[SP-F6] <<Calming the Soul>> Enduring Reflections

[Teion 0]

"Next to a lake...underneath a waterfall." Teion repeated the directions under her breath as she trekked through the thick jungles of the sixth floor. It had been a while since Valentine's Day where she had first been told about this mysterious quest, and even longer still since she had been on this floor of Aincrad. Both events stirred up conflicted memories and feelings inside of the violette. "Confronted by everything that's troubling me, huh...?" Once again, she repeated Ryo's words, playing back his vague description of the quest that he had suggested she seek out. The memory caused her to frown, both out of skepticism and confusion. How was a quest supposed to do her a whole lot of good, and what was it that she actually had to do? She shook her head. Speculation, as tempting and nearly irresistible as it was, was only serving to frustrate her slowly.

[Teion 0]

A very faint rumbling sound reached her ears from the distance, which she was able to identify as the heavy crash of falling water after a few seconds of concentration. A couple more minutes of her earthy brown boots crunching against the fallen leaves and tiny branches that littered the ground, and the massive trees eventually gave way to a brightly-lit clearing. Completely undisturbed by NPCs or other players, the grove was peaceful. Tranquil, even. But the woman simply cocked a brow, turning her head side to side. With no NPC, that meant no quest-giver, so how was she supposed to do anything here? Her attention was drawn first to the pool of rippling water as blue as her eyes, then back to the waterfall that disturbed the small lake's surface. It looked to rain down upon a small rock formation before hitting the rest of the water laying beneath, causing Teion to lightly smirk as the image of someone standing, meditating beneath the falls came to mind, like some scene out of a movie.

[Teion 0]

And then she stopped. "Oh, don't tell me I actually..." She let the sentence hang as she was already in the process of silently answering it. She gave another look around her. 'Well, if there's nothing and nobody else out here anyway... At least I can embarrass myself in seclusion.' She hoped, giving a quick glance downward at the clothing she wore. She considered changing, undressing, or even just removing the dark amethyst cloak from her shoulders. Instead, they picked up into a shrug and she took a couple of steps into the shallow water. It was quick to soak into her thigh-high boots, black leggings, and purple tunic as she waded farther in. The lake easily reached up to her chest, and possibly fell deeper at its center. She had pushed off from the dirt floor before trying to walk to that point, swimming the short distance to the flat-topped rock formation on the other side.

[Teion 0]

The water wasn't cold enough for her to despise it, but after the walk through the humid jungle the sensation of floating around in the clear waters was a welcome one. Besides that, how long had it been since she'd gone swimming? She almost forgot how much she loved it, how the water seemed to wash away her troubles and stress without fail. Closing her eyes, she went so far as to submerge herself completely into the lake, bringing a hand to her forehead to push back her loose-floating bangs along with any other straying locks of violet hair before she broke the surface again. Already feeling a bit refreshed, Teion lifted herself up and out of the water, onto the surprisingly stable slabs of rock. She stood, taking a second to gain proper footing with the steady stream of water crashing down several inches in front of her now.

[Teion 0]

Hesitantly, a hand reached out and held its fingers underneath the rushing water for a few seconds, gauging the pressure as if in fear that the force of gravity acting on it might be enough to cause her pain. Or at least, the unpleasant discomfort that replaced that sensation in this world. Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, Teion dropped her hand back to her side and took a large stride forward, placing herself beneath the waterfall. Eyes pulled shut in anticipation, it took a few seconds before she would gradually relax, focusing on the feeling of the water pushing down on her, sliding and hugging against her frame, hair, and clothing. When Teion opened her eyes again, all of the feelings she had been so aware of just a split second ago suddenly vanished. The pressure of the falls against her skin, the wetness of her clothing, the smells of the forest, all gone.

[Teion 0]

It was like waking up from a dream, but instead of sitting up in her bed, she was standing in an inky blackness. And yet, somehow, she felt like everything was okay. It wasn't dark, just...empty. Her head turned side to side, and she twisted slightly as she worked to survey her surroundings. But there was nothing. A small, hesitant step forward, and the ground beneath her feet suddenly came alive with an incredibly bright light. The change caused her to wince, overloaded for just a moment before she blinked away the confusion. Surrounding her, a wide circle with varied lines of fragmentation, as if she was standing atop a massive sheet of stained glass in a single, off-white hue. Picking her eyes up further, they landed on a single door standing directly in front of her, a few generous feet away. Another quick glance around her showed nothing else of interest, and so Teion tried again.

[Teion 0]

Another small step, and with nothing new out of the ordinary she continued, carrying herself to the very plain, very harmless looking door. Swallowing back the apprehension that had suddenly began building inside of her chest, she reached out to grasp the simple brass handle, gave it a turn, and pushed it open. On the other side, the jungles of the sixth floor awaited her again. Stepping through and trailing her eyes over the vast vine-covered trees and flittering wildlife, it was as if the 'room' behind her was the dream. After her fingers had slipped away, the door swung shut behind her, falling into place in its free-standing frame with a soft 'click'. A small clearing stood before the violette, and after another couple of steps forward the movement of a hooded figure from behind the base of an immensely tall tree caught her attention. Teion froze, eyes wide with disbelief as she was quick to recognize the face of the girl that stepped out to confront her.

[Teion 0]

"'Ello!" She was greeted with a cheerful smile. "Aww, wha'ssa matter?" The smile was quick to turn down as Teion only wore an expression of shock. The unnamed girl, bearing no spinning cursor over her head or any other game-related features to identify her, shifted her weight to one side and placed her hands on her hips while she stared back at Teion. "Ohhh, I get'cha. Ya still don't get it, do ya?" She closed her eyes and shook her head just as Teion's lips pursed. Before the woman had the chance to start asking questions with the sharpened edge of the axe that she drew, the girl was already providing some kind of answers. "I'm you! Well, okay, not the same 'you' that tried ta kill ya before, cause that was a fake you, y'know? No no, this time I'm really you. More specifically, I'm your past. This ooone moment in your past that ya just can't seem ta let go of. Been a while, don'tcha think?"

[Teion 0]

The girl cocked her head to the side as she cast Teion an inquisitive look, but the blacksmith only stared back with a suspicious aggression in her eyes. Her jaw clenched, then loosened. "And so what, we're supposed to have a nice chat? Reminisce about the good old times?" She asked with thick sarcasm. The girl simply shrugged back, holding either of her hands palm-up at her sides. "If ya like, then I won't argue. Though, ya won't be goin' anywhere 'till you've defeated me." She explained plainly, prompting Teion to tighten her grip on the darkened pole of her axe. The reaction elicited a disappointed expression on the girl's face before it shifted to something more troubled. "Y'know... Ever since then, you've been right quick to talk with that axe of yours. And, well, I know there's a lotta nasties in this place, but would it kill ya to crack a smile now an' again? You... I don't actually wanna hurt ya anymore, honest. But ya gotta work with me here, girl. So, I'll make it easy on ya..."

[Teion 0]

The corner of her mouth pulled up into half a smirk, and she took another step and a half away from the forest's edge, placing herself in the center of the grove. She held her arms out slightly on either side, standing across from Teion as an open target. But the violette simply stood, shoulders dropping in lingering confusion. She straightened up a bit, and her weapon fell a bit to a loose hold across her legs. "So... What, if I just, kill you like you're some monster, I'll just... 'defeat' my past?" Her words were slow and quiet, like she didn't believe them herself as she spoke them. "Well I mean, not exactly. It ain't all that easy. Ya still gotta be willin' to do that yourself, but...trust me, I'm as tired of all this as you are." Her crooked smile persisted. "So, I won't put up a fight, if you're serious."

[Teion 0]

A silence fell between the two figures that seemed to drag on for an impressive length. Teion's eyes fell, breaking away from the girl that smiled weakly back at her, and stared into the forest floor as she thought long and hard on the words she was offered. Finally, drawing in a deep breath through her nose, her chin picked back up to face the first of her inner demons, and she nodded. "Yeah, I think I can get on board with that." She took on her own crooked smile back at the girl, who then broke out into a genuine laughter. "'Atta girl! Now c'mon, I ain't got all day!" She urged. The violette took steady strides, the grip on her weapon renewed but no longer fueled with fear or aggression. Bringing the curved blade up to her shoulder, she mouthed a single word before the sharpened edge would come down on the girl's frame and cause her to shatter into hundreds of pixelated fragments.

ID#: 98705 | BD: 2 - Miss! | MD: 8 - Hit!

• Teion: 724/740 HP | 72/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<First Inner Demon>>: 185/185 HP | 52 DMG | 3 MIT

[Teion 0]

'Thanks.' The small 'click' that came from behind her caused Teion to turn, seeing the wide-open door that led back to the empty space she had come from. She paused, but returned her weapon to rest behind her and made slow steps back to what would be considered her starting point. No sooner than she had re-entered the blackened space, the door to her past on the sixth floor gently swung shut again, sounding another soft 'click' as it settled into place. Before she had the chance to properly survey the area for any noticeable changes since her last arrival, the presence of another door had already caught her eye. Standing on the first quarter at the edge of the glassy circle that illuminated the ground beneath her feet, she took in another breath to steel herself for whatever might await her. Without wasting much time, Teion walked over to the next, identical door and turned the same brass handle.

ID#: 98706 | BD: 5(+3)=8 - Hit! Screw Dimension (x13) Active
(15 base) x (13 sword art) = (195 DMG) - (3 MIT) = (192 DMG)

• Teion: 724/740 HP | 60/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<First Inner Demon>>: 0/185 HP | 52 DMG | 3 MIT

[Teion 0]

On the other side of the frame stood what was now a more familiar sight than anything in this world, or the one she originally came from. It was as if she was opening the front door to her smithy, the sparsely-decorated shop sitting in front of her as if nothing had changed from how she had left it that morning. Still wondering what surprises might be waiting for her, she didn't have to stay curious long. Stepping into the smithy with only the 'natural' light from the high windows peeking in from the high-hanging sun that would overlook the rest of the desert, the door swung shut behind her and revealed a very familiar, smiling face. "Teion, hey! It's been a while, huh?" Endilix grinned while the mere revealing of the redhead's avatar caused her to jump with a quickened pulse. "O-oh, uhm... Hey?" She answered back, mostly out of reflex.

• [1] Teion: 739/740 HP | 61/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT

[Teion 0]

It took her a second to remember she wasn't actually in her shop, and that the man standing across from her wasn't actually Endilix. At least, she was pretty sure they weren't. "So, uhh... What're you, then?" Her head tilted forward a bit, prompting the vision of the man to reveal what piece of herself he was meant to represent, or something of the like. Endilix, however, simply looked at her with puzzlement. "What on earth are you talking about?" The smile broke out on his features again, this time paired with a chuckle. "I mean, I know I haven't been around to visit in a while, but that hurts." He teased. Teion's brows knit with suspicion. He was so familiar, but so...different? It was hard to place. She was having to wrack her brain, thinking back to her last proper meeting with the twin. 'That's right, he was...different then.'

• [2] Teion: 740/740 HP | 62/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT

[Teion 0]

This, standing in front of her, was the old Endilix. The cheerful jokester that was in it for the fun of things, not the hardened man whom she had recounted his near-death experience and defined his own meaning of heroism a while back. And so her brows only knit further. What on Earth was this Endilix supposed to represent, and why did she have to 'defeat' him? Was there some memory of him that she was clinging to, something that was clouding her mind? Before she had the chance to continue her internal musings, the weight of a palm upon her shoulder jolted the woman back to attention. She spun around, and Emerath's white-gloved hand fell to his side, a soft, charming smile resting on his lips as she met his gaze. "E-Emerath!" She stammered the twin's username with a startled step backwards. Why were both of them here? Her questions only seemed to be reciprocated with more questions.

• Teion: 740/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT

[Teion 0]

"Hey Teion. It...really has been a while, huh?" His greeting was more awkward than his brother's, the sharper-dressed twin shifting his weight and averting his gaze from her. "Sorry again, for...everything. Guess I ended up running away again." His smile had turned wry even as he stared at the wall, and Teion's shoulders dropped as her own expression became more troubled. Was this Emerath anymore? Or had the isolation that she assumed he had been putting himself through changed him as well? And then her eyes widened. 'And why haven't I done anything about it...?'

"Yo, Thea!" Another cheerful voice caused the woman to freeze in place. Not because of its tone, or its informal expression, or even the use of her real name. But the voice itself cause Teion's muscles to go rigid and a subsequent chill to run up her spine. Slowly, her head turned to the side and she tensed all over again when she saw Beatbox's grin.

• Teion: 740/740 HP | 74/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT

[Teion 0]

The blonde man casually sat upon the counter on the other side of the room, now flashing her an apologetic smile. "Hey, I'm sorry...again. I know it must've looked pretty bad, the way things ended. I just...made a promise, and facing him was just something I had to do. I hope you can forgive me." The expression that he wore was still an apologetic one, but the look in his blue eyes was a hopeful one. Teion, who had been staring blankly at the ghost of a frontliner, was lagging behind. It was like her mind was failing to process not only his words, but his existence entirely. But then, after it had sunk in, something seemed to snap within the woman. Her fingers curled, hands balling into tight fists at her sides. Her shoulders raised an inch with fresh anger, and before she knew it her legs were carrying her to the other side of the room.

ID#: 98707 | BD: 5(+3)=8 - Hit!  Torque Wave (x5) +charge Active | MD: 7 - Hit!
(15 base) + (4 charge) = (19 DMG) x (5 sword art) = (95 DMG) - (5 MIT) = (90 DMG)

• Teion: 706/740 HP | 69/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT

[Teion 0]

Marching up to Beatbox, she brought her arm back and raised an open palm to bring it directly across his cheek with a resounding 'slap' that seemed to echo throughout the otherwise silent smithy. A bright red mark glowed softly on the side of his face, but before he had the chance to recover from the blow, the man's form faltered and broke, shattering into the familiar crystals of a death animation. Teion's eyes went wide with an audible gasp, and the hand that had struck Beatbox flew to her open mouth while she stumbled backwards in fresh shock. "No," She whispered, the heel of her boot catching on an uneven brick of sandstone and causing the woman to fall backwards to the ground. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as the scene once again sank in as her own reality, but her distress was far from undisturbed as a new voice whispered beside her left ear.

ID#: 98708 | MD: 9 - Critical Hit!

• Teion: 671/740 HP | 70/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT

[Teion 0]

"Hey Purple." The chilling tone in which Aereth's nickname for her permeated the air had a brand new chill running down the length of her spine, and the now-panicking woman scrambled to both turn and pick herself back up to her feet. Backing up until she hit the counter that Beatbox had sat upon, Aereth's unamused expression caused her heart to sink into the pit of her stomach. The brunette's arms were crossed over his chest and the guilt hit her like a truck, working a miracle to detract from the shocking scene of Beatbox's disappearance. "M-Max! I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I just--" She stuttered and tripped over apologies and attempted explanations for the one thing that wrung at her heart: her own cowardly farewell to the man who had trusted her. The earlier scene between herself and the hooded girl, any semblance of this being a quest objective or just delusions in her own mind, were long gone.

ID#: 98709 | MD: 10 - Critical Hit!

• Teion: 635/740 HP | 71/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT

[Teion 0]

The moisture that had pooled at the edges of her eyes spilled over under the scrutiny of Aereth's hard gaze. She felt her voice catch in her throat, but the silence that was the alternative was too oppressive for Teion to keep from stammering out more panicked apologies. "I-I should've talked to you in person! I know what I did w-was awful, and I'm so sorry Max, I didn't want to hurt you." The thoughts that rushed out of her weren't unlike a broken record at this point, causing the man across from her to roll his eyes. With a couple of quick strides, the vision of Aereth placed himself directly in front of the woman, and his arms uncrossed in order to take her arms in his hands. He held onto her frame tightly with a persistent, harsh stare that caused the violette to flinch. "Enough of the 'sorry's already."

ID#: 98722 | MD: 5 - Miss!

• Teion: 635/740 HP | 72/74 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 36 MIT
• <<Second Inner Demon>>: 156/246 HP | 70 DMG | 5 MIT