The Other witness.."

"She's already self-repairing. It'll be fine in an hour or so." mutters Allison as she.. um.. pouts/sulks on the floor?

Paragon looks down at Allison apologetically. "I'm sorry. It wouldn't be right for me to forget their memory, no matter how much it hurt. I'll get you cupcakes soon," she promises. Then looking to Arion, she straightens up and stands a little taller. "Do you have a way to contact Gaia or the others to tell them what's happened? Maybe they can find Water. There might still be assassins after you."

Paragon just waves off Chen's concern. "I'm fine...really. It's just a scratch." Her attention is on Arion. She doesn't have time to get bandaged up for such a minor injury.

"No, that's fine." mutters Allison. "You have more important things than cupcakes to work on." she states as her thrusters extrude from arms, legs, back, etc... and she fires them to lift from the floor, "Hi Chen." she adds before she just launches herself. "Dearest companion my ass.." she mutters as she accelerates into the night.

Arion watches as the scientific one flies away, "She..is very angry." he says evenly..

"She...really enjoys her cupcakes," Paragon makes up a polite excuse for Allison's behavior. She doesn't quite understand it herself.

Chen hears Allison's remark. She shrugs, it's not important. "You were going to explain what happened, Paragon." she reminds her friend.

Arion nods clearly not understanding, "Chen...you are the other witness, I am Arion, It is good to finally meet you."

"Oh, right," Paragon suddenly realizes. She was staring off at Allison's sudden departure and trying to figure out what is going on with her friend. Now, her attention finally turns to Chen. "Earlier today, the child of shadow passed. Arion woke briefly for that, but then returned to a catatonic state. He just woke up a few minutes ago and started displaying power over all of the elements, except water. Apparently, there is one last heir who has been kept a secret this whole time."

Chen says, "I wish I could say the same, Arion. But I can't." She looks at Paragon, "Wasn't the water plane soul child supposed to have died at birth?"

Paragon nods to Chen. "That's what we've all been told. But apparently, the Lord of Water has kept their heir hidden somehow."

Chen says, "Mmm... The other soul children knew when one was killed. The only way for the water plane to get away with telling that their child had died would have been... if that child was the first to have been born. Am I right?"

Paragon nods again. "Right again. Arion explained that. Water was the first and was claimed to have died before any others were born."

Chen says, "How long ago?"

To that, Paragon shrugs and looks to Arion questioningly.

Arion says, "it is said that 300 years ago, the Regent spent nearly a century on the plane of water, trapped there before he had come into his full powers. and that during that time, he formed a bond with one of the denizens of that realm."

Arion says, "It was an early time in the rift wars, when the boundries between realms had weakened...""

Chen says, "So this is no grabbing at an opportunity plot. It's been planned from a long time ago. Obviously the child himself or herself is not the prime mover. A new born is not going to be plotting such things."

Paragon frowns slowly, her eyes sad and troubled. "Water's heart has turned black and intends to rule as a tyrant, according to Arion. He or she will send someone after you still to gain all of Regent's abilities. Maybe we can strike first and capture Water?"

Chen says, "Sounds like a plan. Let's go."

Arion looks at you both, "How will you strike at Water? She likely resides on the plane of water, where her powers would be greatest now, as mine would be on the plane of air. Even should you get there, how would you survive, can either of breathe water? I certainly cannot. We would need aid, and then we seek all the oceans for a single hidden person? While I share your passion, I do not understand how it can be done."

Paragon sighs a little, rubbing the back of her head as she accepts the truth. "I can only hold my breath so long. I suppose we have to wait for Water to come to us and just continue to gather allies."

Chen says, "Blah. I hate waiting. Okay, my father told me the best way to make an assassin's job harder is make them have to hunt for the target. You can't stay here. We need to move somwehere safer."

Arion nods, "Allies, and we have many." he begins a whirling motion..a small vortex appear, and the winds once again pick up in the room, "My Lord Garuda! Hear thine servant's call for help!" "Starguard, maybe? It's guarded. Has alert systems, and..." Paragon's voice trails off as Arion summons the wind again. Her hair flutters about as the wind picks up.

A presence is felt, but not seen in the room, "Speak Arion..."

"The Shadow Child has fallen, Lord Neptune's realm holds the key. The Soul Child in the realm of Water has not died. I do not possess her powers."

Chen tells Paragon, "... or we let the Lords and Ladies clear up their own mess and we concentrate of protecting Arion until it's doen."

Paragon side glances to Chen and nods slightly. "Arion's safety is a priority." There's other things left unsaid for now. Paragon's face is grim as it turns back to Arion and observes.

Garuda speaks, "I shall consult with the others, this is a grave matter, and one that must be dealt with. There is a grim betrayal of the council by one that sits upon it. Protect thineself, I bless you and your protectors" and with that the presence is gone.

Chen nods, "Starguard sounds good. I could call the Baron and see if he is willing. Huh, prbably not though. There's nothing in it for him. Starguard then."

Arion looks at Chen, "What is this Guardian of the Stars?"

Chen says, "An organisation dedicated to protecting Earth from aliens. This should be right up their street actually."

Paragon nods with what Chen says. "It's a bit like a castle or a fortress, you could say. It's defendable. If they agree to have you there for your protection."

Arion nods "Then let us away to the Guardians of the Stars."

Chen looks to Paragon, "Call them first? Don't want to take Arion out into the streets and then they say no. I'll call the Baron too just in case.

Paragon frowns a little at Chen. "I know you trust the Baron, but I'm sure he'd want something out of this that I would not be willing to pay," she tries to keep her tone neutral and non-judgemental. She had the number of one of the commanders at Starguard from the Eclipse hostage situation; perhaps he can do her this favor.

Arion looks at both...not sure what to do. This is their realm.