//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: A Mirror of many Faces // by Jyuuma //------------------------------// It was a dark and cloudy night; the clouds in question were swirling around a particular phenomenon, an ominous sight taking place. The sky was filled with strange reflections: a large circle composed of several belts which rotated on opposing directions each, all of which contained ancient-looking runes, all made of pure light, was gently blinking in place. A single pillar of light was, as well, shining through the middle of the entire rune formation and into the cause of the spectacle… Right down below, in the center of a forest in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious large pyramid-like structure could be seen, gently flickering in and out of existence, resulting in strange happenings to the surroundings, warping them on almost unbelievable ways, twisting their form constantly and reverting them to their original shape, repeating the cycle over and over. Its blinking was accompanied by warp-sounding noises, synched to the building’s strange behavior. Not too far away, at the edge of a high cliff, 2 hooded figures stood, watching over the unfolding scene, keeping silent for a few moments as if in deep contemplation of what was happening before their eyes and its full meaning, until one finally breaks the silence. “…So he went and did it, eh?” the first one began, in a girly, carefree voice, with a rather laid-back demeanor, as if trying to set a calmer mood. “This cannot bode well.” The other replied, on a more serious womanly tone, seemingly more appropriate for the situation at hand. “It can’t be THAT bad. I mean, in theory, he shouldn’t be able to do as much as he so foolishly thinks he can, right?” the first continued, still laid-back but with a hint of worry appearing in her voice. The second one delivered a serious look at her, almost as if not believing her calm state in such a time, or her attempts at making it sound less of a deal than what it could really be. “If he’s been able to get THIS far, it only means he’s found a way to interfere in others’ affairs, so to speak.” The first looked at her, clearly more worried now, before staring back at the scene still unfolding. “This still shouldn’t be that bad, we have a few clues of what he’s trying to do. It ain’t completely clear yet, and while I can understand what he may be going through… this just isn’t the way.” “It isn’t, indeed.” The second continued. “Plus, this is all still in its theoretical phase and you know that as well as me. At this rate, and as uncertain as things are right now, he will end up causing more harm than good, not just to thousands, but to himself too.” “But he’s a stubborn one.” Both muttered at once, in perfect sync as if they had practiced it for a long time, staring almost blankly straight ahead. Breaking the silence of the moment, the first gazed upon the forest once again, before looking back at her companion. “So… what happens now?” The second now follows her colleague’s staring at the scene as well. “From this point onwards… there should be all kinds of reactions happening all over the place, similar to this one, at least in nature if not in appearance. Small and subtle at first, but they will slowly become increasingly larger and more noticeable.” “What should we do then?” The first wondered on an inquisitive tone, eager to set things in motion. “… As much as I’m against it, we must take action, slow but steady, the last thing we need is unnecessary panic among the population.” The second replied in a more decisive tone. “Are you sure about this? If our calculations are correct, then we REALLY shouldn’t be interfering this much.” The first replied back, clearly more worried than before, sounding aware and fearing of the implications. “I do not prefer this either, but think about it. If we do not interfere, the results will be much more catastrophic. We can no longer ignore these matters. If we were to completely disregard this…” The second whispered as she once more looked down at the forest, shuddering at her last thought, then turned around and began to walk away slowly. “Head North. If our information doesn’t differ as much, you should begin our warnings there.” “You do know they won’t believe it at first.” The first replied. “Maybe. But if they are as observant as we both hope they are, they will understand and take preemptive action and measures as well. Fortunately, given the circumstances, it shouldn’t take them too long to connect the dots, and I’m quite certain there are a few that you might want to contact first, to set things in motion the right way.” The second affirmed, with a small smile forming on her face. “I shall continue to observe these sightings. Our team sent word of more of them, such as this one, unfolding all over the map. I’ll head to the pointed areas to confirm these reports.” She finished as she kept walking away, stopping for a moment to add a last statement. “Good luck. We are going to need it.” The first nodded as she saw the second walk a bit further away, still nervous, but with a renewed sense of calm, before she vanished in a spark of light. She returned her stare at the mysterious pyramid and rune circles, still fading and reappearing in the night, as she took off her hood, revealing her appearance: a light yellow coat and horn, her eyes and mane of different tones of clear blue, with black-framed purple shaded glasses partially covering them. Why, oh why, did he have to be this persistent, she wondered. She indeed understood his position and feelings, but this just wasn’t the way. There was more at stake than what he thought. Then again, understanding his situation, it was clear he cared not for the welfare of others. His judgment was foggy, his reasoning, distorted. Letting him be was not an option, regardless of his final intentions. And, just as her companion pointed out before leaving, they weren’t completely hopeless. It would be a matter of observation, but if their knowledge of this place was correct, at least up to a certain extent, they indeed would be able to locate the correct individuals to explain the situation to, and they would then be able to help them in assessing this endeavor. They would have to, one way or another, as it already involved their lives as well. For some reason, that sounded the wrong way on her head for a moment, but she quickly shook it off. “So this is how it begins.” She whispered to herself, before her horn glowed, vanishing into a flash similar to the one before, if not practically the exact same.