Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pitch black.

Nothingness.

The void.

There was a lulling ambience playing for so long. Keeping the deity at bay. Resting until the end starts once more.

However, the deity wasn't alone, another was waiting for his purpose too.
Waiting until the son had been forgotten, and she had failed.
When everything must be turned off.

Still though, The Batter stood in the void. Watching them. Waiting for their purposes to become intertwined,to become one.
For too long, the lullaby continued. It truly seemed endless.
No days, no nights, but many of those passed. Yet it was so still with the deity.

The song still lulls the deity and they are beautiful. Almost like a rainbow in complete darkness, a light in the tunnel.

When will they wake?

Suddenly the song stopped and the deity's eyes shot open.
Everything flashed from white to black.
To yellow and smoke.

Chapter Text

The Batter blinked each set of eyes slowly, attempting to adjust to the sudden light.

They'd been in darkness for...well he wasn't entirely sure how long. It was hard to tell how much time had passed since the two were created, but he knew it had to have been some stretch of time. The one thing he was sure of was that he had a duty to attend to, one he was somewhat eager to get started on, or as eager as he really could be. He looked around, searching for the familiar presence of the deity he'd grown attached to.

The floor was cold, oddly metallic.. And Yellow. It was oddly familiar..He looked around, taking in more of his surroundings. It wasn't exactly a big area, roughly rectangular and surrounded by four smaller islands with some sort of boxes floating on them. A strange liquid surrounded them as well, waving in the breeze much like water would, though that’s where the similarities ended. It was white, shining artificially in the light, almost glossy. What caught his interest though, was the path leading North, directly to a large building. That’d be where they’d need to go, he was sure.

A groan left the other’s lips and they looked up to realize two things; they were currently on their knees and they were not alone. Their gray eyes landed on the tall monochrome stranger who had turned to face them.
He stared down at them, expression unchanging. They looked....different, though as he looked down at himself he realized he did too. He supposed it made sense though, in some way. Whatever the case, it didn't seem to throw him off, focus still remaining on their purpose. No matter how different they looked now, he knew who they were. Though by the looks of them, they might not even know that much.

The Player stood up, their mouth opening before being interrupted by the man. He tilted his head a bit, a small sort of grunt leaving him as he seemed to study the familiar stranger. "Hi."

"Uh, hi." They were utterly confused. Everything felt new yet there was a sense of Déjà vu. The yellow, this stranger, everything. It was all so weird. But despite the curiosity, the crushing weight only made them more nervous. The feeling of the smoke around them becoming almost suffocating. Yet they shook their fear off, choosing to try to focus on their curiosity, and moved around the Batter. Looking over him, almost studying him. He followed their movements as best he could without moving too much, simply watching them as they circled him. However he didn't seem bothered by it, although there was a bit of impatience as he crossed his arms.

The Batter certainly looked interesting, at least The Player thought so. Monochrome and rather tall, though somewhat familiar…A vague memory played in their mind like something from an old movie, a playing field with lines and some sort of rug on the floor.. And a man, completely different from the man in front of them, hits a ball with a bat. Then the vague image leaves just as quickly as it came to them. ‘Maybe that's what he does.. ’ the smaller being quietly mumbled to theirself as their legs halted to a stop in front of him.
He tilted his head a bit when he heard their mumbling, unsure of what exactly they were talking about.

"Do you know anything about all of this?" He questioned, monotone voice cutting through their thoughts as he tried feeling out just how much or little they knew about their current goals.

"Hm.. I," they began before suddenly pausing as they thought, completely blank. "...Who are you?" They looked up at him in curiosity. The previous anxiety was gone for now, replaced once more by confusion and a strange sense of familiarity. He stared at them for a moment before sighing a bit and shaking his head. Well, he couldn't say he was surprised, but he couldn't deny it disappointed him a bit. After a moment he responded, simple and flat, "The Batter." The Player looked at him, more confused than before. He straightened up a bit in response, almost as if in front of a higher up, still keeping his head down to watch their reactions. He stays quite still aside from this.They continued staring up at him, raising a brow when he straightened but continuing to say nothing.
"You've been assigned to me. We’re on a holy mission."

There was a pause, a breeze passing through as they continued to stare at him, confusion never leaving their face. The scene almost could've been mistaken for peaceful had it not been for the way The Player stared up at him. "I need your help to accomplish this mission," He continued, "We're in ZONE 0, we need to find The Judge."
They nodded slowly as they listened to what he had to say, the information seemingly brand new but...something in the back of their mind made them feel otherwise. 

He stood there, waiting, expecting them to control him. Yet nothing came.
A small " oh. " left them while he waited, not because they had figured out why, but because they realized they should probably introduce theirself too, "Oh, I'm uh...[REDACTED], by the way, I uh...forgot to say that earlier, sorry."
The Batter tilted his head at the introduction. Simply nodding in response. That certainly wasn’t what he’d wanted but he supposed he could see their logic here if he tried hard enough. It’s not as if they knew he’d remembered their name in the first place.

After a few moments he spoke again, "You can move me around." his voice never changed tone, even if he was eager to start. A part of him was sad though, despite everything. The cycle was repeating and they had forgotten everything just like before…he should be used to this by now, but it never failed to sting a bit. Not that most would be able to tell that he was feeling anything at all in the moment. They tilted their head at him when he told them they could move him. "Oh uh...how do I do that?" Despite their continued confusion, they continued staring up at him, silently questioning his strange sense of melancholy.

He didn’t exactly know the answer to their question offhand, staring blankly and giving a small shrug. He was never entirely sure how they did it, but he figured it always came naturally to The Player, it had seemed so before…But he had to be patient if he wanted to get anywhere. They blinked a few times before looking down with a bit of a frown, "Uh..ok..so uhm.." they messed with their hands, thinking of how this could work. They imagined him moving forward, something simple, trying to visualize how they could do that without realizing that they seemed to have already figured it out.

The Batter took his first guided step, slight grainy, skrrt noises coming from his steps on the metallic, yellow ground. They perked up when he started walking, eyes widening for a moment before they gasped and grinned. "Ohhhh ok, that's pretty simple then." Suddenly the control stopped and he moved his head towards [REDACTED], waiting for them to continue.

They hummed a bit and nodded, getting the hint and setting their eyes on the path, "Well, I guess uh...forward it is, then?" They shrugged. He nodded at their words, giving a thumbs up. "Only way to go," looking forward to starting his mission.
They had him walk along the path in front of them, following behind silently for a little while before speaking "Y’know, it feels...kinda weird having this much control over uhm..someone else." They laughed a bit, "ah...Hopefully it doesn't feel weird to be moved?" He nearly fell over when they stopped to question it, catching himself just in time before turning to them with a frown. They winced a bit, a bit embarrassed they’d tripped him up like that. After a moment he sighed a bit and shrugged, "I can move on my own then. It feels normal either way." 

"Alright. Uh..sorry, I didn't mean to stop you, by the way." They rubbed the back of their head a bit, "Forgot to focus..." they mumbled the last bit. The Batter listened to them as he walked, impatient again and wanting to move along. "It's fine." Too focused on his goal to chat. Though.. Not much of one to chat to begin with. Player hummed a response, having picked up on the fact that he wasn't exactly the most talkative. "I can try again if you want, just gotta keep focused." They tried, perking up slightly. 

He paused for a moment, glancing back at them. "Later. I can walk on my own, stay behind me." It was clear this was a warning, as if he knew of dangers they hadn't. Yet he seemed eerily tranquil at the moment. For a bit they simply followed him, taking in their surroundings and seemingly lost in thought until he spoke again, "Ah..I can try later." They smiled at him, picking up on the warning despite how calm he was being. Though they couldn’t help but wonder why he’d suddenly changed his mind about it..

He simply nodded, continuing up the path, soon being greeted by the next area. Though it seemed that the building wasn’t the only thing greeting them…

The two hadn’t walked the path unnoticed. A skinny feline watched them move forward, curiosity making his permanent smile widen. Seeing the two coming towards him, slightly blurry as they had been in the moment, had piqued his interest. He stretched, ribs protruding against thin fur before trotting over to the new people of his jury. Or were they the prosecutors? Something about them felt that way to the cat as the two drew nearer.

Before they stepped off the path, he stopped them, sitting down a safe distance away.

"Miaou! There cannot be any other living beings in zone 0, so I must assume that you are only a mere figment of my imagination," he proclaimed with a confident, almost pretentious tone as he stared up at the both of them.

"Nevertheless, I will introduce myself. I am the Judge, and I am aching to know your name dear elusory interlocutor."

The Batter stared down at the cat, expression unchanging and somewhat cold. He didn't seem entirely surprised by the possible obstacle, at least that's how he currently  viewed the cat in front of them.

"I am the Batter. I've been assigned to a sacred mission."  His voice is as flat as ever as he talks, his body remaining somewhat stiff as he stands in front of [REDACTED] and crosses his arms.

The cat's head turned, peering to the side of this Batter. He walked a few more steps towards them, his tail up in the air as he looked up at the man. The Player peeked out from behind him, curiously looking at the strange feline in front of them.

"It is a pleasure," his voice was deep and smooth, meant genuinely. "However, it is not the puppet I was addressing, but the puppeteer controlling it. What is your name, dear puppeteer?"

Batter groaned softly, shifting a bit. "Their name is..." he took a moment to think, unwilling to share their name, "The Player."

He was being a bit stubborn, perhaps a bit overprotective, but he couldn't help but be a bit defensive of them. After all, they were quite necessary to his mission.
The Player shifted, hiding behind The Batter completely now, or at least attempting to. 

Which was fair enough, the cat supposed.

"Even though you too are but an inexistent apparition in my eyes, let it be said that I am delighted to meet you as well, dear Player," purring as he stood in an attempt to help people relax. The tension certainly was not as thick as it was now, at least.

Batter was silent for a moment after the cat finished before speaking again. "I believe we're in need of your services." His arms remained crossed, though he visibly relaxed a bit.

Judge sat up, straightening slightly before speaking, "Many people are in need of my services, you know. Everybody loves cats." He closes his eyes and purrs, his smile widening for a moment. "We rub ourselves against their legs and purr in the most insistent manner. They adore that," his eyes open once again, observing the two’s response.

He frowned and inclined his head slightly, shaking his head slowly "I'm not talking about that kind of help."

The skinny cat tilted his head, not quite confused, just all the more curious. ‘ Interesting. ’ the word crosses his thoughts.

"I see. . . But what sort of service could I offer to an ectoplasmic entity?"

The Batter raises his head again, "I have a sacred mission to fulfill."  His voice is still about as flat as usual, but there's a sort of conviction there now. "I must purify the world."

‘ Ah, the executioner.. ’ Judge thought. "There is no objective more laudable than yours. I accept to serve you as a guide through this area, if it is of any help to you." He stood now, ready to go.

Batter nodded, giving a simple "Thanks." In response then looking back at [REDACTED] expectantly, seemingly waiting for them. With that, and a polite nod, The Judge walked away. Trotting away casually then jumping up onto the building. Giving the two some alone time. To discuss whatever they needed in a short amount of time. At this point, The Player lightly tugged on The Batter’s sleeve, looking a bit unsure.

He turned to them, tilting his head before speaking, "What's wrong?"

"This is so…Weird," They looked up at him, "Should we really trust a talking cat…I mean what if you get hurt?"

He softened slightly at their concern, but maintained a semi-stern expression. "I won't be hurt. There's nothing to worry about." he placed a hand on their head, "Promise."

A slight smile crept on their face. Taking his hand and holding it with both of theirs.

"No dying, got it?" They said playfully, though it was obvious they were quite serious about it.

There was a hint of a smile on his face as he responded, "That won't be happening. " The way he said it made it apparent he was confident in his words, confident in the two of them., and the confidence brought them peace. A bigger smile appeared on The Player's face.

"Okay," they spoke a little softer now, "I trust you.”

They looked away from him and up the long ladder. A soft meow was heard in the distance.

He nodded, "Good." before turning back to look up at the ladder. "Let's go, then." he gestured to it before beginning to climb, impatient despite taking a moment to comfort his player. With another nod, they follow behind him, focused once more. Climbing up after him, reaching the top, only to be disappointed by more ladders. But there stood Pablo, watching the two.

"Allow me to confess that I find you quite tangible for a phantasmagorial being," he was talking to The Batter now, acknowledging The Player though."Might you in fact be a creature of flesh and blood?" He tilted his head, purring as he watched the two.
The Batter tilted his head slightly in return, looking down at the cat. "I think so, yes." It wasn't something he'd really paid attention to, but it seemed like the most logical conclusion here.

"So I have been mistaken from the beginning. You did not even interrupt me in my deluded phantasms. . ."

Judge's eyes widened, lightly tapping Batter's shoe with a paw, which certainly existed.

"This is relatively bizarre, I must say, for you are the first living being I was given a chance to encounter in this lieu. I had in fact concluded that Zone 0 was an empty land. Obviously I was misled."

Batter shrugged slightly, it hadn't crossed his mind to correct him at all about his assumptions. As for the usual emptiness of Zone 0, he certainly had no explanation as to why they'd, for lack of a better term, spawned in here. Still, he remained silent and listened to the little cat's words.

The cat lightly shook himself, sitting up straight again. "However, there exist other zones. And in those territories, the risk of hostile individuals attacking you in the most violent manner is quite high," He saw The Player flinch a bit at the thought of his words, feeling a pang of pity for them.

"Your sacred mission will likely lead you into these lands. Would you like me to teach the art of violent confrontation?" He felt like it hadn't needed to be asked, yet he remained polite. At the mention of hostile individuals Batter straightened a bit, paying close attention to what was said now. He nearly shook his head at the offer of a tutorial before looking back at [REDACTED], seeing if it was something they felt was needed.

They simply shook their head, feeling quite confident in Batter. However they remained unsure about being put into violent situations. That's what scared them the most at the moment. He looked back at The Judge, content with their answer. "That's not necessary." Of course he knew exactly what to do, he always did, at least when it came to battle. Still he wanted to be sure they were comfortable continuing on.

"So are you pretending to be able to handle the bat with virtuosity without needing my wise pieces of advice?" He purred, being playful. "I hope for you that what you state is more than hot air meant to impress me, because that would be taking a high risk," he took a more serious tone, "But I will assume that this is not the case and that you are the fighter of value you claim to be." His mood changed, neutral once more, and he faced the ladder. "Be it as you may, your training has not reached its end yet. Let me ask you to follow me, if you still want me as your guide." Judge pounced up the building once more, going ahead of their next task.

"What a chatty cat," Player mumbled. Attempting to make light of the situation, mostly to try to calm theirself. The Batter stared up at the cat as he quickly ascended the building, giving a quiet "Mm." and a nod in response to [REDACTED]'s comment before climbing up the next ladder and descending the stairs into the building. He waited for them to come after him, moving faster than he'd intended to, before approaching The Judge for further instruction.

The player watched for a moment, impressed how fast he’d gone, before scrambling to follow. Going up the ladder then down stairs.

The room, like the rest of the building so far, maintained a monochromatic theme. Everything was various shades of yellow, save for the three (mostly) white beings that now stood in the room.

There were two small windows on each end of the left wall, between them were big, black numbers reading from one to four.

The numbers seemed to be arranged in a specific pattern too. One and two were vertical from each other and closer to one window while three and four were on the other end in the same position, forming a sort of square.

If one continued to look around the room, they would notice four yellow, floating cubes as well. Two beside the staircase that led the group in and two in front of a staircase that seemed to lead to a lower room.

There were, of course, three much heavier cubes surrounding the new set of stairs, preventing one from leaving until the puzzle was solved.

There, the Judge sat, in front of those boxes, quickly getting up and meowing a welcome. His tail up once again as he trotted over and rubbed himself against Batter’s legs, though, despite the welcoming act, it was different somehow..
The man raised an eyebrow in response to the affection, opening an eye to look down at the cat in front of him. He got the feeling there was something the cat was trying to get to...be that as it may, he knew he needed to get through here and any hidden agendas weren't his priority to figure out at this point.

"Ah, yes. To pass through here, you need to use your cerebral organ. You know, the one bathing flabbily in your tired cranium."

Judge moved his head towards the boxes, "I believe those floating blocks correspond to the symbols you can see on the wall in some way or another." Then the cat waited, just a tad antsy all of the sudden.

Batter nodded a bit in response to the information before turning to his Player, looking at the wall then back at them. Seems like he was waiting for them now.

The Player looked dumbfounded, like a deer caught in headlights once he looked at them. They didn't have the chance to look around yet. Looking at the walls in an almost twirl and back at him. Despite the puzzle being rather easy, they simply shrugged at their companion. Clueless. The sigh he released was heavy and exasperated as he slumped slightly. It always took so long for them to figure it out again...Still, he straightened and shook his head a bit before going off to do the puzzle.

It was finished rather quickly, the blocks disappearing and allowing them access to the lower level. The Player looked down as he finished it, ashamed, embarrassed. That cold feeling rippled up their arms and past their shoulders. They looked down and followed out of instinct. Slowly.

This time into another room and another puzzle. They rubbed their arm, subconsciously trying to get rid of their shame and sooth theirself. They didn't even look at the puzzle this time, leaving the Batter to deal with the boxes and numbers.

This room was much the same as the last in terms of color, however the puzzle here was slightly different. Eight blocks floated in the middle of the room while three blocked the next staircase. The windows were closer together this time, nearly in the middle, with numbers beside each one much like the last puzzle. To the left of one window were one, two, and six. To the right of the other was an eight, a two, and three.

Batter looked back at them confused and slightly concerned, though he shook his head slightly, deciding instead to focus on solving this before trying to see what was wrong. He completed this one much the same as the first one, though as The Judge eagerly descended the next flight of stairs he turned back to [REDACTED] instead of following along. "What’s wrong?" The smaller being watched, only to straighten up when their companion looked at them. Laughing awkwardly.

"I'm all good." they lied, badly at that. Their awkward fidgeting and false bravado was hardly impressive nor convincing.

He half opened each of his eyes to stare down at them, frown on his face. "You’re bad at lying." It was hard to tell if this was light hearted or not, though whatever the case was it was obvious he wasn't going to continue on until this was figured out. Hard to do your job when the one meant to be in charge was miserable and refusing to do anything.

They looked down and shook their head, falling silent. Simply shrugging, almost casually, as their emotions built up more and more. The feeling that they were already failing and disappointing him quickly overwhelmed anything else and left their self confidence shattered.Yet, despite the lying, and how clear it was that they were doing bad, they were almost decent at making it seem like it wasn't as bad as it was. A small hope bloomed in them that he'd leave, that he wouldn’t notice or that he’d give up.

He stayed silent for a bit, crossing his arms while he waited. After a bit he took a breath and sighed. "Talk to me?"

"I- It's nothing."  They couldn't look up at him, eyes almost glued to the floor as their bangs covered their face a bit.

Another sigh in response. "I won't make you talk. You didn't do anything wrong if that's what it is."

"I..I just feel like.. I'm not confident with all of this." they finally said suddenly trying to be blunt. It was as if some sort of pressure suddenly exploded in them to make them try, though despite it they still didn't look at him, too ashamed. He listened to what they had to say, continuing to stare down at them. He was quiet for a moment, seemingly attempting to find the right words. "You'll figure it out." The way he said it was so matter-of-factly, so confident in them.

"How can you be sure?" His confidence did help them, but their doubt was stronger. There was another pause as he decided what he should say. "I just know. It takes some time. You'll get it. Promise."

The Player nodded, slowly looking up at him. They rubbed their arm again, trying to sooth theirself. "Why do you need me?

That caught him off guard. "You're my Player. I need you to fulfill my duties." He paused for a few moments before shrugging, "I'm not sure how else to explain it."
Silence from them again, their eyes watering just a bit as they silently spiraled, holding their arms. "What if I fail you?"
He fought the urge to respond with ' You haven't before. ', physically biting his tongue a bit while he considered what to say. "I know you won't."

They began to hug theirself before nodding. "Okay…" not fully believing him, but more willing to continue. He made a small grunting noise and nodded. "I need you to trust me. You'll figure it out.” The Player looked at him once again then flicked their eyes to the side, thinking. He was their companion- They didn't see him as a puppet though. That’s what bugged them. He was a being, one with a goal that was still somewhat unclear to them at that. Though, him wanting them to control him made them just feel so unsure...almost uneasy. It felt unnatural and they barely knew what was going on. It felt hard to continue.

"I do trust you," they shook their head after a while, interrupting their thoughts for the time being, then moved on without him. Not too fast, only reaching the entrance of the next room. He took a moment, simply watching them before silently following after them. He had a feeling this would be something that would come up again later on. Until then, it seemed like it'd be fine enough. Hopefully at least for long enough to move on.

The next room was still yellow, three windows lined one wall and there were nine boxes in rows of three shaped in a square with a tenth box to the right of the other nine. Through them were perfect paths, leading to a small bowl and a door to the left, along the windows.

The Player grew surprised as The Judge rubbed against them and Batter, while the other simply stared down at the cat as he rubbed up against the two of them before excitedly making his way to the bowl. "Ahaha, finally! After all of that exertion, the eagerly awaited recompense makes its entrance to the scene!" He merrily stopped at the bowl, filled with cat food,then began munching away. His sudden neediness made sense.

He was just hungry.

A quiet "Ah." left Batter as it all clicked for him.

He looked up from the munching feline to look over the newest puzzle. Where were the numbers for this one...he moved around a bit, attempting to see where the hints for this one might be before looking to [REDACTED]. Were they missing something...? The Player watched him, tilting their head a bit. ‘ His reaction was sorta cute. ’ He took no notice to them watching him, at least not enough to acknowledge it. They looked around the room, there weren't any hints…but they did notice the door. Shame still burned in them, but they still had curiosity. So they walked to the door, waving for him to follow. "Could look in here?"

When they waved him over he nodded a bit, making his way over to check it out. The two walked out to find it was the front of the building they’d just been in. Batter tilted his head a bit when he saw the area. He supposed it made sense, they'd gone up all that way and made their way back down and there had been another door they'd seen when they first approached the tower. Player turned in a circle, surprised at first, before seeing a little building to their left.

Without thinking they walked in, calling for Batter since they found the hints. Finding it made them feel a bit better..
He was brought out of his thoughts when they called to him again, looking into the building with a small, surprised "Hmph." When he saw the numbers up on the wall. He gave them a thumbs up, the closest he'd get to being excited. "Good."

They smiled and nodded, a quiet "Thank you." leaving them. Though as they looked at the numbers they grew unsure that they could remember it. He nodded then turned back to the numbers. This was definitely a bit more than the other ones for sure...They looked at him, "Uh…any chance you have paper?". They knew the chances were small, but a part of them hoped.

He shrugged and patted his pockets before looking back up at them and shaking his head. "No. Do you?"

They let out a frustrated sigh, "Well if I did I wouldn't have asked-" they sighed again, this time trying to calm down a bit. "Sorry I'm just. Frustrated. I won't be able to remember all of this..." They huffed, running a hand through their hair. Their eyes scanned the ground, looking for something they could use to maybe scratch the pattern into something...
The Batter was seemingly unaffected by their little outburst, focused as he watched them and staying put as they looked for…something, cocking his head a bit as he watched.

"Ah!" A small grin spread over their face as their eyes fell upon a small, sharp-ish rock. "Alright uhm...." now to find something they could scratch...soon enough they'd found something they could scratch the numbers into. The scratchings looked similar to a toddlers handwriting, though it was clear enough for their purposes. He inched behind them, watching behind them as they carved the clues.

They beamed proudly up at their companion, clearly proud of theirself. He let out a short hum as they smiled up at him, giving a thumbs up and a faint smile.

"Alright."

They nodded almost smugly, a small “Mmhm.” leaving them, before leading him back to the puzzle. "Alright, this should be relatively easy now." They smiled at him again, more confident than before. He nodded, eager once more to move on. As they entered the room, Judge was still happily taking his time to eat.

The boxes remained as well.

Batter looked at the Player. Hoping they'd get the hint and, in his own way, trying to help them be more confident in their role. They looked back at him, pressing their lips together a bit before sighing and nodding. A silent agreement to his unspoken question. "Alright...uh-" They tried what they did before, focusing on the mental image and moving him towards the blocks.

The boxes reacted positively, one by one becoming more transparent and bouncy until they all looked the same. The heavy cube blocking the exit disappeared now, allowing them to move forward. The Batter looked at [REDACTED], giving them a slightly more visible smile and another thumbs up. They returned his smile, though theirs was much less subtle. What could they say, they were rather proud of how smoothly things seemed to be going. Though whether or not that would continue remains to be seen…

The two of them walked through the door to a place similar to where they came from, a small island surrounded by four smaller ones, though this time a red cube sat in the middle. Walking closer to the mass, they realized they had been somewhat wrong though. What they’d assumed was just another cube was a chest of sorts.

Before they could get a closer look at it, a small, hurried meow chased after them. They turned to see The Judge running to meet them again.

"Here is an accessory that is going to be especially helpful on your purifying quest, dear enlightened student and sportive friend." he licked his lips and purred. "It is a cube, hovering in midair, as you have likely noticed. Nevertheless, you will be able to differentiate it from the similar ones," He pointed his head to one of the floating, pouncing boxes on the mini islands,"By the contrast of bad taste it imposes on your view of its clashing color, defying any sensible course of plastic arts."

The cat sat with excellent posture, "However do not judge it too quickly, because of its criticisable appearance, this red cube is of undeniable use," He trotted over, knowing their gazes followed him to the ugly red chest. "Aside from rendering you the entirety of your health and competence points, it is capable of saving your progress and sending you to the nothingness. The nothingness is a lieu of transition outside of space itself, where you can travel from one point to another at the speed of light." He moved closer to the two, his tail twitching with excitement, "I now invite you to try it out, in order to discover locations more populous than this deserted land," he purred and his whiskers curled slightly, "Open your wings, my dear companions, and hurry away towards the following zones without hesitation! Your only enemy is the fear that will grab you," His eyes flickered to the Player as he finished his ramblings.

"Okay." Was The Batter’s only response, truthfully unimpressed, but the speech wasn't for him. Besides he remembered in a way, more like muscle memory, what awaits him.

The Player, on the other hand, listened to the little cat's ramblings intently. Truth be told, what he described sounded...a bit concerning. A cube that teleports you to "the nothingness"? Still, the other two seemed to be acting as if this was as simple as a walk in the park, so their nervousness was quelled for the moment.

The Judge rubbed himself against The Player's legs, "Do not worry, I too travel a lot through the zones of the world. We will newly meet one another eventually without a doubt." The player smiled down at him, comforted by the knowledge. He walked over to the Batter, "Ah! By the by, take this. This object of a curious name will be the key that permits you to enter zone 1." He carefully gives him the Leo-card, almost out of thin air. Just as weird, mysterious and magical as he'll always seem.

Players' eyes opened slightly wider as they saw the card appear. That...certainly hadn't been expected. Though they supposed that they should come to expect weirdness here, likely already should, considering the seemingly magic blocks and the cats ability to leap up buildings and speak. Still, random objects appearing would surprise most anyone. ' Well...almost anyone.. ' they thought, looking over at The Batter's complete lack of reaction, unsurprising as it was. His eye opened lazily, looking down at the Player. Almost ignoring what the cat had to say. There was no point now, he knew what to do, what had already been said felt like déva vu, though more expected.

"Have I clarified that you can at any time consult your inventory and characteristics by pressing the Esc key?" He glanced at the Player's large, round bracelet on their right arm before going back to the path, looking at the two and slowly blinking his eyes.

"Go ahead, I am inviting you to try using the floating cube, right behind you."

They looked down at the bracelet as The Judge glanced at it, slowly nodding. It wasn't something they'd really noticed before, truth be told, but given what he said they gathered it'd be something they'd come to use quite a lot. With a small hum they turned their attention back to the red cube floating behind them, cautiously walking the both of them to it and reaching out a hand to touch it. Batter’s eyes closed again as the Player moved the two of them, easily joining them, and within moments, the pair was gone. 

The Nothingness wasn't quite as nothing filled as The Player had expected. There was plentiful darkness, though not quite void as it seemed the two of them could stand and move around on it like solid ground. There were faint, gray words floating under it that read "world map (?)". It seemed almost as if it was made of some sort of thick glass. It was cooler there as well, though not entirely unpleasant. There was a wind blowing, however it was unknown where it was coming from. On the ground were six green flowers, though only four had small red dots in the middle, each representing a different zone with it's own gateway.

No point staying here for long.

Batter quickly moved to Zone 1, touching the red chest before Player even had time to register what he was doing, and the two flashed. There was a humming, a tube of light, and they were teleported.