//------------------------------//
// Future and Past 
// Story: Mother X: Father 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	The group of five carefully followed the narrow paths through the white place they found themselves in, running into odd individuals that recognized Moondancer but not the others...save for a small insect that claimed to know Zarbol.  While they weren't certain where they were supposed to go, there weren't that many ways to go unless one could self-propel via PSI.  As Moondancer was the only one who could do that, they followed the paths.

At one point, they passed a structure that resembled a small metal mountain range that exerted magnetic pull on its surroundings.  "Magnet Hill..." Moondancer murmured as she caught sight of it.

"What was that?" Zarbol asked curiously.

Moondancer blinked.  "I...I don't know..."  She wasn't sure why - or even what - she'd just said anymore.

Seeing an image of Greyface, the group approached the mental projection.  As he saw them approach, he frowned.  "I took my pig friends through time...but I have no idea where they ended up anymore," he stated calmly.  "All those lives in limbo now...aren't you happy, Moondancer?"

Moondancer shivered in response.  "I...don't understand..."

"Of course you don't," Greyface responded coldly.  "Just like the rest of your kind, you're flailing around in a world not your own, desperately trying to enforce your idea of what the 'right thing' is, without thinking about what that might do to the world itself.  Timelines don't manage themselves, you know.  But that's your charm, isn't it?  Because you're just so cute, so much is excused..."

"But...but I just want to-"

"Yes, you just want to save your Daddy," Greyface taunted darkly.  "And you might just manage it.  But don't think that won't be without consequences, and don't pretend you'll like all of them.  Lives are in the balance, and there's already blood on your hooves.  He may have been a ship devouring monster...but Gargiathan was alive, and you killed him.  And you're going to have to spill a lot more blood if you want to save Giegue."  He smirked.  "And I don't think you can be that ruthless.

"But then, who am I to judge?"  He turned away.  "I'm just a part of the narrative.  You don't have to stop...just be sure to think."

As Moondancer sat there staring, Alinivar gently pulled her forward, hoping to find real answers further along, rather than meaningless riddles.

Further along the path, Alinivar encountered an image of himself, who gifted him with a guitar forged from the energies of Magicant to help boost his abilities.  Since it so closely resembled his favorite, original guitar, he immediately decided to hold onto it for use in combat.  Combat quickly arose as they moved to a deeper part of the Magicant, where the paths turned from white to red.

"We're nearing the Sea of Eden," Moondancer observed worriedly.  "The source of the darker aspect of the psyche.  We can expect to run into some serious danger here."

"Then we'll just have to be ready, *whirr*" Larice stated firmly, priming his weapons.

The red paths were narrower, and twisted and turned much more than the white paths, making them harder to maneuver.  There were PSI concentrations in the form of monsters along the path, but they did not actively hunt the group, nor were they difficult to avoid.  Eventually, the twisting paths led to a hole in the ground which they dropped down, hoping to find answers.

At the bottom of the hole, they found a room filled with blue light.  Six doors lined the far wall: from left to right they were yellow, blue, dark grey, pale grey, orange, and green.  In the center of the room was a faint image of Niiue.  "Niiue!" Moondancer called out desperately, rushing towards him.

"It sure took you all...long enough," Niiue managed to say, plainly struggling as he seemed faint, almost not really there.  "Welcome to the future of the Earth...the future of Giygas.  More than 20 years in the future, to be precise.  Giygas has left...all devastation.  When you left in the Phase Distorter, Giegue had the last piece of the Apple of Enlightenment.  He did not attack me, but secluded himself with the Apple...and learned its prophecy.  I waited for your return...but you never came.  And Giegue, driven mad by the prophecy, became Giygas.  Giygas...extinguished all life.  He had turned his PSI against himself...destroying his body and becoming pure PSI energy, amplified somehow...to destroy everything.  All...was lost..."

"No!" Alinivar snapped out angrily.  "There has to be a way to fix this!  Some way to save Earth, the solar system...to save Giegue!"  The others chorused their agreement and determination.

Niiue's eyes lit up.  "There might be a way.  The Apple told me everything when he was done with it.  Return to your own time, and you can find a way to reverse this future.  Bring the mineral Zexonyte here.  It can only be found in the leftover hunks of meteors that have fallen planetside...so check Saturn.  With it...we may be able to make a last ditch effort..."  He breathed deeply.  "Take this door...it will get you back out.  The Phase Distorter will have finished repairing and recharging now."

A bright pink door appeared behind the group as Niiue vanished.  With nothing else to do, the group made their way to the door, Moondancer taking one last glance back to where Niiue had vanished from.  The world flared white as they opened the door, leaving them in the south of Onett.  They swiftly made their way back to the apartment and the Phase Distorter...which now accepted the command to Warp.  In a wave of light, they vanished...only to reappear aboard their ship.

Niiue flinched back in shock as they arrived.  "Leave it to you to show up on a refueling run instead of-Oof!"

Moondancer had cannoned into him, clinging tightly to him and crying her eyes out.

Niiue stared down at her in confusion, but quickly wrapped his arms around her as he looked back up at Alinivar.  "What happened?"

"We saw what happens to the world if we fail," Alinivar offered grimly.  "But if we find some Zexonyte, we might just have a chance when we go back to the future."

"Wow," Niiue murmured softly.  "That's...heavy.  Well, as long as we have a new lead..."  He stood up, cradling Moondancer.  "We've got some fuel, so figure out where we should go.  Up to you when we're ready to act.  I've loaded up a map of the star system to the computer.  I'll give you whatever information I can when we reach a planet."

Alinivar nodded as Zarbol moved to the helm, ready to set a course.