Where The Stars Do Not Shine [Celestial Arms]

[Hirosame]

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Hiro never liked haunted mansions. The very idea of horrific representations of beasts and monsters, ghosts and ghouls, and all that other stuff didn't sit right with him. Leaving the dead to their peace was always a much better choice, than making them into some kind of an attraction, especially if they were themed around a certain type of being. Not that he was superstitious, but more that it was slightly disrespectful to those whom it were 'honoring.' Either way, though, the Purple Mirror Mansion had become something akin to an amusement park, having something like a party for the entirety of the month of October. This had been announced a little while ago by the Pumpkin People who inhabited the place, allowing anybody to come on in whenever they felt like, instead of during the Halloween Night Fright thing that they had happen last year. With everything going how it was, maybe Hiro would be able to unwind a bit, and enjoy himself a little. While the prospect of haunted houses didn't fit too kindly with him, he still would like some kind of respite.

Hiro was here to deal with something that he had seen earlier on, thanks to the memories that had been shared between himself and Sayha. Walking up along the path to the Mansion, Hiro turned around to address her for a moment, as the building was coming into sight. "Looks like we're just about there." The forest hat had been surrounding the Mansion seemed to grow more ominous with each step, as the sun had already started to set in the western sky. The way that this Mansion worked was that people could only show up during the night, between the hours of 6 PM and 12 AM Halloween Night, and it seemed that the residents were also keeping up this tradition. Hiro also noted that the two of them weren't the only people going to this place, either, as groups of people were on their way to attend the parties that were being held in the Mansion's residence. It seemed that it wasn't too busy at the moment, though there were still going to be people there in the mansion while Hiro and Sayha would investigate. He had no idea what to even look for while they were there, but he assumed that the Pebble of Philosophy would react somehow.

Hiro opened up the door to the manor, holding it open to allow Sayha in first. It seemed like common courtesy to allow a woman in the door first, though there were some who didn't believe in such things as much anymore. He was just trying to be respectful to his friend, and as soon as she went in, Hiro followed her, closing the door behind him. He stood and looked around, noticing the Pumpkin People running around and catering to guests. One charged up to Hiro and Sayha, and spread their arms out wide. "Welcome to the Purple Mirror Mansion!" It shouted, in a loud, shrill voice. Hiro was reminded of Toad from the Mario series as it spoke. "Enjoy the spooks and scares that the Mansion has to offer!" Without much more introduction, it ran away from the two of them, off to cater to other guests once again.

Stepping a bit forward and placing his hands in his pockets, Hiro looked around. The Mansion was fairly bright in the lobby, which was surprising for a haunted house. Them again, this seemed to be more of a lobby or greeting room, where people would choose where to go from there. "Well, we're here." Hiro began, looking to the Assassin. "I guess we'd better start looking around from in here, see if we can find anything at the start." He fell silent, as he continued to look at the other guests. He didn't recognize anybody else, though he felt like nobody else was here for the same reason they were. Without much else to think, for the time being, Hiro just waited for something to catch his eye. Perhaps Sayha would see something and start off in a direction. He figured it might not be a good idea to split up, especially if one found something, but if they had to in order to search everywhere, then he would. Either way, he continued to look around the room, waiting for whatever next to happen.

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∝: 732
♫: The Nightmare Begins
✏: ---
@: @shadowsaiph

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[Deleted]

	As Sayha and Hiro made their way to the Purple Mirror Mansion that was circled on the map they had seen, Sayha played Hiro’s and the Sage’s words over and over in her head. Hiro didn’t trust the Sages; he had said that much. Quite frankly, she didn’t blame him. The Sage she had worked with was much more upfront with her unlike the creepy sage that seemed to have his own agenda going on. On the walk, Sayha kept passively touching the Pebble in her pocket. She thought back to when she first met the Sages. They had mentioned a prophesy, and the words were ingrained into her head. Everything somehow was tied to that prophesy. The problem was that she couldn’t see the details; big picture was always her thing; little details, not so much. When they finally arrived at the Mansion, some sort of pumpkin humanoid greeted them then ran off right away, probably to greet the other people around. She didn’t expect there to be so many other people. Hiro suggested that they started to look around. “Before we look around, I think you need to know something about the Sages,” Sayha started, “The sage you spoke with didn’t seem as upfront as the one I talked to, and I think you should know what he said. He said that on the Tablet that there was a prophesy. ‘A world, at a time of crisis, shall welcome the brave to the land. A revolution brought by the immortals shall awake n the souls of the ancients. A meteor shall destroy the parallel plane and reveal the secret of the world. And finally, those of the past, present, and future shall exist together.’ I don’t think I’ll ever forget those words. I understand you don’t trust them, but I talked to another Lander who said that they were very well-known to them, and that every prophesy they had ever given has come true. I don’t know what that means for us, but it is not something we can take lightly. Even if they aren’t the most trustworthy of people, we need to finish this quest, even if we have to keep the knowledge we learn for ourselves.” After she was done talking, she felt the Pebble in her pocket become warm. She touched it, and then she heard a voice enter into her mind, ‘Come find me.’ “Hiro, did you just hear someone talk to you?” Sayha asked, looking around but not seeing anyone close enough to whisper it into her ear.
Coding by Sayha of ET	Word Count: 425 | Total Count: 425 | Hirosame

[Hirosame]

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Hiro turned to Sayha, as she explained what the Sages had told her, when she had first met them. His eyes widened a bit, though not in shock or surprise. More to listen to what she had to say. Something about a Prophecy that she been told. Back when Hiro was working with the Sage, he was told of a prophecy as well, though it wasn't anything like what Sayha had been told. No, this was completely different, and actually added more to his suspicions. Perhaps the Sages weren't all in tune with one another, and some had deeper goals behind what it was that they, as a whole Order, wanted. Perhaps the Sage that Hiro had spoken to was just that kind of one, that had ulterior motives behind what it is that they truly wanted. Then again, the more he thought about it, whenever Hiro went back to the sage, they seemed to have changed a bit each time. As Sayha had finished up her side of the facts, Hiro nodded slowly. There was something else going on here, something that he didn't know. "I agree..." He said, in response to keeping some information to themselves.

He agreed on almost all the points that she had made. Though, the difference in prophecies that they had both heard was negligible, since they might have needed to tell the Adventurers whatever they wanted to hear in order to get them to go along with what it was that they wanted. Though, the Sage that Sayha was speaking to definitely much more relaxed and refined, rather than Hiro's cowardly, suspicious Sage. He would have thought more on this, but a sudden voice in his head appeared. 'Come find me.' It said. Shocked, he felt a warmth from the Pebble of Philosophy. Hiro looked over to Sayha, who had reacted as though she had heard the voice as well. "Yeah, I did..." Hiro said, looking around. There wasn't anybody near them who could have said anything directly to them, but he heard it as though it were close. He looked up in a direction, hearing whispering from a corridor up on the second floor. "Up there!" Hiro said hastily, moving directly toward it immediately. Hiro rushed up the stairs, with Sayha hopefully following behind him. As he got further down the corridor, the voice pitched up again.

"His voice and face, though creepy, you might glean,
Cannot be beat, by no human mean!
Ephemeral, though, his dreams may be,
You'll find they're real, as you soon shall see!"

This time, the voice seemed to be a bit more jovial and free-spirited. Some childish giggling could be heard as they presumably got closer to another staircase, which led up to something akin to an attic. "C'mon, it's gotta be up here!" Hiro shouted back to Sayha. Hiro continued up the staircase, until it ended, and a long hallway leading up to a room was seen. Hiro stopped at the top of the stairs, and looked to his side over at Sayha. He nodded to her, before turning back to the room, and walking up toward it. With a deep breath, he grabbed the knob, and began to turn it, opening the room up. It was pitch black inside, nothing could be seen. Hiro started to walk inside, heading into the center of the room. Hearing something scurry off to the side, he looked over in that direction quickly. He then remembered that he could cause a bit of light, with the Idol skill he had access to. Pointing over to the edge of the room, he cast the spell Showtime! over where he had heard the noise. A Jack o' Lantern was all that was there, much to his surprise. The spotlight from above shined down on the pumpkin, and nothing else happened quite yet. Hiro relaxed his body a bit, seeing that that's all it was.

"SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!"

A loud shout was heard from the pumpkin, and a flash of lightning appeared outside, as the whole room lit up. Hiro instinctively struck a defensive pose, but looked around the room as festive decorations and Halloween-style party objects were spread all across the room. A large number of the Pumpkin People were also present, shouting in celebration. The Jack o' Lantern on the side began to levitate, and a robe fluttered down from the table where it sat. The being rose up into the air, laughing and cheering. "Who are you!?" Hiro shouted, still in a rather defensive stance, though less so now that the being had revealed itself.

The Pumpkin man flew down before the Monk, speaking as though they were a clown of some sort. "I do not remember you from my festival last year... Nor do I remember you, young lady." He hovered over to Sayha for a moment, inspecting her. "Though I would like it if you would stay around. Not many women here, these days!" He soared back up into the air, laughing maniacally. "You speak to none other than the Trickster, himself!" Floating back down to the ground, he landed, and a number of the Pumpkin People stood in a line behind him. He bowed before the two, as did his merry band of mulch. "The lord and master of this here Purple Mirror Mansion." He stood back up, spinning around in circles a few times, as did his troupe. "Lower your arms, and lower your guard! I mean you not any trouble!" Grunting a bit, Hiro examined the entity's voice, but soon reverted to a normal stance. He looked over at Sayha to do the same, though he knew that he was ready to go if anything started to happen at all. He continued to glare at the Trickster, turned off a bit by the name. Emanating sadness, the Trickster floated before them.

"Oh, but you do not trust me? That is only fair." A massive grin reappeared on the pumpkin's face. "You do not know me at all, though I'm sure that you're here for that very reason! You've come to hear my tale of woe, and sadness!" He began to float back and forth, telling his tale. "You see, this estate has been in my care for something close to a year now, but this was not the start of the Trickster, you see. I have been alive for a much longer time than one would think." He stopped his floating, moving closer to Hiro and Sayha. "In fact, I'm older than those stones in your pockets!"

Hiro's eyes widened, as the being mentioned the Pebbles. "What do you know about the Pebble of Philosophy? Why are there two?" The Trickster laughed.

"Oh, but that, I cannot answer." He spoke, a strong sense of the truth in his voice. "Why, then, is there not a second Trickster? Oh, I have been so lonely lately, and how I have wished to experience the hustle and bustle of you Adventurers, from outside of this world... If there were two of me, I wouldn't have reopened my doors to you all!" He hovered back around, thinking. "Though, if there were two of me, I may just decide to play games with everybody twice as much! Oh, the fun I would have had..." He let out a sigh, turning back to the two. "But, I digress..." His glowing red eyes moved back to Sayha. "I sense you, too, have a question in your mind." He soared up into the air once again, his triumphant voice booming. "In all of my infinite wisdom, you may ask me your questions! I have knowledge since far before the Pebble's time, so any history you wish to learn, you may ask!" Returning to the floor again, he continued. "Of course, if you wish to ask more of my history, I would be happy to oblige! Though, I sense that that is not why you have come at all..." Feigning sadness again, he spoke in a lower tone. "Oh, poor Trickster, with no one to listen to his story..." His grin reappeared on his face, as he waited for the Assassin to speak.

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∝: 1359
♫: This is Halloween - Kingdom Hearts
✏: I imagine him as Mark Hamill's Joker.
@: @shadowsaiph

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	Hiro heard the whisper as well; Sayha didn’t feel so crazy after all. Or at least at that point in time. Her mental stability was sometimes questioned, but she pushed that thought aside. Suddenly, though, Hiro pointed towards the stairs and rushed off. Sayha followed behind, keeping up with him fairly easily. Then, they made their way down a corridor when a voice echoed. Hiro lead them to another staircase that they ran up. However, Hiro stopped at the very top, and Sayha almost ran into him. Thankfully, she was able to redirect her steps to be standing next to him when he nodded at her. He opened the door, and the two of them walked to the center of the room when they heard a noise. Thankfully, Hiro was an Idol so he cast one of the abilities, and a spotlight shone on a pumpkin. Someone, or something yelled surprised, which made the hair on Sayha’s neck spike. The lights turned on, and the room lit up. Sayha instantly went into a slight crouch with her hands on the handles of her katanas, ready to fight if the need arose. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hiro also get into a defensive positon. The pumpkin thing floated around, seeming to take an interest in her, which slightly creeped her out. He introduced himself as the Trickster, master of the Mansion, and stated he meant no trouble. Sayha was not too convinced, and it seemed that neither was Hiro. They both went to standing normally, but Sayha kept an eye on the Trickster, making sure he didn’t do anything to make her want to fight. The Trickster recognized immediately that they did not trust him, but he continued talking on some sort of ramble that Sayha only half understood. What she did understand was that he was very old. In the back of her mind, the picture of the map from the dual vision with Hiro appeared. The Trickster stopped in front of Sayha, stating he would answer any questions she had, including any about herself. “I have a few questions for you, Trickster,” Sayha responded, “And after you answer those, I may have more for you. First, if you know about the Pebbles then can you tell us about the vision we had? Also, in that vision there was a map. On that map, this place was circled. What does all of it mean?” Sayha paused before asking her next question. “Also, what do you know about the Circle of Messier Sages?”
Coding by Sayha of ET	Word Count: 426 | Total Count: 851 | Hirosame

[Hirosame]

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Hiro watched as the Trickster began to float around a bit more, a saddened look reappearing on his face. "And here I thought you might actually have asked me about myself... Boo hoo..." Once again feigning sadness, the Trickster looked at the two of them. Sighing, he began. "I cannot tell you anything about your visions, only that I know that you had them. I don't look into the eyes of others, but I can see into the past of this world, and know the stories that I have been told and telling. If you give me a description of the visions you saw, then I can tell you aaaaaaallllll about it." His voice shifted to a much more whimsical one at the end. "As for your map..." Hiro felt a sudden pain in his head, forcing his hand up to his head. A grunt was heard from him, and right after that, the map and table that were seen in their vision had appeared right before them. "I suppose this is the one you mean, yes?" He asked, in a jovial tone. Hiro felt the pain go away almost immediately, and stared at the map. It was a perfect copy! Hiro looked up at the Trickster, confused.

"I thought you said you couldn't see the visions we had." Hiro started. "How did you bring this out?" The Trickster began to laugh loudly.

"A magician never reveals their secrets, my boy!" The laughter turned maniacal, as the Pumpkin Brigade behind him laughed as well. "No, but all joking aside..." His tone turned more serious. "As a mildly omnipotent being, I can reach into one's mind and pull out a small fragment of their knowledge. All I had to do was look for a map in your recent memory, and I found it. Easy as that!" Opening up his cape for a moment, he formed a desk and chairs, and proceeded to hover over to it, sitting down. The Pumpkin Posse followed him over, and stood as though they were guards behind him. "As for why my home was circled, I have an idea. Perhaps it was important, many, many years ago? Go ahead, and look it over for a minute. Maybe you can find the answer yourself!"

Hiro looked over the map, and confirmed that it was the exact same one. "This is unbelievable..." He began, his eyes fixed on the paper. The realm didn't look all that much different than what it was now, except for one thing: The word Lonsdale appeared again. His finger extended over it, pointing to it. Turning up to face the Trickster, he commented about it. "Lonsdale. I've never heard this word before, least of all used to describe a place." Straightening himself up, Hiro continued. "What is this place?" The Trickster began to chuckle again, as Hiro finished his sentence.

"Ah, that name... How I have not heard it in such a long time..." The Trickster began to reminisce about it, though his focus returned swiftly. "That place was a mythical settlement, which was destroyed by a group of invaders, a long, long time ago. It was nestled so perfectly in between the Three main Kingdoms of the time. As they were left to die and rot, the mythical land of Lonsdale set out a curse upon the Three Kingdoms." He stood back up, or what one could call standing, and moved over to the table. "One, swallowed by the ocean itself! Another simply vanished, into thin air, as if it weren't even there to begin with! And the last..." His tone shifted to a more mischievous one. "Well, it managed to safely guard itself, protected underneath a veil of pure energy. Some say... It even stands, to this very day..." His tone shifted back to a much more jovial one, as he continued. "Now, as for your question, young lady, about the circle near this room! That circle itself, if you couldn't already tell, was the location of the very Fairy Gate that was attacked!" He laughed aloud once more. "In fact, we're practically standing in it!"

Hiro's eyes snapped up from the map, glaring in disbelief at the being. The Trickster returned his gaze, his red glowing eyes showing no emotion but maniacal joy. The being's voice shifted dramatically to a much more serious one, though still keeping the grin. "Do you still wonder why this building is now here?" He began. "I have this name for a reason, my young, life-bound friends." He hovered closer to the Monk. "I earned it." After this last sentence, he fluttered away to a different part of the room, sending the Pumpkin Brigade scrambling. "Mayhap it has crossed your mind that this place being the circled area, and my existence, is somehow linked! That, I shall neither confirm nor deny, but I can, instead, offer you a choice." He returned to the ground once more, standing before his desk. "I can teleport you to Lonsdale for a price. The price of a future where the city lives on. Travel back in time and defeat those who invaded our city. Will you become one of the heroes that can achieve what we could not?"

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∝: 869
♫: Carnival Night
✏: Cryptic hints~
@: @shadowsaiph

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	clarity on them would have been good, but if he couldn’t tell her then she and Hiro would just have to figure them out themselves. Next, the Trickster made the map from their vision appear, circle and all, despite what he had previously said about seeing into our minds. Finally, the Trickster explained that the place was circled because it was once the Fairy Ring of Lonsdale, and that he earned the Mansion where the Ring had once been. Sayha wanted to ask more about him and the Mansion, but she didn’t have a chance to. The Trickster offered to teleport both herself and Hiro to Lonsdale, but for a price. The price was for the city to continue to live. Sayha instantly thought back to an arc in an anime she once saw: Tsubasa Chronicles. In the arc, the heroes were in the current timeline, time traveled to the past, changed how the past went, then were teleported back into what would have been the current timeline but it was different due to the changes. Two lands disappeared because of the Lonsdale curse. Would that mean if Lonsdale were to survive that the two lands would exist now? Sayha touched the Pebble in her pocket and took a deep breath. There was only once choice. She looked at Hiro who nodded in agreement with her. “We accept the price,” Sayha said, looking the Trickster directly in the eye, “Send us to Lonsdale.” As if on cue, the room began to glow a bright light, and Sayha closed her eyes. She could feel the world shift around her as she was sent through time.
Coding by Sayha of ET	Word Count: 290 | Total Count: 1141 | Hirosame