*We begin with a black void on a television screen. There is nothing on it, not even the static, nor the rectangles of mish-mashed colors used for signal debugging. Then, suddenly, lightning strikes through the window. It hits the TV and runs sparks all around it. It creeps around the rim of the image until it strikes near the center-bottom of the image, creating a single white pixel. The pixel then crawls out to a line, and we see a familiar green-haired face jump out of the seam in reality. She steadies herself on top of the line.* ACT 1: UNDER THE DEPTHS IKA: Woah... I thought this place was destroyed long ago... *She looks out around her, finding nothing except the line she's stably standing on.* IKA: This must be the debris from the aftermath... *The line extends outwards in front of her, as it splits and bends in a number of shapes. Traversable, sure, but in this state, IKA doesn't know if she could do it. A split in the line comes off, swirling into a spiral, becoming a MOTE OF LIGHT. It approaches the young lady, as though to inspect her and her ornamental outfit. It speaks in a soft voice, that seems to echo through time itself, as it pulses with an ambiance.* MOTE: Traveler, you aren't from these lands, are you? *Ika takes a bow, pushing her hands and her cloth outwards to the side.* IKA: You must forgive me, spirit, it has been ages since I have stepped foot here. I must be honest; I am lost. MOTE: (Laughing softly,) You're being overly polite, Traveler. I can tell what you have said; what you have said, I pray tell. If you follow me, I might be able to get you to somewhere more familiar. Then I can tell you my story. *The MOTE untwists from its spiral and leaps across the battlefield of parkour in front of IKA. She takes a single step, and as if the record had skipped a groove, she was suddenly on the other side. She paid no mind to the anomaly, as she raced forward towards the MOTE, drudging her body through the sludge of the void. The one line of passage splits into two, which then splits into four. The void, once abstract, coalesces into strange patterns that start to glow - a spaceship, a UFO, a star, a planet, all the makings of some dark-light rave for NASA. Still, we keep traversing this world like channel-surfing, and IKA eventually makes it to the edge of a cliff of sorts, attended by a strange man, MICHAEL. He wears something of an employee's uniform, though for what company, IKA cannot tell. He speaks in a strangely corporate tone.* MICHAEL: Hi! Welcome to Space Golf! Can I take your order, sir? IKA: Uh, I hate to break it to you, I'm actually a woman. MICHAEL: I understand, sir. We all lie to ourselves. Can I take your order? *Ika stomps her foot in the ground, making a grunt. She turns to face the large chasm in front of her, the MOTE OF LIGHT becoming an impatient swirl on the other side.* IKA: The only order I need is the one that gets me across this gap. *With a rumble, multiple stone spikes come from the blackness below, seemingly creating a dotted path.* IKA: This is the best you can do? MICHAEL: Yes, sir! Can I take your order? *IKA looks at the spikes one more time, before backing up, and making a leap for it. Closing her eyes, she finds herself falling, falling, falling... Opening them, though, she finds herself in bed, late at night.* ACT 2: SURFACE OF WATER *IKA jolts, a [[Wake]] from the dream, with white sheets and a green pillow for her green hair. On the other side is a sleeping MAKO, with complimentary red hair and pillow. The latter wakes groggily.* MAKO: _{Ugh, sweetie... go back to bed...} IKA: Apologies... I keep having these horrendous terrors. I'll go get a glass of water to hydrate and cool off, then I'll be back, okay? MAKO: Alright... mmgh... _{love you...} IKA: Love you too, dear. *IKA gets up from the bed and heads out the door of their bedroom, which opens directly onto a railed overhang over the rest of the house. Just below is the kitchen, with the fridge, old as mildew, and stove on the opposite wall, and on the other side of that on that floor is the living room, couch and all. Ika descends the stairs (admittedly more than she'd remembered), and grabbed a glass from the cupboards. She put it into the automatic water dispenser. Light comes on, a sound is made. Nothing. She tries again. Dry as a whistle.* IKA: From the fountain I shall drink, then... *Hastily, she grabs her sweatshirt from the coat rack next to the door, and puts on some loafers. Exiting the front door, located on the kitchen wall opposite the stairs, she stops in the doorway. She eyes a strange sword, but one that is undoubtedly hers. It's silver in color, with leather on the handle for a grip.* IKA: No doubt I should... It's still dark as midnight... *She reaches for it, but for a moment, she swore there was a dark tentacle holding the tip. It was still dark, so she grabbed it anyways, attached it to her hip via a sheath, and ran into the night. Town was a bit away, but the fountain in the middle is always clean water. This moment was oddly nostalgic, passing through trees and rocks and branches to get somewhere. Sure, she was getting water, but to the un-eyed observer, it sounded as if she was running from something. Something looking in the dark of the woods, they one they warned her about, the one that could be very nearly close and if she stopped running she would be got and torn and-* IKA: Made it. *She was panting and cooling off on the rim of the fountain in the middle of town square. Using the cup she brought, she was taking sips from the water. Tired, both from the time and the run, she failed to notice that the town was bustling as ever. What was normally dimly-lit homes and businesses in a, to us, western style, was instead fully lit by tiki torches, with people and species from all walks of life hanging about, shopping and conversing like it was daytime. IKA was approached by a man wearing something of a tropical getup, a palm-tree button-up and khaki shorts, XACKIEL.* XACKIEL: Hey, lady, you alright? *Ika groans as she gets up from the fountain, clearly not alright.* IKA: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Had no idea it was night market season... What's the occasion? XACKIEL: It's the celebration of the knights! Once every blue moon, it's foretold that the- IKA: I am aware of the knights' dance, yes. I should probably start heading back, though... XACKIEL: But you just got here! The night's still young, you know! *IKA shakes her head.* IKA: It's way past the time, though... XACKIEL: Then, one for the road? *XACKIEL picks up a drink from a passerby, and clinks it against IKA's. They both take a chug, and IKA starts walking back the way she came. Along the way, she feels watched, same as before. She freezes. She holds the blade in her right hand, her dominant one, still sheathed. A VOICE beckons from nowhere in particular.* VOICE: Care to play?~ *IKA steadies herself.* IKA: Show yourself! It is the dance of the knights, sure, but I have no time for spirits! VOICE: Ufufu!~ But the spirits always have time for you, young one... What was it that you said that fateful night you cast aside it all? "It's the end of an Era"? When the knights retire for a day, the fates are malleable, and I think it's time for a new Era!~ *From the hilt of IKA's sword, a black wisp circles it, before drawing out onto the ground, growing in length until forming into a silhouette with an axe.* IKA: I suppose the fight's inevitable. Better make it quick, then. As per tradition, draw your paces. *IKA and the silhouette turn away from each other and walk away, counting their steps. On the 7th, they pivot, and face each other. When a bell rings, Ika charges at the figure, trying to get in hits, attempting to [[Cut]] in, like a [[Knife]] on wood, but the figure blocks each one of them with the hilt of their axe, never retaliating.* IKA: Enough! If you wish to duel, why defend so much? *The VOICE does not answer. In IKA's world, though, a heavy force is felt on her side, before succumbing to the earth.* ACT 3: GRIP ON REALITY *IKA awakes in the same spot she fell in battle: the middle of the forest trail that leads to her home. She finds herself being poked by a stick. Ah, that would be MAKO, wouldn't it?* MAKO: C'mon, get up! Please? IKA: I am but so tired, dear, only a kiss of true love can save me from the slumber... MAKO: Under the circumstances, I think I shouldn't. You're covered in dirt, hon. *IKA opens her eyes, and MAKO helps her up from the ground. MAKO brushes off the dirt on her haphazard outfit. She puts her hands on IKA, holding them [[Together]].* MAKO: First off, are you okay? IKA: I'm in as good condition as I can be, thanks. MAKO: Did anyone hurt you? What happened, sweetie? *Ika looks to the ground, a little embarrassed.* IKA: I wanted some water, but the water dispenser wasn't working, so I went out to the fountain in town to have some... When I came back, this weird spirit challenged me to a duel, and I lost my will to go on... *MAKO tilts her head.* MAKO: You drank fountain water? IKA: That is correct? MAKO: You know they lace that thing with all kinds of weird stuff during the celebration of the knights, right? *IKA had a realization right then and there.* IKA: So, the duel was without point... I see. I think I'll go take a shower, if you don't mind. MAKO: Ahaha! You and me both, sweet.