Chapter Text
The screen lights up to reveal a deep black abyss of space. It pans to multiple asteroids and debris floating through the endless sea.
“Where is this..?” Chixia asks the question everyone in the theatre is wondering.
Suddenly, a golden rift opens; with two individuals drifting in front of the portal. A black haired man, and a mysterious woman could be seen. The woman places her forehead against his, and with a solemn look in her eyes, piercing his chest with her hand.
With her hand exiting his chest, she takes her hand in his. The golden light she took from him formed into a tacet mark on his right hand. The woman brings hers’ and the mans’ hand to her face. A quaint smile spreads across her face.
“Such a sad face…” Phoebe feels for the mysterious woman. Zani and Carlotta nod their heads in agreement.
“This is… Beyond the Stridergate? She must be someone from his homeland..” Aemeath looks at the screen with both curiosity and rage. “So this is what someone from your homeland looks like huh…” She snuggles up closer to Rover. Vowing to internally protect her from anything that wishes to harm her.
Mornye studies the screen in awe of the view of space. Although she may not be there to see it in person, she is still awestruck by the beauty. A small tear comes to her eyes.
“Professor, are you okay?” Lynae asks while seeing the tears flow.
“I’m quite alright. It’s simply beautiful is all.” She looks towards Lynae with a smile as pure as the sun.
Dr. Herssen pulls a handkerchief from his lab coat and hands it to her. “Quite the waterfall you have coming from you professor. Reminds me when you come to the infirmary all teary eyed over a thesis you read.”
“Dr. Herssen!!” Her face blushes a bright red. Chisa and Lynae both resist to hold in a laugh at the professor.
The woman sends him hurling down into the abyss. A look of hesitation forms on the woman's face. As the man reaches out towards her, she disappears into thin air. She could be seen falling into many abnormal frequencies. She screeches with them.
As quickly as the woman was thrown into the concoction of frequencies, she gets dropped into a large body of water. She opens her eyes and begins to swim upward towards the surface. Only to find that she was upside down, staring down at an unfamiliar world.
“Wait huh?? Is that…?”
“..The Etheric Sea…” Aemeath finishes the sentence Chixia was about to say. Standing up in surprise.
Everyone in the theatre turns to the idol with curiosity.
“You seem to know for sure that it is the Etheric Sea we’re looking at.” Changli looks back at Aemeath with a suspicious glint in her eyes, hidden behind a false smile.
“..Aemeath. Do you know how Rover got here..?” The Shorekeeper stands up, questioning the girl as well.
“Got here? Unwritten isn’t from Solaris?” Iuno shoots a question towards the Shorekeeper. He was the “unwritten one” after all, meaning she could never peek into Rover’s future or past.
“Could this be why he’s ‘unwritten’?”
“I–I–” Aemeath almost crumbles a bit. It had been some time since this many people had their eyes on her that wasn’t on a stage.
“Calm down everyone. There is no need to question the girl so thoroughly. We’re barely even a minute into Rover’s story. Maybe we’ll get the answers ourselves.” Dr. Herssen comes to Armeath's defence. Remembering how he saw the video of Rover falling from the Etheric Sea, he’d rather let himself grab the attention of their curious viewers. Especially knowing how badly she missed Rover, not even letting her hand leave his.
“It’s clear she has information about Rover’s origins.” The entire theatre turns towards the red haired elf sitting in the top corner of the room, who has stayed silent up till this point. “Her body language is drowning in guilt. Nevermind the fact she’s been glued to him since she got here.”
Changli, Lynae, Aalto, and Carlotta all internally agree with the secret agent. With them all coming to the same conclusion themselves thanks to their mastery of reading body language.
“And who exactly are you..?” Aemeath turns back towards the woman, her golden eyes glaring through her.
“I’d say you’re the one who needs to explain who they are. Especially when you’re clinging to him like you can’t live without him.” Yinlin responds
“You bi–”
“Is there really such a need for hostility?” Yangyang turns back to the entire theatre. “Everyone in this room cares about Rover. And I’m sure the person who put us here did so for a reason. Rover cares about all of us, I’m sure of it. So why can’t we get along?”
Stop trying to summon your sword Aemeath.
She stares at the figure that teleported to the front of the screen.
Thank you for attempting to remedy the situation Yangyang.
Yangyang feels oddly fuzzy from that.
Yinlin. Aemeath cannot answer any of the questions you most likely have for her. But to satiate all of your curiosity. She is someone who both used to, and is, very important to Rover. That’s all you’ll get to know on the matter until the proper time comes.
Yinlin nods, accepting that as the most she’ll get. Aemeath turns around one more time and sticks her tongue out at the elf.
“Hey Mr. Presenter guy!”
Yes Lynae?
“I see that girl down there has her paint and stuff, can I have mine?” Zhezhi perks up at the sudden mention of her.
Here, just keep the cat emblems to a minimum.
“Lameeeeee, you sound just like Professor Mornye!”
“I’m right here!? And it’s wrong to deface school property!”
“Tehe.” Lynae brings her hand to her mouth while laughing.
“You can bring things from our world?” Zani questions, preparing to ask for an energy drink.
I can. Although we have stalled long enough. I know what you’re going to ask for so I’ll give it to you. But for others, you’ll have to wait until the break.
Zani cracks open the drink that was teleported into her lap. “Hm, maybe this place isn’t so bad after all.”
The screen blacks out. Two voices could be heard speaking to one another.
“..Looks like drowning… Strange…”
“..No visible signs of trauma. Breathing seems… normal. Heart rate… should be fast… I think.”
“OOO it’s us Yangyang!! Look!!” Chixia grabs the arm of the outrider.
A pair of golden eyes slowly open.
“...You’re awake!”
“Let me see! Let me see!”
The man sees two girls. One with long black hair, and one with hair as red as a tomato. The red haired girl begins to talk to the man.
“Thank goodness you’re awake! Or I'll have to try my last ditch move–Emergecny Skills for Junior Patrollers, Lesson One: CPR! I’ve never done it on any living person though…” The redhead could be seen imitating CPR movements.
“Hehe..I still haven’t..” She shakes her head embarrassed.
“Chixia..”
The man rises to his feet, raising a hand to his temple.
“Sorry, sorry. You just woke up, and here I am, chattin’ up a storm…”
The screen cut to a close up of the black haired girl. “Are you alright? Do you feel any discomfort?”
“...Who… are you?” Were the first words the man could think of to say.
“You can call me Chixia… And she’s Yangyang!”
“Hold on, does no one else think she looks like the woman from the start?” Buling asks no one in particular.
“Yes, they do share quite the resemblance…” Carlotta answers for most in the audience.
“I don’t know anything about that woman!!” Yangyang feels the pressure put on her, especially from…
“Are you the one who sent Rover here…?” Aemeath looks towards the outrider. Her aura seeping into Yangyang despite how restricted her abilities are here.
“Hey back off lady.” Chixia stands up in front of Yangyang.
“Hmph.” Aemeath sits down and stops herself from going off. Although she figures the presenter would’ve stopped her anyways.
“Chixa and Yangyang… Where am I?” He looks around at the gorge surrounding them. Yangyang offers him an answer.
“We are in the Gorges of Spirits. It’s on the outskirts of Jinzhou, Huanglong. Your attire doesn’t seem local. Are you a roving traveler from afar, or… someone returning home?”
“I–I don’t remember..”
“So you don’t know why you’re here, where you’re from, or who you are…”
Chixia begins to interject. “Baizhi didn’t tell us you’d have these after effects when you woke up.”
A gust of wind starts to blow through Yangyang’s hand. “ The wind brought us a warning. The Etheric Sea is converging. It seems a new Tacet Field is taking shape.”
“What do you mean?”
“That means it’s probably going to get dangerous here soon.” Chixia answers.
“Wait, so when that happened. Do you think it was Rover that caused it?” Chixia asks the outrider. All Yangyang can give is a worried look to her.
Chixa’s terminal begins to glow. “Ugh, I knew it. Our terminals are out of service because of the Etheric Sea’s influence. We better hurry over to meet Baizhi at the rendezvous point and get outta here!”
The man begins to look awestruck at the terminal. Chixia notices his confused look.
“Guess you really can’t remember a thing. But don’t worry! We can talk as we move. Yangyang and I will give you the full scoop, every detail, from the get-go!”
Yangyang places her hand to her chest while walking closer to the man.
“Rover…can we call you that before you can remember your true name?”
He looks down, contemplating on his answer. “You can call me that for now.”
“Oh! So you’re the one who gave Rover his name??” Ciaccona excitedly asks Yangyang.
“Yes, although I never thought he’d truly continue to go by it. I only called him that because it didn't seem like he was from Jinzhou.”
“Well it certainly fits the captain. There have been many times he’d come back from flying all over Ragunna. He would then crash on a bench and leave the next morning.” Brant exclaims
“I always try to offer him a cot, but he says he doesn’t want to take it away from anyone.”
“Pero!” Roccia and Pero feel a bit saddened.
“Well I very much thank you for his title..Yangyang was it? Singing his name throughout Ragunna has been wonderful. “Rover” will truly be remembered for the ages!” Ciaccona beams at the girl.
“Aww, thank you!” Yangyang blushes slightly at the compliment.
Aemeath sours at most people in this room, knowing him as “Rover”. “Just how many nights have you slept in random spots? I wish-I wish I could’ve taken you to our home sooner. Maybe then you’d sleep in your bed. What can I do to get you to stop ‘roving’.”
“We shouldn’t stay here. How about you leave with us for now? The terrain is complicated here, and we usually take the one route.” Yangyang points to the only trail leading to the exit of the gorge. “Let’s travel together, you can decide your future plans once we leave the gorge.” Yangyang’s eyes sparkle a bit when she speaks, making Rover feel like he would’ve accepted even if he didn’t have amnesia.
She’s…really pretty. Rover thought to himself.
“HUH!?!?!?!?” Yangyang’s face glows a bright red.
“Awwww Rover thought you were pretty!” Chixia teases the outrider.
Most other girls in the room wonder what Rover thought of their looks. While some of the guys pretend not to wonder what he thought of them.
Rover shakes his head yes in acceptance. Chixia jumps up in excitement and makes her way down the path. “Yea! Let's get going!”
The screen pans out behind Rover. The emblem of the Sentinel appears. The words: “Chapter 1-Act 1, Utterance of Marvels” Is seen on the screen.
The trio can be seen walking side by side. Chixia suddenly jumps back from her sprint and gets a better look at Rover.
“Rover, I know you can’t remember a thing, but there’s one thing I’m 90%... no, 100% sure about! You must be a resonator too!” Yangyang chimes in as well.
“You have a Tacet Mark on the back of your hand. You even have a terminal. Although your terminal design is a bit different from the ones we use though.”
Rover looks down at his right hand. Then he grabs the terminal from off his back, staring at it in confusion.
Some time passes. The trio make their way through the Gorges of Spirits without a hitch until..
“Ah Yangyang! Watch out.” A small group of Zig Zags suddenly pounce on the girl.
Before Yangyang could react, Rover rushes towards them. Instinctually, a blade appears in his hand; slicing the echos to ribbons as he does. With the TD’s cleared, Rover breaths a heavy sigh while sheathing the blade.
“Bravo! So you still remember how to fight despite having forgotten everything!”
Rover looks down at the sword in his hand “..I guess so…”
“Wow! So Uncle Rover didn’t have to relearn anything?”
“He’s so cool!” Both Verina and Encore squee at the Rover on screen.
Yangyang walks up to Rover. “Thank you for having my back Rover.” He simply shakes his head in acknowledgement.
“Watch me lead the charge next time! No one messes with Ma Xiaofa– Ahem, I mean Chixia!” The other two awkwardly smile at Chixia’s enthusiasm.
“Who’s that?” Lynae questions the patroller
“ITS NOTHING!!! O-M-G I can’t believe everyone heard that!”
After a few more moments. Rover and co. get close to the exit of the gorge. Rover, taking in the sights, sees a statue that catches her eye. As she looks up towards it, an image appears in his head.
Rover could be seen standing in a dark void. A large dragon swirls around him, inching closer and closer until..
“Rover? What's wrong? Are you injured from the fight?” Yangyang snaps Rover out of her trance due to her concern.
“I think I remembered something when I saw that statue?” Rover looks towards it again skeptically.
“You saw our Sentinel in your memories?” Yangyang questions without hiding her surprise.
“So that's what you saw..?” Yangyang whispers.
“So that is your Sentinel?” Phoebe asks the Jinzhou section.
Unexpectedly, Sanhua speaks up for the first time in a while. “Yes, our Sentinel’s name is Jue. And my lady here.. Is his resonator.” Sanhua longingly looks towards her sleeping lady.
“Sentinel?”
“Yes. This is a statue of the Sentinel of Jinzhou. There is one capital and six cities in Huanglong, with each having their own Sentinel. The sentinel in Jinzhou is known as “Jue”, manifesting itself in the form of a dragon.
Rover turns to Yangyang inquisitively. “Are there other Sentinels outside of Huanglong?”
“Yes, Sentinels are present where civilizations thrive. Huanglong stands out, having the highest number of coexisting Sentinels, thanks to its long history and vast land. Some records state that our Sentinels were once a single entity. Now they are each responsible for a part of Huanglong. Other regions have Sentinels as well, but not nearly as much as Hunanglong.”
Rover looks away from the girl, feeling content with the answer she was given. He walks up to the statue, raising it towards it. “We were standing face to face.”
“You were standing face to face with our Sentinel?” Yangyang exclaims. “One can hardly see our Sentinel with their own eyes. Most people only get the chance during the Appointment Ceremonies. According to your description, you stood pretty close to the sentinel. Only the Magistrate of Jinzhou is known to be able to stand in such close proximity to the Sentinel...”
“I suppose we should be thankful this theatre is showing us such a sight very few would ever get to experience.” Jiyan says out loud. The older ones in the theatre nod in agreement.
Both of them stand in silence. Contemplating the implications of Rover’s illusion.
“Woah! That must be an Elite Class!” Chixia is seen rushing towards something.
“Chixia must be in danger, we have to go help her!” Yangyang pleads.
Rover shakes her head yes as they both rush their way through hordes of TD’s attempting to attack them.
Before Chixia could even pull out her weapons, the duo of Rover and Yangyang are seen eliminating the TD’s with ease.
“That was close! You fought so well!” Chixia rushes up to them. “I didn’t even get to help. And Yangyang just rushed over to protect you like a ma- AHEM, anyway. She went to shield you and the TD was taken care of before I could even look at it!”
Rover looks towards the redhead in confusion over what she was going to say.
“Chixa!!” Yangyang yells at Chixia with a small blush on her face. Rover looks towards her; and before he could get a “thank you” out..
Yangyang glares at Chixia. The red mouths an apology.
“Hey look! We’re almost at the entrance!” Chixia points towards the bright light at the top of the stairs. The other two begin to follow suit.
The trio step out of the light to a cliff outlining the city of Jinzhou nearby. Rover notes that it is a familiar view, but she just can’t place when she saw it.
“Jinzhou is the safest place around here! We’ve got protective barriers and everything!” Chixia dawns a big smile.
“Sounds impressive.” Rover responds.
“I know right! But now that I think about it, Bazhi told us to meet here…Where is she?”
Yangyang walks forward. Holding out her hand again, wind flows against her palm once more. Her eyes shrink in fear. “This is the center of the Etheric Sea..”
“A Tacet Field?? It wasn’t here earlier.” Chixia claims.
Rover walks forward towards the edge of the cliff. “Someone is there.”
Chixia steps closer to Rover. “Wait..that's Baizhi! BAIZHI.” Chixia continues to yell towards the girl to no avail.
“We’re too far away for her to hear us..” Yangyang says.
“Why is she down there?” Rover asks.
“Freshly formed Tacet Fields have a dormant period. During this time, it is relatively safe.”
“So it is only safe now?”
“As long as the dormant period is short. The TD”s that can accumulate from it can be dispatched relatively easily.”
Rovers face suddenly becomes stoic. “Then let's head down there.”
Yangyang shakes her head in agreement. “Right, Baizhi there after all. And we need to see what's going on.
The trio use their gliders and begin their descent down towards the Tacet Field.
As they land on the ground, Rover begins to hear a faint frequency intruding his mind.
“Baizi! We’re in a dormant Tacet Field right? Why did you come here by yourself?” Chixia runs up to the beautiful girl leaning on the ground. “Baizhi, you know, we… huh?”
Baizhi pays no mind to the redhead and swiftly walks towards Rover. A being that could only be described as a seal swirls around Rover, analyzing him from every angle.
“You are alright it seems.” Bazhi says nonchalantly.
Luuk looks curiously at Baizhi. “You could tell his condition from just one look?”
“It is You’tan’s ability. He can analyze individuals and their injuries and heal when needed.” Baizhi responds to the doctor coldly.
“Yea! Baizhi is super cool!! I couldn’t tell you how many times she’s patched me right up!” Chixia turns to the doctor flexing her muscles.
“Most of those were from you tripping over yourself on your patrols.”
“Shush Baizhi!!” Chixia hisses at the researcher.
“Quite the eccentric youngsters you are.” Luuk emits a warm smile.
“Yea! He was super energetic! Handled a super big TD! Way more spirited than me!” Chixia exclaims while shadowboxing, attempting to replicate Rover’s heroics.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on his condition through the streams..” Yangyang says.
Rover looks around at the trio. Questioning how all of them can attest to his condition without even asking him. “Is this a mind-reading gathering!”
Yangyang turns to Rover. “It isn’t. Baizhi is just concerned about your condition. She doesn’t want you moving around too much, since you’ve just regained consciousness…"
A funny idea begins to form in Rover’s mind because of their overbearing concern. “Oh, I suddenly feel sooo much pain.” Rover places the back of his hand against his head while feigning a sickly tone.
Yangyang quickly steps into Rover’s vision; concern and worry oozing from her. “Are you alright?? Where does it hurt?” Rover sees her beautiful silver eyes twitch in an attempt to find any injuries on him.
“Worry has clouded your judgement Yangyang. His vitals are stable, with normal-sized pupils and a steady breathing rhythm.” Baizhi coldly tears through Rovers “sickness”
As a smile makes its way onto his and Chixia’s faces, Yangyang simply pouts and looks angrily at him. “Rover! Don’t make me worry like that again.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted to alleviate any worry about my well being. I’m okay.” Rover scratches behind his head, admittedly embarrassed by Yangyang’s welcome worry.
“I still don’t forgive you for that!” Yangyang turns to the unconscious Rover to scold him once more. A feisty looking pink head looked back however.
“What a lame joke Rover.” Zani hides a small smile on her face.
“Such wonderful acting from my Captain!” Brant sings Rover’s praises.
Buling turns back to him. “You know he was very obviously faking it la!”
“He was?” Lupa, Chisa, Brant, Phoebe, and Jianxin all say this at the same time. They all failed to see through Rover’s phony acting.
Buling could only facepalm.
“...This isn’t the place for talking. Let’s go.” Baizhi says while turning away from them.
Yangyang quickly followed suit, flashing Rover a disappointed frown. Chixia simply walks to Rover with her hit out. “Nice on man!” Rover bumps her fist back and both of them continue to walk with the others.
The screen turns black. It then opens up on them walking out of the Tacet Field. Suddenly. Large Tacetite Spikes protrude from beneath them, a large barrier forming around the group.
A curdling frequency pierces through the trio of Yangyang, Chixia, and Baizhi. Rover stands in confusion at the events going on around him, watching as his companions hold their hands to their ears in order to prevent them from exploding.
Rover hears a noise akin to a dog growling. As he turns to check it out; A face of skull and bone stands inches away from his own. As fast as he saw it, his blade was unsheeted from its home. A massive clash of purple and gold emanating from the stalemate.
The younger and less powerful ones in the theatre freeze at the overwhelming presence of the Crownless.
Rover, the TD, and Yangyang stay within the barrier. The wind from the clash sent the other two outside of it, with them unable to get back in.
“Yangyang!! Rover! We’re blocked outside and can’t get in. Are you alright?” Chixia yells with all her might
“Me and Rover are fine, this TD is still in here as well.” Yangyang says while watching Rover and the TD fight. Before she could say anymore, the TD rushed towards her. Yangyang prepares to take it head on. The feathers in her hair turn a neon blue.
“Hey! Your fight is with. ME.” Rover is seen intercepting the attack meant for Yangyang, taking his sheeted sword and using the end of it to push the TD practically to the other side of the border.
“Are you alright, Yangyang?” The outrider looks at him in awe. She could feel her face heat up a bit from the sudden lack of proximity between them. Before she could respond, she spotted the TD behind him.
“Rover!” Yangyang points at the TD. Its hands wrap around its head. Almost as if it is suffering in pain. Two wings begin to emerge from its back, summoning a spear around the size of Rovers body.
Rover slowly steps forward towards the TD. Yangyang reaches her hand out to him, as if prompting him to stay. “His condition might not be stable enough. I need to help him.”
In the blink of an eye. The TD rushes towards Rover. “I’ve had enough of this…” Rover claims.
The TD comes down with several quick stabs towards Rover. Despite the speed, Rover effortlessly parries the attacks, taking the blunt end of his blade and sending it towards the TD. It gets effortlessly knocked back. Dust accumulates in the Discord’s vision. It looks around, attempting to find Rover. A golden flash darts behind it, and only 3 words could be heard. “Moment of Resonance!” A golden hexagon encompasses the TD, freezing it in time. Rover sends his sword spinning towards the TD so fast that it looks like a vortex.
The accumulated damage flings the TD back towards the other side of the field. As it begins to stand up, a gust of wind blows away all the surrounding dust. Yangyang is seen holding her sword with a balanced stance. Howling winds can be seen attempting to escape the sheath that blade is housed in, until suddenly.
“Storm, hear my command.” A giant wind funnel grabs the TD. Small cuts tear through its outer shell as it struggles to keep its bearings.
Rover looks surprised at the power Yangyang displayed. As he stares, her mouth is seen opening. “Now Rover!”
Rover instantly knows what she's implying and darts towards the vortex. Rover summons his sword and slices through the TD. His blade barely even being reactable.
While they cannot watch the screen. The presenter gave Qiuyuan and Sanhua earbuds that described the action on screen to them. They were also both allowed to resonate with the screen's frequency. Allowing them both to have a decent sense of what's going on. Qiuyan internally compliments Rover on his sword skills.
He then flips over the TD. Taking his right hand and summoning energy into it. He then slams the ground with the accumulated time he’s stored and cracks the earth beneath him.
The TD then takes a step back; it suddenly bursts into a translucent yellow version of itself.
Chixia begins to run up to the two as the barrier breaks down. “Yangyang! Rover! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” The girl’s voice is tainted with worry.
Rover shakes his head to affirm that he is fine.
“We’re both fine Chixia. I’ve never seen such a formidable Tacet Discord before. But you were able to take it down with ease Rover.” She looks towards him in admiration.
“You were extremely formidable in that battle, Outrider Yangyang. It was quite commendable.” Jiyan says while turning to her.
“Thank you General. That means a lot coming from you.”
“Wow Yangyang. I’ve never seen you do something like that before!!” Chixia shoots up.
“My fellow warrior never told me he had such a fierce companion in Huanglong!” Lupa rushes across the theatre away from the sleeping Cartethiya.
“Ah well.. I don’t think I’m particularly strong..” Yangyang attempts to back away from the wolf who is currently sniffing her.
“Ooo you smell quite strong too! We should spar!” Lupa’s eyes burn with passion.
“Maybe another time.” Yangyang laughs awkwardly.
Camellya takes a second look at the girl she waved off as “passable” before.
“Don’t sell yourself short. You were a big help! We did it together.” The outrider’s face turns as red as Chixia’s hair. Before she could properly respond, Chixia dashes into Rover's face.
“Rover, what was that last move called? That looked as cool as Fiamma’s killer move!” Chixia is seen pumping her fists up in the air. Rover can only scratch behind his head once again, unable to properly answer the girls’ question.
Yangyang looks inquisitively out towards the mark in the middle of the Tacet Field. “This place isn’t usually this dangerous…”
“Hey guys, look!” Chixia points toward the ghost left by the TD.
“What is it..?” Rover asks.
“It’s an Echo.” Yangyang answers.
“Wow! An Echo of the Elite Class… Someone got lucky today! Hey Rover! You should try absorbing it with your terminal!”
Rover takes his terminal and holds it up. “It says it's level 0.”
“Well that's fine!! We can just absorb some smaller Echos to get your level up!”
Baizhi begins to step closer towards the mark. “We’ll need to report the unusual phenomena here to the City Hall and the Academy. Let's go.”
As they begin to walk away, the mark on Rover’s hand glows.
“Hungry. I’m starving.” Rover’s arm gets pulled back as if it has a mind of its own. The ghost the Echo can be seen being absorbed into Rover’s hand. Suddenly the wind caused by hunger ceases and the Echo disappears.
“Wow… What kind of power is that!? Hey! Have you been playing the fool all along??” Chixia exclaims.
“Abby was with Rover all along?” Phoebe is the first to say what everyone is thinking.
“Abby?” Jianxin looks to Buling for answers, but she's too absorbed in the screen.
Flashes of a TD similar to the appearance of the previous one flash in Rover’s mind. Only being taken out of the illusion by an ever so curious Chixia.
“I've never seen a Resonance Ability quite like yours. You got any other
tricks up your sleeve? Like, eating a whole Tacet Discord? Grilling
Echos alive?”
Chixia shakes Rover back and forth while bombarding him with questions. “How does that relate to my cooking skills… Also, I have no idea what happened.”
Yangyang walks towards the two. “Could that have been a result of your battle with the Tacet Discord? Baizhi, we should take Rover to get a check up at the Huaxu Academy Medical Department.”
Baizhi looks introspectively towards the ground. “Absorbing Echos with the human body is not entirely unprecedented…”
Galbrena chuckles slightly at the screen. “If it weren’t for eating Tacet Discords, I’d be dead.”
“With the human body… I remember ‘Comprehensive Mirror for Historians’ mentioned in the Huanglong section's opening…” Yangyang begins to quote the book from memory.
“A celestial being descended, commanding the universe’s boundless
power. Assuming mortal form, they condensed the primordial essence,
creating Pangu. Cleaving heaven and earth apart, they aligned the celestial and terrestrial. Their radiance encompassed the four corners. Thus began the illustrious annals of Huanglong.”
“Oh you read that too? What did you think of it??” Mornye had actually borrowed the book from Rover before he left Lahai-Roi. She studied it immensely and relished the opportunity to talk to anyone about it.
Yangyang turns around, surprised by the question. “It was certainly an interesting read. Although it was back when I was still in school, so it has been quite some time.”
“I hope it stays that way..” Chixia sighs.
Rover looks utterly dumbfounded by most of the words Yangyang is yapping about. “What does that mean?” Chixia decides to answer him.
“There was a very strong person way back. Like they held the whole universe right in their hands. As there was no Terminal in those days, they absorbed the Tacet Discords with their bare hands! And the TD they absorbed was the most powerful of all. That person turned it into the first Echo ever! They even used all that power to rebuild the world! It’s basically how Huanglong began!”
The theatre remains silent in shock for the most part. Especially those who know about Rover’s past.
“Chixia… I never expected you to know so much about history.” Rover smiles.
“HEY! It’s not my fault they had us study it in school. Ugh, Yangyang! You gotta stop repeating that! It takes me back to my school days. When we had to recite pages and pages of Huanglong history…” The redhead pouts with contempt. Her pout grows even more when she takes a look at Yangyang
“Anyways, wasn’t that all just a made up legend? Well, whether it's true or not. That story happened before Jinzhou even existed!” The redhead claims. A lightbulb could almost be seen floating above the girl.
“Could it be that Rover’s like, the great-great-great-great-great-grandaddy of us all?”
Aemeath and Shorekeeper slightly chuckle at the somewhat accurate description of their love.
“Lets not jump to any conclusions without enough data and proper analysis.” Baizhi shuts down Chixia’s theory completely.
All three of their terminals suddenly light up. Their service had come back.
“This is… a holographic message to all of Jinzhou from the City Hall.” Yangyang claims in surprise.
A hologram appears before them. A transparent figure of a small woman with white hair and pigtails stands before the trio and Rover.
“My fellow soldiers and citizens. I apologize for any inconvenience I caused. I am Jinhsi, the Magistrate of Jinzhou.”
The Jinhsi hologram begins to speak about the Moon Festival and about how Jinzhou is strong thanks to its people. All seems routine until a certain part of the message catches Rover’s and the others' attention.
“Among our many visitors, there is one visitor that holds utmost importance to me, the city, and the entirety of Huanglong." The hologram begins to salute. “We have awaited your arrival for a long time. given the circumstances, you may be feeling bewildered at this time. You should’ve noticed some strange happenings related to you. If you plan to stay in Jinzhou. Then I would be delighted to personally be your acquaintance at City Hall.”
A curious Mornye turns her head to the sleeping Magistrate. “How did you know when Rover woke up?”
Sanhua begins to answer. “My lady does the Sentinels bidding. Not even I know exactly how it works, but whenever the Sentinel tells her to do something, she must oblige. This message was one of those things.”
“How far into the future can your Sentinel see?” Iuno questions.
“That, I am also not aware of.” Sanhua looks saddened while answering.
All four of them look between each other; seemingly putting together who this message was truly meant for.
“While I cannot guarantee to provide all the answers you’re looking for, I will do my best to assist you and provide anything you need. This is only my personal request. You can decide your course of action in any way you see fit. Therefore, I request the people and soldiers of Jinzhou assist this esteemed visitor when the opportunity arises.” A quaint smile can be seen upon the Magistrate’s face. A smile seemingly only meant for the same person the message was about.
Chixia puts her terminal away was playing the message. All three girls begin to finish each others thoughts.
“I have the feeling…”
“..The person our Magistrate was talking about…”
“..Is Rover.”
Rover looks towards the three. “It seems like it.. But it's too early to tell.”
“Now you're starting to sound like Baizhi Rover.” Yangyang places her hand to her mouth attempting to hide a smile. While Baizhi shoots a look of confusion at her because of the comparison.
“How is that Yangyang?” She questions.
“Well it’s kinda hard to explain..” Yangyang looks at the girl shyly. Chixia feels the need to save her.
“Hey, that ain’t the point okay!” She makes a x with her hands.
Bazhi still looks at the screen in confusion, unaware of how what Rover said made Yangyang think of her.
Yangyang begins to walk towards Rover. “What are your plans now Rover?”
He looks down, contemplating for a second. “I-I think I’ll go meet with the Magistrate. And after…” The girls focus intently, awaiting his response. “I’ll take a look at those festivities!” Chixia smiles brightly at Rover’s enthusiasm. While Baizhi simply smiles and shakes her head.
“You had a flashback of yourself looking into the Sentinels eyes before right? We may not be able to say anything for sure. But based on the Magistrate’s message, it seems Jinzhou is tied to your past.” Yangyang tells Rover. “Whether you’re the visitor our Magistrate mentioned or not, you surely are important to Jinzhou. And you will continue to be our important..”
“--Friend!” Chixia finishes her sentence. “We’ve already entrusted our lives to you! And you’ve already saved us a bunch!! Once we’re back, I’ll treat you to Panhua’s famous specialty!!"
Rover smiles shyly. “Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go anyway.”
Aemeath sours once more. Being the only one to sense how confused and alone Rover must’ve felt when he first woke up again.
“We should get back to the academy so we can get you examined.” Baizhi exclaims.
“Hehe yea! Besides, Yangyang is totally worried about you!” Chixia cheekily looks at Yangyang.
“Chixia!!” Yangyang fumes towards the patroller. “Ahem. Anyways, if there is any discomfort on the way there. Do let me know okay?”
Rover shakes his head in confirmation.
The four of them then begin to make their way to Jinzhou.
After some light exploring and upgrading Rover’s data bank level. They arrive at the entrance to Jinzhou. As Rover walks towards the gate, a few red flower petals fall from the sky out of seemingly nowhere. He turns around to find the source to no avail.
“Rover?” Yangyang calls out to him. Noticing how he stopped following them. Rover forgoes any further inspection as he runs to catch up with them. The screen pans up to a tree to show a girl in a white dress sitting upon a branch, her face being obscured.
“There you are, my beloved… Seed of fate…”
The screen slowly turns black to reveal a new title card
Chapter 1-Act 1: Utterance of Marvels, Complete.
“Ah, that was a fun day. Watching Rover from afar never fails to make my heart flutter~” Camellya attempts to wrap her arms around the unconscious Rover in the seat in front of her. Once again the barrier stops her.
Most others in the theatre who didn’t know Camellya questioned her closeness to Rover.
“Come on Rover, keep up!!”
After a few minutes of exposition and activating the Nexus Tower. Yangyang calls the duo telling them to make their way to the city hall.
The screen cuts to the trio standing in front of city hall. Rover catches a conversation being had by two women. One who was furious over the abrupt exit that was requested of her from the staff. And another who had an infatuation with the Magistrate’s bodyguard.
“Everyone is important to Jinzhou, why can’t you let me see the Magistrate?” The angry woman yells at a Midnight Ranger.
“How far did you get? Did you manage to see the Magistrate? I got to see Lady Sanhua! She even looked back at me! I even got Lady Sanhua’s verbal assurance that I wasn’t the one the Magistrate was looking for! But who cares anyway! I was able to witness Lady Sanhua in the flesh and be rejected by her in person!” The younger girl squees at the other woman and the two Midnight Rangers who escorted them out watch her.
“It seems you have quite the fanbase Sanhua.” Changli teases Sanhua.
“I see no reason for why…”
Lynae shoots from her seat hearing the convo. “Oh come on!! You’re like a TOTAL ice queen!! People love that stuff! I bet you totally have a fan club!”
“A fan club..?” Sanhua looks inquisitively towards the voice talking to her.
“Yea!! At startorch there’s a bunch. The most popular one is of this singer called FleetSnowfluff! She’s some mediocre singer who stop posting songs ages ago though! Idk how she still has a fanbase.” Lynae shrugs her arms.
Aemeath almost considers telling her that she the “mediocre” singer she’s referring to is her. Alas she felt she was obligated to pay attention to Rover’s story. Besides, if this screen was truly going to show all of Rover’s story. Then she’ll be able to rub it in Lynae’s face later.
Rover slowly brings his attention back to Chixia, who had been speaking with Yangyang.
“Woah, it's my first time seeing such a crowd in front of City Hall!” Chixia exclaims.
“I agree. It’s rare to see so many non-personnel staff here.”
“They’re all here for an audience. Although Lady Sanhua has thoroughly rejected all of them. Some of the ones who made it in said that one icy look from her compelled them to leave of their own volition.” Yangyang claims.
“What exactly did you do to them Lady Sanhua?” Encore of all people asks the bodyguard.
“I’m sure the screen will tell you soon enough if my memory serves me well..” Encore pouts a bit at the answer while Verina pats her on the shoulder.
“Lady Sanhua?”
“She is the Magistrates personal body guard.” Chixia shoots up.
“Oh, I’ve heard of her before. She’s the “All-round Death Glare/Terminator Ice Beauty! Well that’s what the rumors say at least.’ Chixia decided to say that part in case the aforementioned Ice Beauty was somehow listening.
“Those were only rumors okay!!! I NEVER thought any of that myself!” Chixia stands up from her chair as some in the theatre giggle at her.
“It’s… quite already patroller Chixia. I’m quite used to these opinions on my personality. It is nothing new.”
“Lady Sanhua..” Yangyang softly calls for her, feeling bad for the prejudice against her.
Sanhua traces the prayer beads around her neck for comfort. Her other hand in her Ladies.
After a few more minutes of small talk. Rover makes his way into City Hall. He is met with a receptionist, guiding him to an office of sorts; inviting him to sit down. A few moments pass before Rover is met with a beautiful woman with dazzling white hair.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I apologize for the delay. My name is Sanhua, Madam Magistrates bodyguard.”
Rover takes a moment to decide how to respond. For the first time, he decides to take the name given to him as his own.
“Call me Rover for now.”
Yangyang feels a touch of happiness that Rover decided to stick with the name she indirectly gave him.
“I regret to inform you that Madam Magistrate is currently away. Prior to her departure, she instructed me to bring you these tokens and a welcome gift.” Sanhua hands Rover a handful of items.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. My Lady has claimed that she will come back in 3 days. Till then, she advised me to tell you to explore what these tokens represent. They may help you reach the information you desire sooner.”
“Why three days specifically?” Rover ponders.
“My Lady will require a minimum of three days to complete her current task. She wanted me to assure you that she will see you. By any means possible.”
Rover looks concerned towards the bodyguard. “Is there anything I can do to help..?”
Sanhua looks shocked for a moment, her icy demeanor almost crumbling towards Rover’s desire to help a person he had not even met yet. As soon as the moment came, it went; and Sanhua composed herself once again.
“It seems even the laureate can’t help but support those he never even met. So commendable.” Cantarella speaks out towards the other for the first time in this session.
“You’ve stayed quite silent Lady Cantarella.” Carlotta comments on her rival/companions silence.
“Hm, I simply had no reason to speak. Even the most violent of tides cease when the moon is at its peak. Besides, I’m devilishly curious to see how Rover’s story started before he came to me.”
“Came to you? What could you mean by that?” Iuno glares at the head.
“Oh nothing my dear. I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough..”
The tension between the two could be felt through the theatre.
“Yes, Madam Magistrate does hope to have your assistance, but there is no
rush for a decision. She does not want to pressure you into anything you may
not desire. We invite you to learn about our situation before making a final
commitment.” Rover simply nods his head in acceptance.
Sanhua and Rover then get his terminal up and running with all the latest features and permanent access to everything in Jinzhou.
During the modification of his terminal, Rover asks a question that had been brewing in his mind. “Lady Sanhua, I have a question.”
“You can just call me ‘Sanhua’. And yes Rover?” She looks up from his terminal for a moment to meet his eyes.
“How did you know for certain I was the guest?”
Sanhua places her terminal down and walks a bit closer to him. “Since Madam Magistrate is away, I cannot make the final decision on her behalf. But, you are truly exceptional.”
“I heard many people were asked ‘politely’ to leave.” Rover asks puzzled by what made him any different.
“Regarding that… My eyes can see the frequencies of all living beings. Or rather, I can only see frequencies in general. You however, share the same frequency as My Lady.”
“What does that look like?”
Sanhua takes a moment to conjure a response. “You look undistorted and authentic, in your original form. In my eyes, you appear the way you are.” Sanhua dawns a quaint smile.
“What do others' frequencies look like?” Rover asks, curious of the way she sees the world. However he small smile fades, and the air grows eerily cold. Rover decides questioning her any further wouldn’t lead anywhere.
“Ms. Sanhua. I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you have an amazing forte! In all my time studying, I’ve never seen someone quite like you or a power quite like yours.” Professor Mornye looks towards her in awe.
“You”re…too kind. Thank you.”
“Here you are. Your terminal has been upgraded to the latest iteration. You now have full access to both its capabilities, and everything in Jinzhou.” She hands Rover his terminal back.
“So no more annoying paperwork?” Rover attempts to make Sanhua smile again to no avail.
“Yes, including City Hall. You have full access to all its facilities. Also, may I ask… Have you decided your place of residence in Jinzhou? If not, My Lady has arranged an accommodation for you in advance here in City hall.”
Rover looks joyful at the offer. He hadn’t actually thought about where he would stay.
“Home sweet home.” Sanhua smiles once more at his enthusiasm.
“I can lead you to your room if you wish.”
“I have some friends waiting outside for me, so not right now. I’ll be back tonight though!”
“Understood, we will accommodate you anytime.” Sanhua bows towards Rover as he exits the City Hall.
Rover leaves the City Hall to find his two friends waiting where they were when he went in.
“Rover! What took you so long? Was our Magistrate a chatterbox?” Rover begins to explain the current situation to them.
Chixia crosses her arms. “So our Magistrate isn’t in City Hall huh… that sure is rare.”
Yangyang is seen looking off into the distance at the setting sun.
“Why the long face, Yangyang?” Rover asks with a concerned tone.
“Hahaha! It sure is!” Chixia lightly jabs Rover. Yangyang remains unimpressed however.
“Chixia..” Yangyang's glare makes the girl mouth “sorry” to her.
“The increasing Tacet Fields, uncannily powerful TD’s, and now our Magistrate’s absence…”
“Plus the mysterious Rover!!” Chixia finishes Yangyang’s sentence.
“I’m afraid…”
Rover walks towards the frowning Yangyang and grabs her hand. Both his hands encapsulate hers. “There is no need to worry. If anything happens, then I’ll be there for everyone, especially yo– y’all two!!” Rover backpedaled for a second after realizing how personal what he was about to say sounded. Yangyang’s heart almost exploded at the prospect, and felt a slight wave of disappointment wash through her as he changed course at the end.
“Come onnnnn, this isn’t fair!! How come Rover gets to have all the ladies..” Aalto is seen hanging his head in his hands.
“Aww don’t worry Uncle Aalto! You’ll always have me and the woolies!” Encore hugs the lonely man.
“It seems you’ve taken quite the interest in our Rover…” Cantarella stares at Yangyang’s back.
“It-It’s nothing like that!!” She attempts to hide her blush.
“Hmph, it’s not like it matters anyway. Unwritten is mine. Fate foretells it after all.” Iuno smirks confidently.
“Yours? You must be joking.” Camellya glares at the other twin tailed girl.
“I have no desire to argue with you. Whatever your relationship to Rover is matters little to me.”
“You say that now. But little do you know fate tilts in my favor far more than you~”
A disgusting hint of truth bounces of her tongue which Iuno heavily dislikes.
Aalto continues to cry.
Chixia looks between the two with a small hint of jealousy. “Do you have any plans Rover?”
“Only investigating these items so far.” Rover pulls out the four tokens Sanhua had given him. The three of them discuss what their meanings could be yet come up short. Apart from a few shared memories Chixia and Yangyang had in regards to the sugar pearl candy.
“You should go ask those kids over there about Rover! When it comes to candy. The kids of Jinzhou got it covered!"
Rover shakes his head and makes his way to two small girls playing in front of City Hall.
“Hey there, have you seen this candy before?” The small girl looks Rover up and down. His golden eyes put her in a trance and it takes her a moment to respond to him.
“I-I don’t have candy like that. But I’ve got this! It’s really good. You, erm–you can have one!” The girl runs away, her cheeks blushing like a crisp autumn leaf.
Rover yells after the girl. “Thank you. But why?” The other girl, who had just been watching, turns after slowly walking in the direction her friend had run to. “Madmam Magistrate said we should be nice to every guest!” She waves Rover goodbye. Rover does a small wave back while smiling.
“Looks like someone is popular with the ladies!” Chixia plops her arm on Rover’s shoulder as he stands up. “Didn’t know you were such a lady-killer Rover!”
“Lady-killer?”
Yangyang steps in the middle of them. “Stop it Chixia.” A surprising amount of envy could be seen coming off Yangyang. “Now come on Rover, let's go to the academy for your checkup.” Yangyang practically drags Rover off the balcony of the city hall in order to grapple with the academy.
“How you all feel this way towards him makes me sick.” Phrolova said her first words since arriving.
“Mr Presenter. Isn’t this woman a member of the Fractsidus? Why exactly is she here?” Carlotta asks.
Luuk and Lynae shutter at the mention of their abandoned lives.
Phrolova is a integral part of Rover’s story. More than most of you in this room. Do treat her well.
“Very well then.” Carlotta stares at the bandaged girl sitting in the front row, thinking back to her escapades during the Carninvale.
After getting used to the grapple, the trio arrive at the academy. As they attempt to head inside.
“Oh wait a sec, someone’s looking for me. Yea..What! When did he disappear? Don’t worry. I’ll be right there!”
“Everything okay Chixia?” Rover asks.
“Duty calls! I guess I’ve been on break too long.” She scratches the back of her head. “Sorry you two, I’ll join you after my shift is done alright? If you need me just shout my name! And I, the Jinzhou Speedster, will be there in the blink of an eye!”
Rover recalls an embarrassing slip up from earlier that day. “Ma Xiaofang!” Chixia darts up to Rover and punches his chest lightly. “STOP! STOP! Don’t call me that!! Jeez…why does it feel right when you do it…” Chixia whispers that last part quietly. She backs away from Rover and starts running away. “I’ve gotta go now guys! Holler if there's any updates!” A red streak speeds away faster than Rover can see.
“Chixia? What exactly did you mean by that?” Zhizhe asks the question the whole theatre was wondering.
“Ah!! Well…you seeeeee..” Chixia’s face turns as red as her hair.
“Rover just has a really nice voice yknow!”
“Well that’s something I can agree with you on.” Armeath looks towards the patroller.
“Really now..how is that?” Yinlin poses a question in hopes of pinpointing who exactly Aemeath is.
“Well, when he told me stories. His voice is was always soft and soothing. I always fell asleep when he spoke..” Aemeath looks down at her father, thinking of happier times. “Even when he told me about you all. His voice never had a hint of callousness within it.”
“So Rover has told you about his adventures?” Chisa asks the girl.
“Mhm! It was mostly a clipnotes version of events. But he truly sounded like he was happy with all of you…”
“That’s strange. Rover has wrote me many letters telling me about his adventures as well. Although he never mentioned you.” Yangyang looks towards the pink haired girl.
“Hmph.” Is the only response Aemeath gave.
“Don’t worry Chixia. I’m staying with him!” Yangyang’s tone exuded a possessive presence when saying this that Rover felt more afraid of then flattered by.
Rover and Yangyang enter the academy. They run into Mortefi, who is berating some less than astute lab members. The duo intercepted him after he was done.
“Mr. Mortefi, please pardon our intrusion. We are friends of Baizi, and we’re here to look for her.” Mortefi looks away from his tablet and scans the two of them.
“I see…I hope I didn’t cause any offense earlier.”
“It was well said if you ask me.” Rover interjects.
Mortefi pushes up his glasses and smiles. “Hmph. I refuse to tolerate the foolish striving of those insatiable slugs. Since it's difficult for our researchers to deal with a man like him, I'd rather handle it personally and swiftly.”
“Motefi is always too cross with others..” Jiyan feels slight disappointment in the researcher.
“Wait.. That’s Mortefi?” Lynae says outloud.
“Yes, Mr. Mortefi was very helpful in finding the meanings behind the tokens.” Yangyang smiles.
“So that’s the man President Lucila can’t get over?” Mornye of all people comment. She suddenly feels many eyes on her.
“We-well it’s just that around the school I hear a lot of rumors and the students are very nosy you see and-“
“Calm down professor. It’s fine, I’ll explain. President Lucilla is like-totally into him.” Lynae blatantly says.
“Lynae!!”
“What? Might as well right?”
The three of them talk until Baizhi arrives. Asking the duo about their happenings in City Hall. Rover and Yangyang begin to explain everything that went down. After a moment, Baizhi suggests handing the tokens over to Mortefi for testing in order to pinpoint their origins. He takes a great interest in one of the tokens, a sundial.
“This looks like the early handiwork of someone I know… It will take some time before the results are ready. I’ll let you know once they’re complete.” Morteffi takes the sundial and retreats to his lab.
While Rover and Yangyang wait in the lab. He can’t help but notice her stealing glances at him. He thought he had something on his face but she assured him there was nothing there. Despite having a face as red as apples.
Rover takes a look around at the multitude of computers spread throughout the lab. Accidentally, he views an open chatlog. A particular message caught his eye.
Galestorm_: anyone remember the Tacet Discord attack from over a century ago? Some Elite Classes actually made it into the city. The then-general swooped in with his army
and got rid of them. We didn't know how to deal with leftover Reverberations back then, it almost caused a mini Waveworn Phenomeno… And then apparently, a person with dark hair and golden eyes showed up out of nowhere to absorb all that excess energy with their bare hands. Saved the day and then disappeared without a trace.
His eyes widened. “Could that have been… Me..?”
“Just how old is Rover anyway?” Zani asks the more knowledgeable people in the theatre.
“What do you mean how old?” Chixia looks towards the tired woman. “I know he doesn’t have his memories, but that doesn’t mean he’s that old right?”
“Well, if we take into account the beginning, with catseye supposedly being ‘sent’ here. That would mean…”
“…he’d be over 10,000 years old.” Changli finishes her sentence as if it was fact.
“What?? There’s no way Rover is that old??” Lynae jumps out her seat.
“Mentor does not really seem to age.” Those who aren’t privy to Rover’s secrets look at the professor curiously.
“I met mentor when I was still a student at the academy. He was my senpai. When he left the academy, 20 years passed. And when I saw him again recently…it was like he hadn’t aged a day.”
“Could it be his resonance ability?” Chisa offers up her thoughts.
“No one knows what his forte is.” Iuno offers her answer. “I’m a priestess at the Tetragon Temple. I could read everyone in this rooms past and future. However, Rover. He remains unwritten. I cannot see any aspects about him..”
Augusta looks towards Iuno in confusion at her claims of being a Priestess. Especially one so adept at telling the future. However the Presenter is preventing her from asking Iuno on the matter.
“Do you think it’s because Rover isn’t from Solaris?” Chisa asks Iuno.
“I have no earthly idea.” Iuno answers.
Before Rover could get to the bottom of this, his thought process is interrupted by Baizhi. “Are you ready for your examination?”
Rover gets pulled out of his trance. “Ah–yes, I am. Let's begin.”
Rover is transported to a Sonoro sphere in order to test his capabilities. After a few rounds of fight TD’s, the exam is seemingly over. Until…
“Rover, can you hear me? Hello?” Baizhi could barely be heard over an intrusive static.
“The comm line is dead… Something is wrong. I have to be cautious.” Rover attempts to head towards the exit portal again. Only to be teleported once more to the beginning.
Rover walks forward to a large moon encompassing the skybox of the Sonoro. He spots the Dreamless sitting on their knees, staring at a purple ball of energy. The Dreamless begins to rise in the sky. Summon a scythe and swinging it towards Rover until…
“Rover! Rover! Thank goodness…you're awake.” Rover opens his eyes to the graceful sight in front of him. Yangyang’s voice is laced with worry, almost sounding like she’s on the cusp of crying.
“You saw that thing even before we fought it Rover?” Jiyan says outloud.
“You guys FOUGHT that thing??” Lynae shouts once more.
“It was a hard fought battle. One I’m sure we’ll see.”
“Baizhi, what happened just now? The connection was suddenly cut off.” Yangyang turns to the researcher.
Baizhi walks up to Rover. “Rover. Do you still remember what you saw?”
“..A TD with a scythe…” Rover says.
Baizhi begins to discuss with Rover the intricacies of Sonoro Spheres, and how events like this one don’t typically happen ever. She then brings up how the TD could’ve been a remnant of Rover’s subconscious. Any theory she came up with at the moment had no merit however. Yangyang, who is seen now standing next to Mortefi, calls to Rover.
“Here's your sundial. Intact as it was.” He hands the sundial to Rover.
“Mr. Mortefi, can we have the test results?” Yangyang looks towards the fiery eyed man.
“Simply put, it's hollow. Here, try tapping on it. It sounds different from a solid object. This sundial is hollow with an inner compartment. It's not just a timekeeping tool; it's an intricate mortise-and-tenon puzzle box. We've scanned it, and there is a small paper scroll inside. However, it's missing a crucial component. We should be able to spin the wheels on this sundial once the component is installed.”
Mortefi then begins to discuss how they are going to use the mechanism to open the sundial and retrieve what is inside. He then begins to get a call. Yangyang takes this opportunity to speak with Rover.
“Rover… Mr. Mortefi’s expression has softened a bit, don’t you think?” Rover takes a second to compare his look from earlier. “Yea… he looks like a purring cat now.”
Aemeath leans closer to her own “cat”.
Yangyang chuckles at Rover’s comparison. After the phone call, Mortefi informs the duo of the sundial's nature, and tells them that Xiangli’s workshop has the proper materials in order to fix it. The two of them make their way there in order to retrieve said materials.
The two find the materials relatively easily. Mortefi’s grotesque description of his workshop was “overstated”. Rover takes interest in something on Xiangli’s shelf. He finds an assortment of research materials and books. The shelf ends up creaking under Rover’s hand however. As he attempts to steady it, a wooden block drops directly on his foot… It was a critical hit!
“Ro-Rover! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Here let me see it!” Yangyang begins to get on her knees, ready to inspect Rover’s foot.
“Yangyang, I’m okay! A little block won’t knock me down!” Rover smiles at the black haired girl.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Well, I found the materials, lets head back to Mr. Mortefi.”
“Roger that!” Rover gives Yangyang a thumbs up. As soon as she turns around, he suppresses in a scream and holds his foot…
“No Rover!!” Phoebe is first to feel Rover’s pain.
“Jeez, I couldn’t tell you how many times that happened while working on my bike..” Lynae says sighs.
“Ugh, Rover. I knew you were lying..” Yangyang internally berates Rover.
The duo bring the parts to Mortefi to be fixed. Baizhi comes back with two of the other tokens. Discussing with them about how they have traces of Waveform Phenomena on them.
“The missing pointer has been installed, and now the sundial should be complete.” Mortefi hands Rover the sundial.
“So the discs are rotatable now?” Yangyang asks.
“Yes. Align the correct markers with the pointer we just installed, then you should be able to open it.”
Rover however, seemingly did not hear Mortefi. He attempts to force the sundial open.
“You… ugh, hold on! Remember when I said don’t force it open? Crank that think another five degrees, and not even Xiangli Yao will be able to save it.” Mortefi massages his forehead with his temple in an attempt to sooth an incoming headache.
“Eh, I don’t blame him. No one has the time for all of that anyways.” Zani says out-loud.
The duo then take the information from the paper and use it to find some information in the academy's filing system. Rover and Yangyang come across some information about the Sugar Pearl. After some time, Rover decides to pick Yangyang’s mind.
“Hey, Yangyang. What is your opinion on the Magistrate?”
“Hmm, I've only seen our Magistrate once at the Appointment Ceremony, so I can't
comment on her personality. But, her policies have proven effective and greatly benefited us since she took office. Some believe that the remarkably far-sighted and profound decisions were actually devised by Counselor ‘Changli’, due to the young age of the Magistrate.”
“How intriguing? A leader who the masses have only seen once?” Brant looks towards Jinhsi’s bodyguard.
“Madam Magiststrate oftentimes has too much on her plate to frequent any public meetings. The situation in Jinzhou, while improved, still isn’t in the best spot. My Lady is doing everything she can.”
“You know. There is nothing wrong with taking a breather. I love being captain. But when I let Rover take over for a day, the load off my back was invigorating!!” Brant poses, his leg raised on one of the empty seats.
“Sadly your suggestion falls on deaf ears. These two are peas in a pod. No matter how many times I suggest they take a break, they refuse.” Changli fans herself with her feathers.
“I have many concoctions that help with stress and tension. If your Magistrate so desires, I can have some imported over. As much as you’d like.” Cantarella’s sultry voice looks through the theatre.
“That’s not a bad idea. Although it’s ultimately up to Madam Magistrate.”
A certain name intrigues Rover. “Changli?”
“Lady Changli is our Magistrate's advisor and former teacher. She once held
a high position in the Central Secretariat, but she requested a transfer to
Jinzhou. I've also heard about rumors painting her as a cunning manipulator rather than a loyal servant…”
“Scary..”
“Oh Rover. How rude..” Changli feels a slight pout coming on.
Rover and Yangyang could only gauge minimal value from their search in the archives, deciding to call it a day for now. As they walk out of the academy, a certain redhaired patroller is waiting for them.
“I’m back! Finally done with my patrol! How’s it going Rover? Feeling as spry as ever?”
“You make it sound like I’m old..”
“Hm, maybe you should become a priestess. You seem to quite lucky with your predictions.” Iuno teases the patroller.
“Hey it’s not my fault!! I was just joking!”
“Baizhi said he’s in great health, no issues to report.” Yangyang comments.
Chixia perks up. “Oh right, I still owe you a meal! The night markets are closed though. Let's grab breakfast at Panhua's Restaurant tomorrow before my shift. Meet you guys
there in the morning. Be there or be square!”
Rover looks towards the two girls. “What do we do now?”
“Time to hit the hay, obviously! Don’t tell me you’re planning some nightly activities?”
“Night is the time to beat up TD’s.” Rover states confidently.
“Then you’ll feel right at home with the Midnight Rangers. Or more like ‘Midnight Danger.’” Chixia digs her elbow into Rover.
“Maybe I should have recruited Rover to the Midnight Rangers. He would’ve been a great help.”
Yangyang walks up to Rover. “Rover..do you have a place to stay?”
Rover answers instinctively, forgetting that Sanhua had a room set up for him. “Not yet. Poor me!”
Yangyang runs her fingers through her hair shyly. “I-I have a vacant guest room in my house, and if you don’t mind coming over…”
Chixia senses Yangyang's ploy right away and swoops in to prevent any naughtiness. “Aren’t you forgetting something Yangyang? Rover told us this morning that he has been offered a room in City Hall!”
“Wow, what a shame.” Zani shakes her head.
“Quite the dirty tactic!” Iuno commends the girl.
“Not even the countless TD’s I’ve hunted would resort to such a low blow.” Galbrena decides to join in on the teasing.
“Why would you do that?” Chisa asks.
Chixia awkwardly fidgets in her seat. “I dunno!! I just thought Yangyang and Rover forgot!!”
“Maybe you should come join the Black Shores! You seem to fit us just right.” Aalto teases the outrider once more.
“Hey! I can still arrest you for last time y’know! Don’t push your luck.”
Shorekeeper looks towards him. “Last time?”
“Ah!! It’s nothing leader, I promise! Pinky!”
Sanhua looks back. “He’s lying.”
“What?? How?”
“I can see frequencies. Meaning I can tell whenever someone is lying, and your frequency is quite nefarious.”
“Why can’t I catch a break…”
The aura radiating from Yangyang is palpable. A festering anger that Rover felt even if he had his memories, he’d never experienced before. Oddly enough, Chixia was the only one who couldn’t sense her wrath. Yangyang eerily moves towards Chixia.
“Hey Chixia darling? A moment please?”
“Yea su–hey?? Yangyang? Where are you dragging me??”
Yangyang turns back to Rover with a blood curdling smile. “Sleep well Rover! See you tomorrow!”
“Uh yea! See you Rove– OW, Yangyang!” Chixia is seen being dragged away by the outrider. Rover can’t help but notice her feather-like hair glowing at its end.
Rover simply waves back to the girls, unsure if he missed something important.
“Uhhh, what exactly did she do to you?” Lynae asks.
“Hehe.. you don’t want to know..” Chixia looks downwards, scared of whatever look Yangyang has on currently.
As rover walks away, pair of individuals walk a few steps behind him. A tall man with white and red hair. And a small girl with grey hair and a bandaged left eye. The screen pans to Sanhua, standing atop the roof the the academy. Studying their next move.
“So. What exactly were the Fractsidus doing in Jinzhou?” Carlotta asked Phrolova.
“I have no obligation to answer anything you ask of me.”
We’ll be pausing for now everyone, I’m sure you’re all exhausted. We will resume in the morning. Get some rest.
A few doorways open up on the sides of the theatre. Apart from Aemeath, Lupa,, Cantarella, and Sanhua, who brought their unconscious friends to a room. The majority of the cast stayed in the theatre to talk amongst themselves.
Continued in Part 3: Jinzhou Rising.