001st Promotion ♛ The eternal search

[promotedpawn]

[You're drowning. You must be drowning because you're surrounded by water, falling deeper into this vast sea, or are you going up? Whether you look up or down the sight is the same, darkness spreading while wrapped lovingly in the water's embrace. Is this how are you going to end? Drowning in an unknown sea, for an unknown reason? But that's

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[waterfell]

[It reminds her of the galaxy cauldron. It reminds her of the princess' dream. No sea holds any terror for her, and she finds herself looking at the lights (sailor crystals...?) as though she could identify the stars she knows among them.

They're different. She turns her head to see more of them, and again to see still more. She has a feeling of being surrounded that's worse than the possibility of drowning now that she's thought of them as senshi.

The man who speaks is the first person she's seen in this dream, and her head turns towards him sharply.]

What's going on here? [Her voice comes out demanding.]

[promotedpawn]

[The world displays itself on the sides of the fragment, unraveling its tragedies, its miracles and all its secrets to him. But it's no good either, a world like this won't be able to serve as a gameboard against those two witches, neither it holds anyone on his agenda to worry about. The fragment is tossed to the side, floating away untouched by the magic of the wizard, untainted by his world.

He reaches for another one as he hears the voice. It makes him pause, not because of how ridiculous the question is, why would anyone who doesn't know what this place is be here? But because of the voice itself. He shifts lightly, golden eyes flashing as he looks at the woman, an arm still stretched to reach for another fragment.]

That's a good question... How did you find your way here without any help, Mercury-san?

[waterfell]

[It's a crystallization of what she's done, of the poison she's brought into so many worlds, this search for one to use. In the dream, she only vaguely understands it as such.

He knows her name. That gives her pause; it's a name that's become a byword for betrayal and darkness in many worlds, but one like this?]

The borders between worlds aren't as strong as most people believe. That's all.

[promotedpawn]

They never were. Still it's strange... To think I would see you in the middle of the sea of worlds rather than on one untied to any other world.

[He pauses, turning to face her a smile on his lips. It's a sarcastic, angry and hurt smile, all at the same time.]

But of course, I doubt you even know what I'm talking about, do you? It would be too much to ask for.

[That's not really said to her but apparently to this sea itself as he gives the crystals floating a wry look.]

[waterfell]

There's a place like it in my world. [She says no more than that; an outsider doesn't need to know. Though one who's here... she supposes she can't consider the same as a simple human.]

So if you're here, who are you?

[promotedpawn]

There are many places similar to this, but very few are really "like it".

[Who are you? He smiles even more, but it's not a happy one, even a fool could see that. But it's okay, he knew it already.]

My name's Primo. I'm nothing but a wizard in search of something he lost before he could get it.

[waterfell]

[It's the worst of questions; but she didn't know it was like that for someone else. And it doesn't answer how he'd seemed to know her, though with as many as she's been to, she assumes he knows the 'her' of another world.]

And it's among these?

[promotedpawn]

It should be. It may not be. But it will be here. And I have all the eternity to find it.

[And all the patience and persistence for it as well. Which is easy to tell due the vast amount of fragments there are. He looks at the fragments and then at her before reaching for one and observing it for a second.]

You're older than I remember. Wiser. Stronger. There aren't many worlds with one like you on them. A pity.

[waterfell]

[She's always been weak to praise, and it's the very fact that she wants to warm to it that warns her off and makes her answer coldly instead.]

First of all, let's be clear: Whoever you knew, is someone else. [So don't pretend to know me.]

[It's true, isn't it? Whatever words of respect he's mouthing, he's measuring her against someone who isn't her, taking this time for their sake and not her own, thinking of them only.]

[promotedpawn]

[He doesn't seem worried about the clarification, it makes him smirk.]

Second of all, let's be clear: If you were the one I met you would have remembered my name. There's no way for you to have been her either, for as though she had the potential to be like you, her life turned in a different direction.

You're really a unique existence of Mercury. Even without knowing the specifics of your existence, that much is clear to see.

[He has observed through enough worlds with Ami Mizuno in them to see how many possible outcomes there are. The ones in which Mercury would have this appearance are extremely few.]

[waterfell]

[A stupid part of her wants to ask if 'different' ended up 'happily'. But it doesn't matter. Even if it did, it isn't that way for her.]

Maybe now I should be flattered. But I already know I've surpassed those alternates without you saying so.

[promotedpawn]

[Surpassing doesn't always have a positive meaning, he too has surpassed any Keiichi there may be, but it's debatable if he's really better than them.]

Never hurts to state the obvious. I wasn't trying to flatter you, either.

[He lets go the crystal he was holding and reaches for another.]

[waterfell]

[The crystals draw her notice, but she hasn't quite been bold enough to reach for one yet. Now, she finally does as he does. She has nothing but instinct to guide her as she chooses it and holds it close to her to examine it.]

I'm more interested in these.

[promotedpawn]

[The crystal is nothing special at first, beyond floating in the middle of an endless sea and shine with light. The touch is warm, pulsing as life flows on it. But if she observes it with enough attention the flat surfaces of the fragment will start to change, reflecting scenes of the world inside of it. It may be one she knows, one she thinks she knows, one she forgot, one she never saw, but it's a world pulsing with life and death on equal amount.]

Looking for something in particular?

[waterfell]

[She releases it, but it takes a long time for her to speak, to weigh whether she should speak. At last, she makes up her mind, because the drive to know outweighs the other considerations.]

I want to see... what my world looks like viewed like this. [Her eyes meet Primo's, not quite defiant, but firm.] I want to see the state of my world.

[She knows what she should find. But, somehow she can't leave it alone.]

[promotedpawn]

[Golden eyes hold hers, unimpressed, one could say almost bored. He remains in silence for a moment, searching in her expression, before he sighs.]

I would ask if you're sure of that wish, but I suppose it's unneeded. If it's your world what you want to see, you should be able to find it easily, even if you're not used to the sea. Just call for it and it will call back and come to you.

[He concentrates himself, calling for his own as well. Slowly, from distant points all around, a thousand of lights shine brighter than the rest and float without hesitation towards him. When he opens his eyes he has a ring of crystals orbiting around him.]

Ah... In your case it probably will be just one.

[He grunts, looking slightly frustrated, but of course, after all, technically he belonged once to all of those worlds.]