[radio]

[backwordscompatible]

We did it!  He's still alive!  I felt--no, better than that, I heard him!

[She sounded tired, but only physically.  Just barely out of breath.  Still, even that couldn't contain the excitement to her tone as she barely waited until the radio had turned on before addressing the network.]

[Allowing a full second for that bombshell to properly sink in, she collected her thoughts and elaborated.]

The spell I was suggesting.  The one to see if there was something magical interfering?  It worked.  We got through, and I heard Asti's voice calling to me, begging for help.  It was faint...like it was coming from far away--no, lots of far aways.  [Wait, no, that didn't make sense, either.]  Like his voice was...I don't know...fractured?

Anyways, that wasn't all.  I also had another Vision.  It wasn't like the last one.  I'm not even sure anybody else but me saw it.  There were stones.  Black and White ones.  They were forming arches at this underwater crossroad...only some of them looked like they were brand new, while others looked close to falling apart.

I think Asti sent it to me.  But I don't know what it could mean.  Second, third, and any other opinions are welcome on this one.




((ooc: Because of the nature of the subject in particular, Threadjacking to allow for open discussions is not only cool with me, but I even encourage it!  Spread the word~))

Comments

[peacefullywreathed]

Mine was different.

[He would have almost preferred not to have it, to be honest.]

I was standing on the water without land in sight, but I didn't sink. Tu Vishan called to me, and something large with red feathers flew overhead. It screeched and I fell into the water. And drowned.

[Yes, that was terribly fun. =|]

[backwordscompatible]

[In her defense, she had warned people that more Visions were a possibility. And she winced anyway. His had clearly been less...neutral than hers.]

He's trying to tell us something. But he only had so much time, so he told us all something different.

But...what do underwater stones and large, red feathers have in common? Most birds--I mean, I'm guessing it was a bird of some kind--can't swim. Not that deep.

[redlightgreenlight]

I saw a crumbling city...and a symbol. An arrow coming out of a circle with a dot at its center. I've never seen the city before, and the symbol means nothing to me.

[But the bird...didn't the Kedan have a story about a giant red bird?]

The kedan might know something about the symbol and the red bird, they've been here far longer than any of us and if Asti is speaking to us through memories...then perhaps we need to communicate with them about this.

[backwordscompatible]

[An arrow coming out of a circle...with a dot...]

What direction was the arrow pointing?

[redlightgreenlight]

I don't remember, just...out of the circle...it was very disorienting.

[She was really beginning to hate visions.]

[backwordscompatible]

Yeah, you don't have to tell me that.

Try figuring out which way the road's going through hundreds of gallons of water.

[Turns out, things aren't always so much better down where it's wetter.]

My thought? It was a compass of some kind.

[redlightgreenlight]

It was everywhere in the city, but as to a location...I couldn't tell you. But at least we know for certain that Asti is still alive.

[It seemed that the first vision had been worth the risk after all, because now they had definitive proof that Tu Vishan wasn't dead.]

[backwordscompatible]

Something we kind of owe a lot to you.

[Because she was right; it had been worth it. Reliving such a painful memory...not only had it served as a reminder of why they were all here, but it had forced a near-immediate spring to action. Getting so many individuals gathered together with a single goal in mind.]

[redlightgreenlight]

[Silence and then...]

At least this time people were volunteers with the knowledge that something weird could happen.

[backwordscompatible]

[Point]

Did you know there was a chance that could happen?

[redlightgreenlight]

The first vision? No.

[In fact, she quite resented that she had apparently been used as a conduit to send that vision out to all the foreigners]

[backwordscompatible]

Well, then, it wasn't really your fault, was it? I mean, it wouldn't be fair to blame you for not warning us when you didn't even know it would happen.

[Zatanna, personally, would have been the ultimate hypocrite if she had.]

[redlightgreenlight]

Fair. But it's in the past now and we need to focus on the present.

[The new visions, ones that held no meaning, not yet anyway.]

Why the different visions? Why didn't we all see the same one again.

[backwordscompatible]

[She could only shrug.]

Honestly?

The closest guess I could think of was that Asti had too much to tell us to fit it all into a single vision. So he split up the clues and sent them all out in a single, psychic burst.

[peacefullywreathed]

Agreed.

Arches are often portals into other realms, like on Valishaera. But their being underwater ... I don't know what that might mean, or if it changes where they lead.

I do remember that legend about the bird from the festival, but no details. It might be worth pursuing.

[backwordscompatible]

Sounds good to me.

I don't remember much about any legends, either, unfortunately. But there's gotta be somebody around here who does.

[peacefullywreathed]

The kedan, for one. I'll ask some of my clients for details and we'll see where we get.

[backwordscompatible]

Someone else suggested raiding the library, too.

Maybe you could ask your clients if they'd be willing to translate the local language for us? The last people I knew who were studying it kind of...left.

[peacefullywreathed]

Bakura was studying it, though I'm not sure if he still has. I can certainly put it to them, though there are enough dialects that it my be difficult finding someone who knows the languages we need translated.

[backwordscompatible]

[Bakura. It'd been a while since they last spoke, but she remembered the guy. He was familiar with magic. What kinds and how familiar, she couldn't remember...but any familiarity on top of a knowledge of the local legends was good.]

That could work. If nothing else, he might have a better idea of which legends to focus on.

Do we know if he had any visions or sensed anything? Has anybody talked to him recently?

[peacefullywreathed]

He had the one with the hatchlings.

[A little flatly, not at Zatanna but because Bakura had been Emily-Helen's, and Emily-Helen had been one of the five.]

He wasn't present at your ritual.

[Owing to being slightly half-dead.]

[backwordscompatible]

[A slight wince, even though she wasn't that surprised. Of course he did. Everyone she knew of had that Vision.]

Is he okay?

[peacefullywreathed]

He's adjusting.

[Better than he could have, actually, which probably meant some massive compartmentalising had happened.]

I'll ask some of my clients about the bird.

[backwordscompatible]

[It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no. It would have to do.]

Thanks. We'll be in touch.

[peacefullywreathed]

If you need to find me, leave a message at the Healer's Guild.

[He's there often enough, or Raine will get it. Either way, he closes the link.]