thebastion | Day 173 | The Beginning

Entry tags:

Day 173 | The Beginning

Who: Tobias and open.
Open: Open
When: Day 173
Where: Near the entrance to the Skyway.
What: A bird arrives after the end of the world.
Format: Whatever works.
Warnings: Bird with PTSD. ~~It's a children's series!~~

It was early morning when Tobias wakes up. He stretched his wings, and opens his eyes, looking out at the field.

… There was no field.

Tobias stared at the space around him in confusion. Floating… in space? Was this something the Ellimist did? It would be just like him to wake him up in a weird kind of situation like this. … But if it was, there wasn't anything he could do. So he pushed off the tree and flapped, looking down at the rough path of earth nearby. He could see something, far off - it looked like some kind of small town.

He followed the path towards it, traveling quickly. The air was warm enough to give him some nice thermals, and he coasted between them until he got to the - town? It was too small to be a town. He landed on the grass near the entrance to the place, staring.

<Where am I?>

This was pretty clearly some kind of dream, so he didn't really bother keeping his thought-speak private. Anyone in the general area could hear a confused young male voice echo in their head.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Roxas wasn't entirely unused to the feeling of a voice in his head; that was more or less how the lesser Nobodies sounded when they spoke. But this was different, a distinct and unfamiliar voice when his Samurai was nowhere to be seen. Moreover, anyone who had already come to the Bastion wouldn't be wondering where they were. Was it someone new?

He glanced around in confusion, trying to figure out who exactly was talking. If he saw the hawk, he didn't register it. Talking birds talk out loud where he comes from.

"...hello?" He wasn't sure if this person would hear him, because maybe he wasn't even anywhere near him. Telepathy could work like that, right?

Someone calling out to him? Okay, sure. He'd bite. It sounded like someone his age, anyway. Who was it - that person. He looked over at Roxas, flapping his wings.

<Down here. Yes, the bird.>

He had to look around again before he spotted the bird.

"Oh! Hi. I didn't notice you there." He smiled sheepishly, as if it were his bad for not realizing he was talking to a bird, and stepped closer. "Did- you just get here?"

Tobias puffed his wings up a bit. The lack of the Ellimist popping up was a problem... because if he wasn't behind this, what was going on? Covering his tracks would be a problem too...

<Yeah. Wherever 'here' is.>

"It's called the Bastion. It's- the only real safe haven around here."

He faltered, because explaining exactly what that was all about meant delivering some serious bad news.

<From what?>

He'd seen a few creatures on his way here, but most didn't look so tough.

"Well, there're monsters, but it's more like- there aren't any other places."

He runs a hand through his hair. "There's no real easy way to say it, but... that includes where you came from."

Tobias stares at Roxas, full force of his hawk glare aimed directly at the other boy. <Explain that.>

No. That's not possible. This has to be a dream, a Sario Rip, the Ellimist, a hallucination, something.

Jason was usually up at an ungodly hour thanks to a strict training regiment at Camp Jupiter. He also clung to the hope that maybe he could find the rest of his friends and comrades out there. It was the only thing he could do other than wallow in crushing sorrow at the thought that he'd never see them again. No, it was better and more productive that he throw himself into helping the rebuilding process.

He'd also seen some weird stuff over the years. It came with being a demigod. Monsters attacked, gods did a little meddling, Mother Earth tried to kill every living thing on the planet and overthrow the gods. None of it was going to compare to the fact that he was about to have a conversation with a red-tailed hawk. Jason had enough room for more weirdness in his life, right?

The teen looked around when he heard the voice. He could've sworn he heard it.

"...Please tell me I'm not losing my mind," Jason muttered to himself. The son of Jupiter, ex-praetor, was finally cracking. Oh boy.

"Something called the Calamity happened. It- tore apart a lot of worlds. You probably saw how this one looks when you came in."

He hesitates and then adds, "I'm sorry."

Nanaki was out and about, not far from the entrance to the Skyway. She had actually planned on going out to look for more supplies, and had her shorts and running shoes on. But when she heard that voice in her head, she stopped and looked around, confused.

It wasn't the same voice, but it went into her head the same way. She was sure it couldn't be him anyway, she hadn't seen him in ages, possibly not since that first time they spoke when she first arrived. But she had to check, just in case.

"Uh, blue-horse-guy?" Whoops she had forgotten his name. "Is that you?"

<That's... not possible.> All the work they did... all of his friends...

<We fought for two years and this happens?!> Tobias flaps his wings angrily, letting out a screech. No. That's not possible. They couldn't all be gone!

<Nope.>

Tobias flapped his wings, rustling the grass. <I mean, I know it sounds crazy, but here we are.>

<Blue horse guy? ... Ax? I'm not Ax, but you've seen him?> Good. Ax would know what was going on. He squawked happily, flapping a bit.

"I know it's hard to take in..." Maybe less so for Roxas, this not being his first experience with worlds being destroyed, but it still hit him harder than the knock to his head when he first arrived.

"A lot of us were fighting for things before we came here. But- there's things to fight for here, too."

<You don't understand. I have a war to get back to.> And Rachel. Rachel. He has to get back to her. She can't be dead. He can't accept that.

"That war's not there anymore either."

There's the sound of wingbeats- but far louder than anything Tobias is capable of in his small hawk form. Even if he doesn't look back, Paarthurnax's large shadow will fall over him for a brief second before he's soaring over the Bastion. He circles about for a few moments with practiced ease before landing somewhere near the center, by the Monument.

No noise comes from the dragon, not immediately. He simply glances around, long neck twisting, before his gaze lands on Tobias and his head quirks to the side. It has been a long time since he's seen a hawk.

<... Great. Just great. I don't - it should have been her. Not me.>

He cares about the others, but... Rachel. He can't just leave her. She can't leave him. It doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense right now.

Tobias beats his wings hard, trying to overcome his hawk instincts. Huge creature, predator, not his territory! There's a brief struggle while he makes a low circle around the north side of the Bastion before he gets control of himself. Okay. Come on. That's a...

... Dragon? It's not... attacking him. Or yelling. So it's probably not Visser Three. An Andalite? Do they have dragons? That seems like something Ax would have told him by now, but maybe not. He lands in the grass near the dragon - but not too close. He hunkers down in the grass a bit.

<... Hi?>

Jason glanced at the source of the noise and blinked. Yep. That was definitely a hawk. A telepathic hawk. It made him pause for a moment before replying.

"Honestly, I think I've heard and done crazier than talk to a bird," he replied, smiling ruefully. "I'm Jason, and I guess welcome to the Bastion. Has anyone told you about this place yet?"

There's a low rumbling sound deep within his throat, but it's not an aggressive sound. More curious than anything. Ah, so that wasn't a trick of a weary mind.

"Drem yol lok. That is a fine talent you have, skar."

<Not really. I'm Tobias. The bird thing is complicated. As is the telepathy.> Just... not a story for right now. If he determined that this place was safe, maybe he'd talk about it.

A dragon. Okay. He's talking to a dragon. Unless he's hallucinating or dreaming, but still. Dragon. Okay. Calm down, Tobias. You can handle this.

<Uh. Thanks? I don't... know what you called me.> Or what he said before. Or any of this. It's all a little overwhelming.

"I'm... not gonna tell you it's a good chance, but you might still find your friends."

He has a few of his own friends here, after all, and one of them didn't even come with him from Vatheon.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 5

Day 173 | The Beginning

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject