Cross Effects 3.0 - November 16, 2014—April 13, 2015

[YOLF]

"We can get to know each other right now, little angel." The layers of her cloak became thinner until it had the thickness of tissue paper as she held onto Sarse even tighter.

"Tell me of your creation, Angel of Choice. What is your first memory once you came into being?"

Well, the further diminished space between their flesh was sure not making him any more comfortable. Nor was that particular question. Sarse hesitated to react, but pondered on himself.

She had not ordered him to tell her, or to consent to her wishes. It had been his own choice to indulge her so far. A choice born partially out of wariness, partially out of fear, but his own choice nonetheless. Ann had not violated his right to choose despite her requests and her teasing demeanor. Sarse was the one who had gone along with things.

For one who was death, she did not seem of grim intentions. Perhaps sharing could do no harm in knowing her, and finding a real ally in Nexus City. Taking in breath, he spoke, in a tone that would be considered quiet to communicate during such a ride.

"The smell of death, and the loud drumming of Hell in my ears. Hateful words about Earth, arrogant lessons from a black shade of many eyes and faces. My black wings unfolding as I accepted those truths as my own, and deceived my own being."

[Umbra of Chaos]

Ann

Ann listened to Sarse's tale quietly and for that small instant ceased to play with his hair or move her hand against his body. "I do believe in fair trades, little angel, so I will show you what I first remember."

She removed one hand from his chest and placed it on top of his head. Then she opened her mind to his and sent to Sarse the first things Death had seen upon its creation. It was a sea of white fire that pulsed with life itself and shone with a light infinitely brighter than all the stars in the universe combined. Then it expanded and washed over the nothingness surrounding it and with a flare of immaculate light creation was born.

After sending that to the angel she resumed her uncomfortably tight hold on Sarse.

[Lycodrake]

Than'Sanel

An small emerald shard of crystal bloomed from the bark of a tree, followed by a dozen more, until they coalesced into a single, forked and jagged line upon the tree. The line pulsed and glowed before shattering into a small arch of emerald light. From the arch of light stepped a tall figure in white leather armor and green cloth, his features nondescript - plain. The emerald light faded into hundreds of small motes as he looked around, taking in the wooded area and the buildings he could see above the treetops.

He focused and held out a hand, wherein the motes of light gathered like leaves blown in circles by the wind to become a single, floating crystal. He allowed it to fall to the ground, the magic he had put into place already calling, beckoning roots and vines. Than'Sanel had prepared himself to create a Saproling the moment he stepped into the new Plane, but now it was time to look around with his own eyes.

His eyes swept across the trees around him and up to their tops, seeing the buildings beyond. This was not Ravnica. The architecture was similar to the Guildless, as was the forest, but - the sky was wrong and there was no feeling of a vast network of underground bellow his feet. He had been gone from Ravnica, but these were things he would not forget about his home Plane.

Than'Sanel decided, as his gaze drifted back to the forming Saproling, roots and vines weaving, that he needed more information about this new plane. He would have to find someone or send a Saproling or elemental to look for answers.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider was watching the fight outside when she heard Sakura speak up.

“Rider, do you know where...”, she said, trailing off.

Of course, despite the fact that she had not finished her sentence, Rider knew exactly what Sakura was asking. This Sakura was far younger than her own, so she likely did not have any children, and there was only one other person she would be quite so concerned about.

"La...", she started to say but, before she could finish, Sakura flung herself at Rider, in tears, grabbing hold of her shoulders.

“Senpai is alright, right Rider! He’s not hurt, is he! Please tell me he’s ok!” she said. “He’s fine, right? H-he’s safe, right?”

"Yes, he's fine", Rider said, grabbing the alternate version of her master into a hug. "Last time I saw him, he was going off for a romantic holiday with you. Well, the version of you from my world, at least. He's perfectly safe and happy. I'm sure the version you know is safe too, and is probably desperately searching to find you. I know the Shirou I know would."

[Elf]

Forest

Forest took the bit of blood and smiled without humor.  "Someone who wants me dead could steal it from you and use it against me.  I've had enough of blood curses placed upon me over the last few centuries, so thanks."

"We were once humans.  I'm bloody sure we should remember that.  I don't give a loose toss what your 'God' says.  He's not my god, mine has tits."

[Kat]

Deborah

"But not humans anymore, I don't dwell on the past." Honestly, such attitude only befitted neonates still remembering vividly their human past "Heh, what an accomplishment" Deborah snarked at Forest's comment about her religion.

[SINIB]

"Yes, he's fine," Sakura heard Rider say.

Sakura sighed in relief as Rider embraced her in a hug. “He’s ok.” She collapsed into Rider’s arms sniffling, but no longer crying, her arms hanging limp at her sides. “He’s ok.”

"Last time I saw him, he was going off for a romantic holiday with you. Well, the version of you from my world, at least. He's perfectly safe and happy. I'm sure the version you know is safe too, and is probably desperately searching to find you. I know the Shirou I know would."

Romantic holiday? With me? Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to articulate words, a nonsensical mish mash of sounds coming out instead. She took a deep breath and tried again.

“Romantic holiday?” She asked Rider for confirmation, unsure she had heard correctly.

[Cherry Lover]

Rider smiled as Sakura loosened up somewhat. She could feel the relief at her words.

"Yes. You left your son with me and Rin and went off to have some fun together for the week. That's the last time I saw you. The version of you from my universe is much older than you, though.  Twenty-odd years older, in fact", Rider said, smiling, still holding onto Sakura.

[SINIB]

Rider smiled as Sakura loosened up somewhat. She could feel the relief at her words.

"Yes. You left your son with me and Rin and went off to have some fun together for the week. That's the last time I saw you. The version of you from my universe is much older than you, though.  Twenty-odd years older, in fact", Rider said, smiling, still holding onto Sakura.

Sakura honed in on a single word. I have a kid? Possibly more than one?

After a momentary pause, Sakura managed to stammer out a single word, an utterly confused and baffled expression on her face. “K-kids?”

[Cherry Lover]

“K-kids?” Sakura stammered.

Rider smiled once more.

"Yes, you have four lovely children. Aoi is the eldest, then Kariya, both are adults now. Then you have Yuki, who Rin is training as her heir now, and finally Kiyoshi, your little darling", she said.

[SINIB]

“K-kids?” Sakura stammered.

Rider smiled once more.

"Yes, you have four lovely children. Aoi is the eldest, then Kariya, both are adults now. Then you have Yuki, who Rin is training as her heir now, and finally Kiyoshi, your little darling", she said.

“Kids. Four of them. I have. Four kids?” Sakura slumped towards the floor. “That’s so unfair...” She said in a soft and subdued voice.

[Mooncake]

Ezra Longinia


One second he had been standing there, and then the next thing he knew, the sphere of ice had exploded, sending shards everywhere. The spearman blinked, and things hadn't changed, the swordsman having dropped his weapon on the ground and started to complain.

His eyes widened as red crept up the ball of ice, and Ezra sprung back, spinning the Lance behind him. Instinct propelled his movements, his synapses firing off the impulse to get behind cover. His instincts had almost never wronged him before, and Ezra sprinted around the edge of the building, skidding to a halt a couple of feet away from the edge.

Was it obvious where he was? Sure, he was easy to find – but he wasn't going to take any chances with something like a Dead Apostle, and whatever that armored figure had been.

[Knick]

Grenth

Grenth noticed that the prison he constructed was being attacked from the inside. Some kind of spell found in that man’s blood.

He could have counteracted the effects, it would have been simple. He could have added more layers, increased the density, manually hold it together. All those things could have worked to keep the prison intact.

But Grenth didn’t do anything.

He just watched, he wanted to see how far this man would go, he wanted to see his will and his potential. But sadly Grenth was disappointed.

The spell was simple, so mind-numbingly simple it made Grenth bored to tears.

And so the shell of ice exploded, its shards becoming deadly shrapnel. All those that flew towards him simply stopped in the air. What he creates cannot harm him; he simply will not allow that.

“You hardly needed that much energy.” Grenth stated.

[Puck-Chan]

Time

This can't be good. Something was happening to the creature encased in ice. Time was not liking this. He noticed that the one in armor wasn't even bothering to do anything, he was just going to watch and amuse himself in what resistance the Dead Apostle was going to pose.

Ice. Shards of it exploded and whistled towards all directions.

"Oh goddamn it."

Joints static in place with the threat of hypothermia starting to set in, sword dropped to appease this rude newcomer to release him, and now the ice was coming towards him. They plunged deeply into his flesh through the weave of his garment, causing him to hiss in pain. Flesh wounds, all of them. It would take a lot more than that to take him down.

He managed to peek to his side to see the magician provided his own protection, and none for the one that he was imprisoned.

"Ow..." he eked out a response as crimson started to seep out his wounds.

“You hardly needed that much energy.” Grenth stated.

"I hate to interrupt, but you couldn't even have the courtesy to stop some of them in my way?"

He was wearily waving his empty hands at his direction to show he actually did as the magician exactly wanted. The frost from his frozen joints and the snowing environment were really chilling him to the bone, hypothermia is no doubt going to set in soon.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Grenth
“You hardly needed that much energy.” Grenth stated.

"Shut up...", snarled the charred vampire with a raspy voice.

What now stood in place of the icy prison was truly an incredible sight.
Bone and flesh exposed as the very marrow slowly dripped from his bloody disfigured face, he was visibly badly injured, blood gushing from every limb in his body, leaving of him a visceral mess.

But at the very least he had escaped the frozen mass he was encased in, of that, he had no complaints.
Taking the deepest breath he could, Costin rose from the rubble and as his scattered flesh and remains crumbled to dust, his wounds slowly closed as the physical damage undid itself, as if time itself was rewinding.

"Maaaan, this sucks" , the dead apostle now spoke in a clear voice, he looked annoyed, all trace of his past enraged self gone, all that was left for now was nonchalance.

And as he scrubbed the dust from his tattered clothes, he asked, this time in a slightly annoyed tone: "The hell was that for, you cheeky old bastard?"