• Graded • CitW: The Dead

[Pegasus]

Hold me in your thoughts, take me to your dreams

Shadows are fallin' and I'm runnin' out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while
When you get up in the mornin' and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for a while
There's a train leavin' nightly called "When All is Said and Done"
Keep me in your heart for a while
Keep me in your heart for a while
Keep me in your heart for a while
Sometimes when you're doin' simple things around the house
Maybe you'll think of me and smile
You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse
Keep me in your heart for a while
Hold me in your thoughts
Take me to your dreams
Touch me as I fall into view
When the winter comes
Keep the fires lit
And I will be right next to you
Engine driver's headed north up to Pleasant Stream
Keep me in your heart for a while
These wheels keep turnin' but they're runnin' out of steam
Keep me in your heart for a while
Keep me in your heart for a while
Keep me in your heart for a while
Keep me in your heart for a while

121st Ashan, 719. Midnight

The Moment.

The Dead

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

Fate, it seemed, looked down and frowned at them. In the Waiting Place, the stairs spoke no more and, as They arrived, so too did the others. "I told you, did I not?" She looked at her twin and sighed. He glared back at her as their fingertips touched and, in the beat of the heart before any of those who arrived saw, the Two became One.

And The One was there to greet them.

First came Auya. She was Alone. Lost. Dust. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she walked alone. The place that the Dead Woman found herself was a strange room. Filled with tidbits of her life, moments of her memories. None of them whole, none making sense. The One ~ now the Judge ~ watched her do so. Her life, in a room. Shelves and nick-nacks. Tchotchkys and trinkets.

All that was left of the woman she had once been.

"Auya Trueheart is dead," the caterpillar said. His voice was soft, sombre. "she died in the lands where all is but dust. Yet. There are those who love her, and she loved. They can not bring her back to life. Life is no longer possible for her." Somehow, she knew it was the caterpillar, even though he stood next to her; a tall, pale man with a sorrowful smile.

"No one can bring her back to life," the caterpillar explained. "But her friends, her loved ones, they can determine what happens to her now. She should become Dust. Blowing eternally through Emea, each grain aware and helpless. But her Heart was True and those gathered have a chance to allow her to die." He held out a pale hand to her, offering to take it, if she wished. "Should they persuade the Two who have become The One, she will be allowed to re-enter the cycle of death and rebirth. But the Two are not easily persuaded. Will you watch with me, Auya the Dead?"

What they saw was the Arrival.

They Arrived. Each of them. In the Room of Justice. The Two had become the One, basing themselves off the Dead Woman. So, the One had red hair. Jewels glimmered where The One should have a mouth, and It looked at them as they arrived. It spoke, and It's voice was completely devoid of emotion and filled with pain and fury ~ layered over each other in a discordant noise.

"You are here to determine the fate of the Dead Woman known as Auya Trueheart." The room they were in was a classroom, it turned out. Each of them sat behind a desk and the One stood before where the chalkboard would be - except it was glass. And in the glass, they saw Auya, walking with the Caterpillar.

"Your actions here will impact her." There was a warning in that tone. "We will judge her. She sacrificed herself that you may live." The One gestured with it's strangely-adorned hands. "Now she will exist as Dust. Eternal torment. Yet.." a tiny pause. "There is a chance. To allow her to take her true path. You are here because you were with her. Or because she called for you. Or because We saw you in the Waiting Place."

It frowned. "We give you one chance. Before that, We will hear, from each of you, who you are. What you represent. Speak truth, or your fate will be worse than any Auya the Dead faces. Begin."

When the winter comes

Keep the fires lit

And I will be right next to you

Rules

Ok. So.

!	Message from: Rules for Auya
	Whilst you can see everyone else, you may only talk to the Caterpillar. This may change. However, it's important that you as a player remember that the other characters can see you and what you do. So. Enjoy the emotional moment there.

!	Message from: Rules for The Generous
	You have been, literally, split in two. You know you have. You are aware that there is another you, continuing on.

!	Message from: Rules for Tio & Kes
	You have NO IDEA that you've been split in two. One second you were where you were, next second here.

!	Message from: All Of You
	I need to be very, very clear. This is a HIGH HIGH VERY TALL HIGH risk thread. The One is not well disposed to you.

Dates and deadlines and stuff are the same as for all other threads.

[Varlum]

121st Ashan

'You are here to determine the fate of the Dead Woman known as Auya Trueheart.'

Varlum had no idea how he ended up here, but this entire place felt different. Everything about it. Despite how strange it was to him, how different and unique it felt, Varlum almost knew it was real. Something about it was real. Yet deep down inside of him was a burning denial. "Auya..." the Ithecal muttered under his breath, every muscle in his body frozen and tense, unable to bring himself to move. Pain had been a feeling Varlum had grown used to, working as a soldier you had to. But this was beyond any level of pain he had felt before in his life, nothing could compare to it. Auya was dead. His Auya. The girl that he had promised to protect no matter what had died while he wasn't there to do a thing about it.

'And I can assure you now, girl, that you'll be safe with me.'

As the One kept speaking, Varlum's body grew more and more tense, pain surging through him physically as well as emotionally. His stomach churned violently and the urge to throw up grew by the trill as his eyes looked past the stranger and right at the girl beyond the glass. A girl who had just Cycles ago been a stranger to the man, yet now she was so much more than that. Everything. It had taken him Trials upon Trials to admit it, but she was everything. Everything he stood for now was for her, to protect Aukari from harm so she could live a safe life. Fighting battles as a soldier to keep the one person in Rharne he truly adored safe, no matter what the risk, even when it had nearly killed him twice. Protecting those around so that he could improve and learn to protect her. All of it was her, every single part a remnant of what she had meant to him in some way, even with so little time spent together. It had finally been a time he could open up - and he was just starting to. Now, once this was all over, he would return to the shell he wrapped around himself.

"I intend on protecting anyone I can. So no, I can't be there for you always. But I can be there if you ever need it. Helping one person is a start to helping everyone."

No stranger had seen the Ithecal cry, even close friends never got the chance to. Sadness was an emotion that he masked well with the confidence and pride he bore as a Lightning Knight. But now, as it was time for them to speak, he did. Nothing could stop it from happening, nothing inside of him even tried to anymore. Without a second thought, he stood himself up at the desk and kept his eyes forward on her. "I...am Varlum. Varlum Onarmus, Lightning Knight of Rharne, protector, defender. Warden of the Lake Lovalus and slayer of the Flameborn" he spoke with a choked snarl in his eyes before the tears burst through and broke his voice with a crack. "And everything I represent begins and ends with her. Auya. Everything I stand for is that girl. Everything."

"If you ever need me, find me. I'll show you my house, or my patrols. I'll be there, you have my word. Alright, girl?"

Varlum took trills to pause and glance down, using his hand to wipe what tears he could from his face as every bit of pain he felt rushed out of him at once with no mercy. Every word he said hurt his throat and scraped across the room roughly, the painful sight of the giant breaking down clear for everyone in the room to see. Body shaking, Varlum glanced up with his head slightly lowered. His pride was ignored, his shield gone. Right now it was him, Auya, the others - and hope. That was all he needed in this moment. A chance for him to do what he had promised to do, to protect Auya with everything he had. If he had not been here for her death, so be it. But he was here now. If he had to, he would kill everyone in this room to keep her here forever. If that was what it took.

"You don't need to thank me for spending time with a friend. Nobody else in Rharne is worth being the date of."

"There is no justification needed for her. None. Because her, the girl you see, is justification enough. Her sacrifice is proof. Her call for us is proof. Every bit of pain she has endured to be here is proof of what she deserves. Every bit of pain we feel for her is all the proof you should need" he spoke as sadness mixed with anger and a snarl broke out of his weak voice, ferocity beginning to take over. Every couple of sentences the Ithecal spoke he had to pause, be it to wipe tears from his face or to clear his throat - or even to let out a sob and to regain control. None of this was easy, Varlum had been thrown into more than just the deep end. It was a situation he had never had to face like this before, the death of someone important staring him in the eyes.

"There's no harm in talking to me about it, if you feel it will help."

Then he fell silent, just watching Auya and trying to let a small smile spread on his face at the memories they shared. If she could see him, she would see him smile, see him being strong. On the off chance she could he wiped the tears from his eyes and, without any hesitation at all, took steps a step forward and waved gently. Yet despite wiping the tears, just the act of being closer to her made it all worse. He had so much more to say, so many other thoughts. But not like this, not if she could see him. The last thing she needed now was to witness this side of him. Yet the inside of him conflicted between his two options. Forward or backwards. Closer to the girl he loved or back to the desk where she didn't have to see his weakness. It was anything but an easy choice to make.

"I love her. She is why I fight so hard to live, why I strive for the best. Why I am who I am" he said with his eyes focused back on the woman, holding back the final wave of emotion. "I am Varlum. But none of my titles matter when she is what makes me the man I am" the Ithecal spoke finally, before moving back to his seat and sitting, eyes finally breaking from her and back down to his desk as both hands rested on to of his head as the loud sobbing returned through the room. Prayers went to Ethelynda, to Ilaren. Anyone. If any Immortal would listen now then Varlum was ready, whatever it took. Just so long as he had Auya back.

So long as he could tell her the truth about how he felt. Once and for all.



OOC Note: Just in case anyone is confused, all of the middle sentences in itallics are quotes from old Varya threads. Looking forward to this amazing thread all <3

[Hart]

"Speaking in Rakahi"
"Speaking in Common"

extra line here
He ran through the wall and he thought he was heading into the storm, but he wasn't. He ran through the wall and he thought he was heading towards Auya, and he was. One instant Hart was sprinting, full-tilt. The next he was in a classroom, sitting in a desk.

Hart barely recognized the classroom for what it was. He had never, ever been to such a place in his life. He had been taught what little he knew in a ship at sea, by his mother. He had never gone to school in a city. So he was confused as to where he was and as to what was happening.

Then he saw the glass wall and Auya behind it. He started to stand, to go to her, and that was when he saw the Being at the front of the room.

And

Hart

sat

down.

From his place at the desk Hart looked intently through the glass chalkboard.

Auya, he was relieved to see, looked okay. She wasn't hurt, and she wasn't alone. She was Auya, he thought, though an Auya that he hadn't seen before. Her hair was shorter. It made it look more like flame. She was wearing a simple dress and was smudged with dirt. She just looked like herself, he thought. How she must look when she was not in the dreaming world.

Hart still wasn't sure-- what this was or where they were.

Then the Being spoke.

The Dead Woman, it said, and Hart's relief went up in smoke.

He bowed his head.

"Not again," he whimpered. He wiped a tear from his cheek. He looked up at the Being, his eyes shining wet. "Please, not again."

"How did this happen?" He was so upset, so-- confused, and he couldn't, couldn't understand. He had just seen her.

He had just left her. He had left her behind. He always, always acted without thinking and it always, always got people hurt. He had hurt her, he thought. And she was dead.

He scrubbed a hand at his eyes. "Please," he said again.

A giant ithecal spoke, his voice catching, scratching, raw, and he was all torn up inside. He loved Auya. He loved her.

What have I done? Hart thought.

After the ithecal --Varlum-- sat, Hart stood.

"My name is Hart Qy'ihadi," he said. "And I have lost the people I loved."

"I am Hart the Kind." Truth will find you again. He wiped at his eyes. "Please don't let her suffer," he said.

"I am Hart Eda'quoat," he spoke up, naming himself thrice. Edason. Edashason. "I am the mortalborn of Need," he pronounced, and his voice rang like a silver bell tolled, like the twelfth stroke of midnight, like a churchbell in the morn. His eyes looked upon Auya, and then he turned his gaze to the Being. "And I will do whatever it takes to help her," he said. His voice was absolute. "I will go back to that Death-filled place and I will find her, all of her, even if it takes a thousand arcs. I will not stop. I will not. She is of my Domain."

"I promise," he said, and his voice was his own again and gentle as he looked at Auya through the glass. "I promise," he told her again, and Varlum.

Then he looked at the Being. "Speak it. Whatever you demand so that her soul may not know pain. It shall be done."

OOC: Just to be clear, Hart is promising that he won't leave Auya to eternal torment. He's not necessarily promising to bring her back to life; I don't know if that is possible, even with a Wish. But he will do what he can so that she doesn't feel pain.

[Red]

Auya couldn't remember the moment she died, not really. She remembered walking, crying, remembering all those important to her, remembering her mission. She remembered starting to crumble. And now, she was walking again. She was now in a room, that seemed strange, at first. But as she looked around, she saw her life in bits and pieces. They weren't whole, but they still inspired feelings. They were feelings. She could smell the scent of air from when she road that ship to Rharne. She could feel the heat of Varlum's chest from when they danced at the ball. There were so many pieces here, but they all made up her.

Roland spoke.

Auya looked at him, and smiled. The way he spoke, he wasn't speaking to her. She knew she was dead. She knew it when she walked in, and Roland simply confirmed it. She heard him speak of her floating as dust through Emea, and that sounded terrifying. But she was not afraid. She was not afraid because any amount of pain she went through was worth it if her companions made the world right. If they could save all those stuck in the endless sleep, it was all worth it. She was but one heart, and one she gave for this goal.

"I will watch with you."

When They arrived, Auya stifled a gasp. There was only one face here she was seeing. He had come. He was torn from his slumber brought here before her. She looked at Roland, then at the One who looked like her. Tears streamed down her face. This was the greatest gift anyone could've given her. Even if the mission failed, Varlum would not die in his sleep. He would hate that. But more than that, he would know that she was gone. He wouldn't think she disappeared on him. That she'd left him without a word.

Of course she hadn't.

She listened, first to the One. But then, Varlum spoke. She walked toward him before he even began to speak. She could hear them, she could see them. Could they hear her? She didn't know. She walked up to the glass, smiling at him. And she could see the pain in him. Her heart bloomed. Not because he was hurting, but because she knew it was truly him. The same man who wouldn't let her know he was injured upon their reunion, so strong, so she wouldn't worry. The same man who she'd cried against. Whose arm she held as she walked past that haunted spot in her alley. He was the strongest man she knew, not because of his size, his race, his muscles, but because of his heart. He'd given it to her. And she'd given hers to him.

She saw him shed tears for the first time, and each that he shed, one of her own fell to match. Her eyes were wide, her smile soft and genuine as she cried with him. Her fingers touched the glass with one hand, the other hand curled between her breasts as her heart threatened to explode from her chest. As he gave his name and titles, she spoke in her own soft voice.

"Varlum Trueheart. Flame of my forge. The reason I smile. My dearest friend." Then in unison with him, "Everything I represent begins and ends with him. Varlum. Everything I stand for is that man. Everything." She heard the words he spoke on her behalf. He spoke of her pain, for he was the only other person who knew of it. She remembered those nights he found her bruised and battered and crying in her shop. He could've raged like a hurricane, exploded like a volcano, used every once of fury and strength in him to seek vengeance and justice for her. He could've destroyed every person who'd ever hurt her.

Instead, he used that strength to piece together her heart. He used that strength to survive her tears. He used that strength to give her something to hold on to. He used that strength to be Varlum. He would never need to Become more. He was everything he needed to be, everything she needed. He was perfection.

Then he said he loved her, and she laughed. Not at him. Not in jest. But because he said what she'd known, but he said it for the first, and last, time. She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead to the glass, sliding down to her knees. Tears flowed freely, but her eyes never left him. "I love you too, Big Guy." She stayed there on her knees, loving Varlum more than she ever knew she could love anyone. She could see the life they would've had playing out before her.

They'd build a big shop, a big forge. She would make him armor to keep him safe on his patrols. He would make sure to keep an extra eye on her neighborhood. She'd make him breakfast in the mornings, and he'd bring home groceries. He would hold her when the bad memories sprang forth, and she'd patch him up after he fought for the city. She would cry to him about never being able to have children. She would listen to him fretting over leaving the military. They would dance. They would travel. They would grow old. They would die in bed together, in each other's arms.

Or they would've.

She slapped the glass in frustration. She wanted it all. She wanted that happy, comfortable life. She wanted that for Varlum. She wanted that for everyone who wanted it. She wanted him to know the love they shared for one another, she wanted him to know that every single day for the rest of a very long and fruitful life. She wanted to be there for him. She want to be strong for him. She just wanted to hold him one last time. To say goodbye. To tell him she loved him.

To feel the heat of his chest against her face.

She collapsed in a heap, sobbing into her dress. Why had she given it all up? Why wasn't she strong enough to have survived it? Her hand clutched at the glass as she bawled into her knees. The one time, the only time in her entire life she was strong enough to see it through, it had cost her everything. More than everything. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him. He deserved to be loved. He deserved to be happy. He deserved to... live.

That's why she did it.

She had given it all, so he could live. Yes, she wanted to help everyone in the world, but that was secondary. She had done it, not to save the world. But to save her world. Her head lifted up, her cheeks red, tears streaking down. He was her world. And for now, he was safe. She knew she would never be back with him again, never touch him again, never be his girl again. And that was the price she paid.

And she would pay it a million times again and again. She would endure an eternity of agony for the one man who showed her unconditional kindness, strength, and love. She would go through that eternity as dust, knowing that she'd shattered his heart, that she'd stolen her life and her love from him. But there would be no guilt there. Everything she'd done, everything she'd become, every price she paid, she did for him. For love.

"I love you, Big Guy."

And she pressed her cheek against the glass, trying desperately to feel the warmth of his chest one last time, before her fate was decided. And she cried, not out of sadness or guilt. But of love and happiness. Varlum was alive.

Her world was alive.

Her heart still beat, in his chest.

Nothing else mattered, so long as he was alive.

[Kesindir]

One minute he'd been there. In that place, flooded by sunlight and darkened by Shadows. Surrounded by strangers yet intricately tied together. To fix something. They all knew that. They had all heard it. And yet, they acted individually, each with a goal of their own. It had caused pain. Death. They weren't alone in that, it seemed. Of course, Kesindir knew there were others but he'd not seen any of them for more than a brief moment in The Waiting Place. Now he was in a new room, something wholly different than the cave he'd been fighting in. Fighting for survival, for his life. Apparently, he hadn't been the only one. Which didn't make this situation good.

Kesindir now sat in a room amongst new strangers, though one among them he knew. Hart. They'd met once before, under vastly different circumstances, and Wren had been there! Wren wasn't here now though. There were several people he didn't know. A woman with red hair standing behind a wall of glass. She looked like she knew what hard work was, dirty but not in a bad way, not a djout. She was standing with a man, whom Kesindir did not recognize. They were talking to each other, or so it appeared.

Then It .... they? spoke. It referred to itself as a "We". The woman behind the glass was known as Auya Trueheart. She was Dead. She ...sacrificed herself so that we may live. That's what they had said. Where had this happened, the Biqaj wondered, and then he heard Them say, We saw you in the Waiting Place. Kesindir didn't fit into the other two categories they'd listed, so they had to have seen him. And that terrified the Biqaj. They saw him BREAK the sphere! He wanted to apologize, to leave, to run, but something held him in his seat. Fear. Not like the fear he knew when he looked into the eyes of the Shadow Beasts. No. This fear shook his very soul. He knew that when They said your fate will be worse, They meant it.

They wanted to know who he was. What he represents. That's not something he'd ever thought of. What did he represent? Why was he here? What could he say, or even do, to help convince Them that they should allow Auya to walk the proper path of death. Not to suffer pointless, eternal torment, even if she'd chosen it for herself. It wasn't fair. What could he offer though? Then the lizard spoke. Strong, yet tears choked his words, Kesindir could feel that this Varlum loved Auya. His words hurt, and Kesindir's heart ached for him. She was everything to him. Literally everything.

As soon as he sat down, Hart stood. The Mortalborn of Need. That was something he'd not heard before. Mortalborn. When he spoke, the words carried strong. He spoke and the words he spoke were truth. Kesindir knew that much about Hart. He knew he'd not abandon Auya if he was allowed to waste his entire lifetime trying to get her back. Then he sat, and silence fell in the room for a moment. That is, until it appeared that Auya spoke. Kesindir couldn't hear her words, he couldn't hear her voice, but he could see. He could see how she felt. He could see the emotion that most assuredly was in her voice. The tears, her pressing herself into the glass, presumably to connect once more with the man that had stood not bits before and bore his heart to her in front of a room of strangers.

Kesindir sat there for a moment, unsure of what to say to the Being, unsure of what he was to anyone here, but he knew one thing. He had to speak. He didn't have any heart felt speeches prepared, nor did he have any connection to this woman, but he knew how much she was loved. He understood who she was, because of the connection she made with the men that had spoken here. And so, the Biqaj stood and took a deep breath.

"My name is Kesindir Nji'hadi. I have no fancy titles. I have no connection to the woman behind the glass. I don't know her personally. But," he paused, his heart was racing, his hands were shaking, but he was certain. His voice was unwavering. "I can say, with certainty, that I now know who she was. Who she is. To those gathered here, she is family. Family is love. Family is everything." His mind wandered to the fact that he hadn't seen his father, or sister, in over four arcs now, and it ached, but he had his mother, not in a true capacity, but she was always with him. Within Le'kar. "No one, no matter their choice, deserves eternal torment. Not like that. Not for someone like her," and he pointed to Auya. "I am here to represent the bond of family. That which ties us all together. Love, and trust, in those dearest to us, and she is dear and she is loved".

With his part spoken, Kesindir sat down and sighed. He knew what family was, and he knew what it meant to him. The people here, and what they spoke, they represented the core values of what Kes saw as a family. Love, trust, and a need ... no a true desire to help each other. This was a family.

[Eliza Soule]

Eliza would never be sure how it happened. One bit, she was in an empty room with one door and a book, listening to Hart talk to himself, or selves...maybe she still was in a funny sort of way, and the next she was seated behind a desk in a what looked like a classroom. She'd never attended a proper school such as other children usually did. She'd had a long line of private tutors instead. But she knew what a classroom looked like. So she was one place, then another in the blink of an eye. That seemed to be happening quite a lot lately, and the mortalborn had a sneaking suspicion that Hart had something to do with it.

Or, the daughter of Ymiden thought as her eyes and attention snapped to the front. Maybe not. "Auya?" she whispered. And somehow she understood that it was Roland that was with her. Still, she didn't quite comprehend that Auya was dead until the other spoke, and then she understood who it was. Or rather they. Pier, and Pre. A fresh stream of tears ran down Eliza's cheek, but this time she didn't swipe them away? They'd...her and Hart, had only just seen Auya. She'd catch up with them, she'd said. If Eliza had realized sooner that Auya was the door that she and Hart had passed through at Auya's own urging, she wouldn't have. She'd have insisted they take the long way, or find another instead. Too late.

Eliza's lips pressed into an angry line when the One talked of dust and eternal torment. Why should that be her fate? The daughter of Ymiden held her tongue only so long as it took for others to stand up to have their say. Eliza apparently, to her own surprise, had a constant stream of waterworks lately, and Zarlum's words opened the tears up all over again. And Auya's response was nearly too much to bear. Hart, Kesindir...a roomful of people who loved Auya, some without knowing her, and would sacrifice a piece of themselves on her behalf.

There was a lull then, with Kesindir sat down, and so Eliza stood. "My name is Eliza Soule. I am the daughter of Ymiden, the Immortal of Summer, Dawn, Rebirth and Forgiveness. My domains are Healing and History. Some have called me Eliza the Brave, but Auya's the brave one. The True one, the Kind one, the Generous one. She didn't just sacrifice herself for me or for Hart, and not just for the others who are here now. She did it for all those on Idalos so that they might be able to wake, and carry on living," Eliza said.

"Forgive me, but what is judgment without justice?" she asked. "How is it just, that Auya's soul should be condemned to eternal suffering after all that she's given up and sacrificed for others, so that they might go on? And based off of what transgression, Eliza wondered to herself? For being unlucky enough to have died in the wrong place, at the wrong time? "If someone like Auya, who's given this much, doesn't deserve the chance to re-enter the cycle of life that my own father represents, then who does?" She'd probably said too much already, Eliza thought while retaking her seat, as she so often did. But if this moment was the only opportunity to speak on behalf of her friend, then she couldn't have done anything else.

[Tio Silver]

One second Tio had been running his finger across the beautiful piano in the ghost-party house. He blinked, but when his eye opened again the room around him had completely transformed, causing him to jump back in the chair he found himself sitting in and let out a muffled curse in shock. By the spirits what was happening now? Where was he? A classroom? The piano was gone, replaced with a plain wooden desk, and Fred and his temporary teammates were nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a small group of people he recognized from being in the waiting room and a red-haired lady adored with jewels.

Ah boy, this was going to be another trippy Emea dream game wasn't it? As fascinating as he found exploring the effects of this strange metaphysical realm on the mortal realm it seemed like every time he entered the place he ended up with a headache.

The Judge spoke, and Tio listened without interruption as she explained their purpose here. So another person originally in the waiting room had died, and he was supposed to help try and convince The Judge to allow her to 'take her true path' instead of becoming sentient dust? Well that didn't sound so bad. Tio had absolutely no idea who this 'Auya' girl displayed in the glass was, but judging by the atmosphere in the room he was clearly in the minority there. Most of the others had a variety of expressions; shock, anger, tears, which each gave away that they cared for the lady. That of course meant that he must be someone The Judge had seen in the waiting place. Strange, he didn't recall seeing anyone like her and she wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Why did they feel the need to bring him in to this judgement just because they'd seen him? Did they want him to make a joke out of everything like he usually did? Spirits he hoped not, right now this place was one heck of a tough crowd.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Why did she keep referring to herself as 'We?' What was the 'True Path?' What happened to them if they failed to persuade The Judge? Yet his instincts warned him that the jeweled lady would not take kindly to a game of twenty questions right now. Maybe it would be better to get on with it and hope that those questions answered themselves in time. If this trial went anything like the one he helped Vri with then he might end up with some interesting bonuses.

He listened as the rest of the room went around introducing themselves one by one, each giving a very dramatic and heartwarming speech. Wow, talk about passionate! These guys should all consider careers in acting if they could deliver lines like that at the drop of a hat! Unfortunately their introductions came to an end, and Tio scratched the back of his head nervously as The Judge fixed her eyes on him. Talk about tough acts to follow. Too bad he couldn't follow suit with his own ardent declaration of love for the recently departed and be done with it.

"Well... Hi. I'm Tio." He eventually said, giving The Judge a little wave. "I like long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners and deliberately calling people by silly nicknames." A bit of a lame introduction perhaps, but The Judge had told them to speak truth and this greeting was about as true to himself as he could be. Acting all serious over someone he'd never met would have been the real lie. "I'm afraid everything else important about me seems to change rather regularly, nor do I stand for much but myself. I never met this Auya lady before though, so I suppose in this case I'll represent impartiality. I'll try and be as unbiased about this as I can."

[Pegasus]

Varlum's Song

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the Judge frown?

'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew what had won.

So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you, I will always care.

You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.

I've kissed your lips and held your head.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer but when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.

And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be

I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.

I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bear my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.

121st Ashan, 719. Midnight

The Moment.

Auya's Poem

In the grey summer garden I shall find you
With day-break and the morning hills behind you.

There will be rain-wet roses; stir of wings;
And down the wood a thrush that wakes and sings.

Not from the past you’ll come, but from that deep
Where beauty murmurs to the soul asleep:
And I shall know the sense of life re-born
From dreams into the mystery of morn

Where gloom and brightness meet. And standing there
Till that calm song is done, at last we’ll share
The league-spread, quiring symphonies that are

Joy in the world, and peace, and dawn’s one star.

Auya Trueheart. The Dead

He watched her, the man who had been the caterpillar, and his expression spoke volumes. He watched her and he saw the realisations in her heart. He felt the love flow between the two and he breathed in.

"Auya Trueheart is dead," He stood next to her and then, the others in the room saw Auya. She saw them. The glass was between them and The One remained, unconvinced and unmoved. "Her life has led to this moment. To this judgement" The hand on her shoulder had black fingernails as it squeezed, almost comfortingly.

"So much more than one woman's life hangs in the balance." Vri said. They all heard him. "My children" With his other hand, he gestured to the 'out there' "For too long now, they have warred and now?" He turned and looked at Hart. Directly at him. "And now, there is hope for what should have always been. Yet the hope is slim." To Eliza, then his eyes turned. "There are important questions ahead for the two who accompanied you. They will change the future." Looking at Varlum, the Immortal's gaze was direct. "There is nothing more powerful than love. Have faith."

So, it seemed, things were moving apace.

The Voices

They Spoke. Their words were taken, and noted. The One looked at Varlum, noted the moisture which fell from the face of the mortal. it's head tilting to the side as it saw this. "Why is your face leaking?" It asked. The chalkboard, which was glass, shimmered and then those inside the classroom could hear and see Auya and she could see them. Yet, if she spoke to any of them, no sound happened, and the same was true in reverse. Able to see each other, hear each other - but not touch or converse. Not interact in any way at all.

The One looked at them all, it's alien eyes gazing upon them all, impassively. "You will be her Judges. Her Voices." It's gaze moved between them all. "You speak of her. Strangers, friends and lovers. Thus, you will determine her fate," it flicked one finger and, suddenly, Auya could not speak. Her voice was completely gone. For the first time, The One's expression change.

It smiled.

"And you will determine your own. Each will speak in one voice. You will answer the question." If it was not making sense, it really did not seem to care. "And we will judge. You. And her."

To Varlum they spoke first. "You are her love. You will speak as her love." The classroom shifted, then, and they were sitting - the Voices - in a circle. Each one of them sat in a soft, comfortable, dining room chair. The One, though, sat in an armchair so large it could almost be a throne. The glass was still there, however, and behind it the silent Auya could see and be seen. The One next turned to Hart Eyes did not waver, and they might notice that the One did not blink. Ever. "You are her Hope. You will speak as her Hope."

Next came Eliza. When It spoke to Eliza, there was a hint of reprimand in It's voice. "You are her Justice. You will speak as her Justice.". Those were the easy ones. But there were two still remaining and it was to Kesindir and Tio that the One spoke next. "You are Balance. You will speak as Balance."

There was a brief pause, then The One spoke to Varlum, Hart and Eliza. "Each of you will tell one tale from your soul of how The Dead Woman represented what you are. Then, you answer the question. What would you give of your own, that she might live?" Did they seem to be speaking to one in particular? Maybe... but to the three of them - it seemed that The One was speaking directly to them when it spoke next. "Do not waste our time with generalisations such as 'everything'. Speak your truth, mortals and know that we will take the price if it is deemed appropriate." The tone of It's voice was clear and simple. There was no lie. "We will judge her. We will judge you." The One gestured with it's strangely-adorned hands. "More than one may share her fate"

Then, It turned to Tio and Kes. "To all things there is Balance. We put before you Auya's life. One of you will argue why she should be given the chance to walk her true path. The other should argue against. See her, see her life" And they did. The two of them, suddenly, knew every moment of Auya's life.

It frowned. "Begin."

I am a dreamer but when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.

Rules

Ok. So.

!	Message from: Rules for Auya
	You can speak up until about half way through the post, then you get struck mute. However. Auya discovers that she can speak to Vri - and he to her. Even when mute - no one else can hear this - we can PM it if you want.

!	Message from: Rules for Varlum, Hart & Eliza
	You need to each give a story of how Auya represents what you stand for (Love, Justice etc). This is your chance to put forward a "strong case" in this judgement. Then, you need to answer the question of what you would be prepared to give up, as a PC, for Auya to not be tormented for all eternity. There are very very significant consequences for what you write. You have been warned.

!	Message from: Rules for Tio & Kes
	Do what it says on the tin. One argue for, one against. You know, as a pc, every detail of Auya's life. Feel free to trawl her threads, chat to her player, use what you find in your argument for... and against.

Dates

As this thread is happening later than the rest of the threads, I will reply when you all have (and I am able to) OR on the 18th March, whichever comes soonest.

[Red]

Auya felt a hand on her shoulder, and she raised her head. As she did, she saw through tear stained eyes that everyone was looking at her, and she felt so… small. A speck of dust in a giant storm. She couldn’t tell which way was the right way, and it just felt as though everything was about to be… gone.

But the hand on her shoulder provided some comfort. She reached up and grasped it lightly, resting her cheek against it. She knew instantly that it was Vri. There was no question about it. She lifted her head, looking at the dark fingernails. She stood up, turning to look at the Immortal.

“Thank you for being here with me.”

“There is nowhere else I would be, Auya Trueheart.” Vri’s voice was soft, almost fatherly.

She had never met Vri before, and yet she felt like she knew him. And she could feel that he loved her, just as she loved Varlum. Truly the Immortal of love. She had so many questions she was wished to ask him, so many things she wanted to say, yet she was struggling to make any of them. She took a deep breath, thinking back to what he said.

“I’m sorry your children have been fighting. That can’t have been easy to see.”

He looked at her and smiled. “They are following their nature. Being who they are. I hope,” he paused, almost as though he wasn’t sure he should say the next words. “I hope that they will, in their time, find peace.”

Her throat tightened, “I don’t wish to influence this Judgement, I will not fight it. Just as my heart was free to give to Varlum, my life is mine to give to help my companions. If that means…” she took a deep breath, “Endless agonizing as dust… I accept that. It was my choice.” She turned and nodded at Varlum, “I have faith in him. I have faith in Eliza and Hart and everyone else fighting for our world. I had faith in myself… for the first time, in so long.”

Vri looked at her, his eyes like black pools of emotion. And then, those eyes widened at her words.

She turned back to Vri, her eyes flooded with tears at the unasked question. Her heart was pounding in her ears, “Nothing is more powerful than love.” She sniffled, “If I can…” It was the most difficult thing she’d ever considered doing, and even now, her confidence was wavering, “If I can… give up that power… that love… Can you use it to help them? To help him?”

She looked back at Varlum, “I’m sorry Big Guy.” She turned back to Vri, “I give you the love that binds me to him, and him to me. Please, help him. Know the love that I have for him. Feel it. Love him as I do. Use that love for good.”

Because my love has only ever caused pain. Her father, dead because she loved her husband. Her husband, dead because she loved her father. Varlum, weeping, his heart broken because she loved him.

“I have faith in him. If I can help him, one last time, I know he can help your children to come together as you hope. That’s the man he is.”

She looked at Varlum, wiping away her tears, “I bet even now, he’s trying to find a way to protect me. Please, let me be the one to protect him. I beg this of you.”

He listened to her words, and then Vri, the Immortal of Love, of Death, Sorrow and yes, Remembrance too, reached out and stroked her cheek.

“It is done, Auya Trueheart.”

[Pegasus]

Auya's Song

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before

It always leads me here
Lead me to you door

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day

Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way

Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Any way you'll never know
The many ways I've tried

And still they lead me back
To the long winding road

You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road

You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here
Lead me to your door

121st Ashan, 719. Midnight

The Moment.

Auya's Poem

I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be –
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’
With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.

Death

It is done, Auya Trueheart" He said.

And as he did, he reached out and stroked her cheek. Just that.

"Rest now." Vri whispered. None of them heard him. None of them saw him. The glass which had shown Auya and Vri went dark and yet. As it did. They all felt it. All of them. Vri stroked her cheek and all went dark for Auya Trueheart. Now, truly, the woman she had been was gone and she was no more.

The Voices

The One lifted It's face and looked around. They all felt it, each one of them. Deep, abiding, truth love. The like of which can not be denied.

"What is this?" It asked, confusion on It's face as tears trailed down It's cheeks.

Then, It frowned and looked around.

"Continue."

Why leave me standing here?

Let me know the way....

Rules

!	Message from: Rules for Auya
	You are out of the thread. PM sent.

!	Message from: Rules for Everyone Else
	If you had begun a post, feel free to include that information. Then, at some point - either while you are listening to others, or speaking or whatever (wing it, I'll work around it) you feel an overwhelming sense of love. Auya's love, sacrifice and emotions hit you all. Then, you must continue. Thanks.

Dates

As this thread is happening later than the rest of the threads, I will reply when you all have (and I am able to) OR on the 18th March, whichever comes soonest.