The Blind Man that Sees All
The three sisters ran off of the stage, a sudden storm brewing after the concert. It began to rain harshly, Sonata tripped on a speaker cord and fell into a puddle. Adagio hoisted her up quickly, as a crowd of enraged teenagers swarmed after them. Some could be seen with empty glass bottles, a few with knives, and some with metal baseball bats. Aria ran close behind Adagio and Sonata, hearing glass shattering behind her, a small shard cutting her leg. A folded metal chair flew over their heads, thank God these teens were still a bit out of it... Otherwise Aria would've been crippled by a glass bottle, Sonata would've been dragged into the crowd and beaten to a pulp, and Adagio would've been knocked unconscious by the metal chair.
The three fled down the street behind the concert stage, running down the sidewalk as cars flew by, knocking muddy water into their faces. Aria quickly shielded her eyes from the splash, while Adagio quickly rubbed the dirt from her eyes. The three frantically scanned the streets for places where they could lose them. They looked towards an alley leading to another street, Aria yelled, "C'MON! WE CAN LOSE THEM IN THE ALLEYWAY OVER THERE!" the three followed Aria's lead and ran into the alleyway, the mob of teens charged after them, after Sonata and Adagio passed by Aria, Aria threw a rolling dumpster down the alleyway. A vile stench poured out of the dumpster as it tipped over, it was rotten, and moldy food from a condemned restaurant. A large portion of the mob were staggered at the stench, however, a small portion simply leaped onto and over the dumpster and charged after them, no more than eight or nine teens. Aria looked around for other things she could use to slow their progress. She threw down three trashcans, the contents littered the alleyway, cans, gallon milk jugs, pizza boxes, and old soda bottles. Three tripped on the trash, one hit her knee on the pavement, another twisted her ankle, and the third hurt his foot. Aria quickly caught up with Adagio and Sonata, "Okay, I got three more off of us. But I think we still have four kids chasing after us."
Adagio pondered for a moment, Sonata quickly following behind them. "What should we do?" Sonata questioned her sisters.
Adagio looked behind them for a moment, "Let's ambush them in the alleyway! Grab anything that could be used as a weapon." Adagio spoke aloud in a commanding tone.
As they ran into the alleyway, they came upon someone they expected to have separated from the group in an attempt to slow them down so the rest could catch up. The strange figure spoke out from under his hood, the rain pattering on the ground, a distant crack of thunder, as lightning flew around the sky, it revealed his eyeless sockets under his showl. "Greetings, could you tell me what your names are?" the gentle soul asked.
The three wasted no time and charged past him, shoving him aside.
When they exited the alleyway, they charged down another, then another, and another? Adagio halted, "Wait, what's going on?" she said as she observed her surroundings, it was the same alleyway. When Adagio looked back, she saw the same person, "Can you tell me your names?" he repeated.
Adagio was taken aback at this strange set of circumstances, where the three of them ran the distance of a quarter of a football field, this man seemingly kept up with them with no physical strain whatsoever, always in the exact same position of the alleyway. "You've been running like a fool everywhere around this town..."
Adagio looked at the person, or creature now that she got a better look at him. "I--" she paused for a second, "I am Adagio."
"Glad to meet you, I am Tor'valan... I will be your caretaker for the evening."
"Caretaker?" Sonata asked.
Aria stood silent, her head snapped to attention at an oncoming team of teenagers. Five stood before them, the strange man spoke out with a little chuckle, "Hahah... Well it seems you five intend to kill these three..."
A boy, who couldn't have been older than 14 spoke out, "They took over our minds! We couldn't remember anything! I-- They made me hurt my friends! They need to pay for they've done!"
Adagio had a sense of remorse enter her eyes, "I'm sorry! We've changed we swear!"
Another teen stood beside the boy, a whole head taller than him, "Yeah you've changed, you can't control us anymore, and you're powerless to stop us." he said as he ran forward with a yell, swinging a large mallet from his right, the teen almost hit Aria, but the strange man stopped the blow. As four long tendrils emerged from his fingers, they snatched the mallet away from the teen and snapped it in half. The tendrils hoisted the teen up and held them close to the man. "Turn away from these three. Never look back, do not fear them, but fear me." the man said with a growl. He released the teen and he fell to the ground, he scrambled onto his feet and ran away. The other two fled as well. "Now, Adagio, might you introduce me to your lovely friends here?" he said with a toothy grin.
The three had a shocked look on their face, they knew about the legends, they've met many of them, Prometheus, Medusa, albeit they had to cover their eyes and have someone guide them, the Minotaur, and even Scylla, who they grew up with as friends. Adagio snapped out of her daze and looked at him with a straight face, "Oh, er yes, this is Aria."
Aria simply waved with a blank expression on her face, and her mouth still agape.
"And Sonata."
Sonata mirrored Aria's actions.
"Let us get you out of this rain shall we?" Tor'valan said.
"Oh, er, we know a place, don't worry."
Tor'valan insisted, "Come on now, wherever your place is, mine is bound to be much much closer."
Aria's pride spoke for herself, "We don't need anymore help, now go away... You're creeping me out."
Sonata stood behind Adagio in a frightened posture. Tor'valan sighed, "Very well, however i'm afraid that those enraged teenagers will still be after you."
Angered yells could be heard coming down the street, "Oh my, what horrible luck, are you certain you don't want to come with me?." he said jokingly.
Sonata turned her eyes to Adagio, "Adagio, I think we should go with him."
"Very well, then what is your decision young ones?" the strange man asked, looking at Adagio and Aria.
Adagio sighed, "I think it's for the best... we'll go with you."
"Excellent, please stay right where you are, I'll be just a moment." he said with a pleasant smile on his face.
Out of Tor's clothing, he pulled out a long knife with one of his tendrils, he sliced the air and opened a portal. His tendrils fastened to the three girls bodies like harnesses and dragged them in along with Tor. A long dimensional tunnel greeted them, with swirling colorful streams around them, warping and shifting all around them. At the end, a large old fashioned gate greeted them. With a white veil masking whatever lies beyond it. Tor pulled out a key, and slid it into the lock inside of the gate. Large gargoyles stood stalwart over them, even though they were absolutely still, they inflamed a fierce sense of dread in any mere mortal, making them fear for their lives. "You fear the gargoyles, why? Are you not sirens?" he paused in between the white veil and the gates.
"We lost our immortality... To six girls..."
Tor's face expressed curiosity, "How?"
Aria sighed as the pain of their past wounds opened up again, "We got beat by six girls in a battle of the bands pretty much..."
"What deus ex machina did they get you with?" Tor questioned them as if it also brought up some past wounds.
"Power of friendship in the form of a giant alicorn coming from the sky." Sonata said.
"Join the club kids, you're going to fit right in..." he said as he pried open the veil with the same blade he used to cut open the portal. "Welcome to the Land of Nowhere. Where no one exists, and all is forgotten."
The Purpose of The Realm that Lies Beyond
As Tor sliced open the white veil with his blade, the enchanted paradise unfolded before them. "Welcome to the inner sanctuary. This is where most of our people dwell. Please, come in come in..." he said motioning his hands to them. The three walked in, still awestruck, Tor held an open palm out to three other strange people. "This is Klik'ssi, due to his grief of the wars constantly surrounding him near his home, he departed from his planet. On a search for peace, someone else found him on a neutral planet, that swore they wouldn't partake in any wars of any kind, but instead warred politically, everywhere the poor kid went, someone was bargaining, no one was ever satisfied, there was no such thing as a good deal on that planet." The strange creature held out a crab claw like hand to the three, Sonata happily shook its hand, not wanting to be rude.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." a baritone voice rumbled out.
"This is Hephaestus. He forged our defenses and assisted in creating this realm." he said pointing out a red skinned man covered in metallic plating, "I assisted the best I could, but it was Hephaestus who pulled the whole operation together. You remember those Gargoyles out there correct?" Tor asked.
Sonata giggled, "I've never seen Aria more scared!" she teased.
"S-shut up! You were scared too!" Aria barked.
Tor chuckled, "Those were Hephaestus' work. He forged those and infused them with the nightmares and horrors of humanity. However, immortals share a special immunity to it."
"And finally, this is Valus." he motioned to a large hulking alien, with dull grey flesh and rippling muscles, strange tattoos and letters covered his arms, a dark scowl on his face, and his six eyes blinking in an unearthly sequence. "He's rescued those who've been injured, mentally, physically, and spiritually. He's helped rehabilitate them and always returns them better than when they arrived."
"Greetings." the giant said simply.
"Hiya!" Sonata said cheerfully as she waved to him.
Tor cleared his throat, "Now, girls, I've examined your hearts. And i've found you worthy of certain artifacts, and weapons."
Aria's posture showed she was eager for this part, as her eyes widened and her patience returned to her. "Now, Hephaestus, please hand them their Spatial Blades, and their Keys to the Land Beyond."
Hephaestus pulled three keys, and three long knives out of a pouch behind him. "These are no mere blades, if you watched how Tor used them. You should know partially how to use them."
"Partially?" Adagio questioned.
"These Blades are forged with a wormhole. Now, you need to be careful with these. If you lose them, you may never be able to return here." He cleared his throat, "Now, for the rest of the demonstration, you simply concentrate on where you wish to arrive. Here, i'll show you." he said, he stopped for a moment, and sliced open a portal, through it long streets with cobblestone pavement and cafes dotting the streets, a large tower could be seen off in the distance.
"Paris?" Adagio said with her eyebrow raised out of curiosity.
"Indeed!" Hephaestus chuckled. "Now, never, ever make two portals with the same knife. Otherwise the portals will destabilize and warp the surroundings until they've merged. We let someone in who didn't listen, combined one world, a shopping district, and the slums of a backwater planet." he sighed, letting out a groan, "That planet experienced horrifying mutations and fusions, not to mention the atmosphere's combined, making a gas that was lethal to 37% of the population."
The three sisters eyes widened, "Wow... That-- that sounds horrible." Sonata said.
"This is relatively hard to do, as it requires an immense concentration. Anyways," he broke off, "these are your responsibility. If you do anything illegal with them, trust me, I know plenty of people who've regretted it. Now! Onto your necklaces..." he spoke.
"Yes, they were shattered, by the power of Friendship apparently..." Adagio groaned.
The three snickered, "You guys got beat by a bunch of kids who's secret weapon was friendship?" Valus stifled a laugh.
Klik'ssi couldn't help but crack a grin and laugh along with them. Tor spoke out, "Now now, remember, we must not look down on others. We've all be in the same situation they've been at least once, albeit different circumstances, but still, we've been defeated some point in our lives."
Hephaestus calmed himself down, "Ahem, yes, sorry. I lost myself there. My apologies. Please, hand me what's left."
Adagio pulled the few shards she could gather before they ran from her pocket, and handed them to Hephaestus, "Alrighty... It'll probably take me a little while, I'll have to identify them first, then I'll be able to create more and reforge them into pendants for you. Until then, you're mortal."
Adagio sighed, "Alright, but where will we sleep?"
"OH!" Tor said in remembrance, "I'm sorry, I forgot to show you to your accommodations." Tor flew through the air, grabbing the girls again in a harnessing fashion, and bringing them up to a large multi-leveled plateau. "You can make your own home here if you'd like, it can be as extravagant as you can imagine." Tor said cheerfully.
"Hmm..." Adagio said stroking her chin, she thought for a few moments. Soon the building was being formed, stone, glass, wood, and mortar was appearing out of the ether, a large castle was being built out of nowhere.
"There you go!" Tor said cheerfully. "It seems you've got the hang of it, if you have any troubles, just yell for someone."
"Thank you!" Sonata replied.
Aria looked with curiosity. "Hmm..." she said with a mischievous grin, she began to build a bathhouse on the second level of the plateau.
Sonata built the insides of the castle, decorating the halls with paintings, windows, chairs, tables, chandeliers, beds, nightstands, lamps, candles, and bathroom furnishings. Adagio willed the doors open, and before her laid an extravagant hall, decorated with golden picture frames of past memories. Silverware and dishes laid out on a lengthy table, lying overhead were two chandeliers lighting the room with candles, and the light from the windows.
Adagio was satisfied with the construction, "Girls, we've found our home." she said finally at peace.
Hours seemingly passed, without effort, they flew by and the Dazzlings could rest, they had bathed and cleaned themselves from that same chase, the waters healed Aria's cuts and bruises. It was almost as if the waters themselves were correcting what was wrong and healing the injured. Adagio lied down in her extravagant bed, her room was just the right size for one person, her bed had a canopy over her head, with simple covers draping over her body to keep her warm. Soon, Sonata walked in, "Adagio?"
Adagio rubbed her eyes, her bed hair looking almost no different from her normal hair, "Sonata? Is something wrong?"
"I-- I just think the castle is a bit too big, it's almost creepy how little of it we're actually using..." Sonata said rocking on her heels.
"Creepy?" Adagio raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if you think about it, how much of this castle will we actually need?" she said in a slightly disheartened tone, "I mean, this is the kind of place where at least 20 or 30 people would live at the same time, much less only three people..." she spoke earnestly.
Adagio had an understanding look in her eyes, "Alright, tomorrow we'll work on it, once we've rested we can crack down on it." she said rolling back over to go back to sleep.
Sonata added, "Um, Adagio?"
"Yes?" she said turning her body back towards her.
"Is it alright if I sleep by you tonight?" she said in an embarrassed tone.
"Sure, c'mon." she moved her body to one side of the bed and let Sonata slip under the covers. Adagio blew out the only candle illuminating the room.
"G'night Adagio." Sonata chirped.
"Good night..." Adagio said sleepily.
