Fate and Choice

Back at Blitzkrieg, on Easter Island, Jais Roseaux observed Amanda Real at work. Since her arrival, the Gaia phenomenon had been exhibiting the strangest of readings and with the Gaia pocket in Brazil ever expanding, it seemed that it would not be long before the fortress class facility was engulfed by these pockets.

What made matters worse was that the temporal fluctuations associated with these mergers seemed to be throwing off the Fortresses most vital systems.  Everything from basic scanning to the ethereal reinforcement of the walls seemed to be glitching.

Back in Delhi, the Holy Man known as Azuire, was finally able to track down the source of the disturbance of the probability fields.

“Easter Island...”  He inquired to himself now, casting off his frail ethereal body and Astral projecting his Astral, Psychic and Ethereal energy across the Oceans to the location of his target.  As the projection of this Ki based Unique, this Esper, reached the walls of Blitzkreig, the image was met by heavy resistance from the Fortress’ defences.  “It is hard to trust an entity that consistently aligns itself with those of questionable motivations...”  The man said to himself as he ventured to the Astral realm in an attempt to contact his target.

On the inside of Blitzkrieg, Jais felt an odd pull on his form, a feeling that could only be likened to someone tugging on his very soul.  Wasting no time, the Morpher projected his consciousness into the Astral Realm.  Due to the recklessness of his projection, his Astral abilities were still in the process of fully activating themselves, causing the world around him to slowly sharpen to the point where he could actually observe and interact with the Astral constructs.  As it did so, he sensed an entity accosting Fate, causing the young Demai operative to attempt to engage the entity, only to be held back by Synchros herself.

“Azuire, ever the dramatist... you know that you cannot harm me in this place.”  Fate expressed, expanding a field of Astral energy around him and throwing the entity off.

“What’s going on here?” Jais inquired, causing both Fate and Azuire to turn their attention to him.

“So this is the new avatar?”  Azuire inquired.

“Yes, he’s quite exceptional...”  Fate started.  “Not quite as interesting ethereally as my previous avatar, but his soul is still pure... uncorrupted by Rayad Demar.”  Fate reasoned.

“For now...” Azure retorted.

“What are you talking about, previous avatar?”  Jais inquired.

“A mischievous soul...”  Azuire started.  “We’ve only crossed paths once, but the encounter left us both irrevocably changed.”  He continued.

“Who are you and who was this previous avatar?”  Jais continued to question.

“I am Azuire, an Esper, I live most of my life riding these Astral currents.  I was once the agent of an entity, much like Fate, sent to this world to ensure that Fate accurately corrected his mistakes... but I lost my connection to that entity in my battle with Fate’s previous avatar, a channeler you know by the name of Puck.”  The man explained.

“It was a bothersome battle indeed... it set my plans back quite a bit... but things are back on schedule.”  Fate interjected now, causing Jais to become quite puzzled.

“And what plans are these Fate?”’  Jais inquired now.

“The restoration of Gaia, the return of this planet and its inhabitants to path ordained for it by the universe.  Dabbling in foreign energies before you mastered your own native affinity has left this world weak, and shielded it from its true destiny.   But it is your fate to return to that path, and it is my job as Fate to return you safely to that path.”  He explained.

“I see... and who is the other entity, the one watching you?”  Jais inquired.

“He goes by many names...”  Azuire now answered.  “He is a prompter of free will, unlike this deceitful creature.”

“Choice is his name.”  Fate continued, ignoring Azuire’s comments.  “His task on this world is to the same end as mind, but whereas my task is absolute and to be accomplished at all costs, he was assigned to act as my temperament, to ensure that the free will and best interest of you, our brothers, are preserved and held above all.”  Fate explained.

“Where is he now?”  Jais inquired.

“He is everywhere... and no where... he does not seek to manipulate, but only to prevent manipulations, he and I are diametrically opposed... but our tasks are unavoidably intertwined.  You are likely to live your lives in ignorance of his existence, though he probably knows you by name.”  Fate explained, pausing slightly before readdressing both Jais and Azuire.  “The ethereal world is ready... your worlds are about to collide.”  He stated.  “Jais, you are in immediate danger, leave where you are at once.  Azuire, your locate is yet safe, return and make preparation for what is about to come.”  Fate replied.

“What about you?”  Jais inquired.

“I am fate, I will do what I am supposed to do... I will strum the strings of probability and ensure that your worlds’ fusion is not a complete catstrophe.”

With these worlds, Jais was shot back to the ethereal world.

“Jais, are you listening to me!?”  Were the first words that Jais heard as he zoned back in, watching Amanda Real as she went on with a great deal of technical jargon as the readings on her screen fluctuated violent.

It would not be long before the Gaia pockets in Easter Island and Brazil began to expand exponentially, engulfing Blitzkrieg and moving onto the rest of South America, fusing that and Southern Crystales, its Oyan counterpart.