recursive-rifts

[recursive-rifts]

This Blog is in Phase 2

You (the viewers) have more information than what Alruba has led on in prior asks.

You have taken a glance from the eyes of her most valuable student, Rastaban, by mysterious means.

She knows them by voice and mannerisms, and so masquerading as them in-person is ill advised.

However: messages (asks) can be sent to pose as them, if you dare risk it.

You can also continue to send asks as normal, but you also have the option as functioning as a pair of eyes into what Alruba is looking for-you can help her, or you can mislead her. The choice is yours, and will dictate events on asktheisle.

If Alruba senses that there has been a leak in information, the blog immediately becomes password locked. The password is known, and is on one of the other blogs connected to this one. If the time draws near that it will be locked, a hint will be given.

Gloria In Draconis.

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Well, it would certainly make things interesting. Could finally learn what brought them there.

[They actually didn't seem to consider that initially, nodding.]

Bring them here, yes. Alive. I'll take care of the rest.

[The thought of being someone's demise never sat easy with you, it shouldn't for anyone. For Alruba it seemed just a part of the day to day, and it was something that drove you away for the longest time. But here you are once again, taking commands and following their lead once again.]

[They walk you to the end of the space, back towards the walls of rocks you had entered from.]

[This meeting brought you no comfort, you wish you never came in the first place.]

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Not much was known about that incident, all witnesses were...

[They let out a long sigh as if annoyed.]

Well, you can imagine. The only thing of note is that they were branded-as we do with anyone who runs off. If you find them, you know what to do.

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[Their eyes narrowed as they hummed in thought.]

Yes... that one still has to be found as well. If it isn't too much for you-I leave that to you to find any leads.

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... Really? With how busy you are in the life you've made for yourself, I wouldn't imagine you had the time to entertain a hunting trip.

[They said this with feigned surprise-maybe it had a twinge of being genuine. You knew this is what they called you for, business as usual.]

[The phrasing they used made you feel a little uncomfortable-you weren't just some beast to send out into the wild, as much as it felt like such. The way they talked about you too as if they weren't the one who really gave you this path in the first place. Dues were to be paid it seemed, even if they said it in a roundabout way.]

[You hid any signs of reluctance as best you could, listening to Alruba continue to speak as she looked at you.]

I don't know of his whereabouts, but I'm sure that information is easy to access-trainer databases and all, and narrowed down to Champion Ranked ones at that. I'll task you with doing an in-depth search, the others with gathering potential points of interest.

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[A moment of clarity washes over Alruba as they turn to you, they looked rather impressed.]

You're right. The trainer... he had a Garchomp descended from one of the lines I've charted.

I watched the younger dragon face off against their parent, both of them Mega Evolving... come to think of it, that Garchomp he had underwent a diverging evolution in their stadium battle.

[You nodded along as you listened to them think out loud.]

It's quite a reach, but I'll have to keep an eye on him somehow and see if he may be the missing piece...

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But who is the matter of the question...

[You both continue on your path, Alruba lost in thought as to the possibilities.]

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[They pause in their steps as they consider the option.]

You may be onto something, Rastaban. You were always my favorite for a reason.

[The proud smile they gave you could fuel you for the rest of your life. Even with how much time had passed since you were last here, and despite all your avoidance-some things couldn't change.]

If this is for sure the same Rayquaza that was summoned to Sky Pillar, and the one that attacked in the Kalos base, there must be a connecting factor.

[recursive-rifts]

[As you match pace they continue to talk. She at least seemed relaxed.]

Rayquaza aren't known to descend frequently, so there must be something that is bringing this one down to the ground and often. I'm led to believe it may be whoever was involved in that incident on Sky Pillar. It wasn't a Lorekeeper, I know that much.

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Oral traditions, it was the name uttered by the Draconids and ourselves before the schism.

[Even if you were looking at the pages, you could sense they were watching you intently. Without meaning to you started to shrink into your seat, doing everything you could to not fidget with your hands. Something was going to happen-there was no if, only when.]

[Alruba puts the files in order again before setting them to the side, standing up. You follow suit, watching where they go before following along.]

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[In a way you feel as if you've seen this Rayquaza before, as rare as they are. It was now that the shade of green stuck out in your mind, it wasn't any particular green. Resplendent, even. The symbol even looked familiar.]

[Alruba catches onto your facial expressions as you furrow your brows in thought-why did those look so familiar?]

[Before you could come to any conclusions Alruba speaks again.]

This Rayquaza... it's been quite some years, but I have no doubt that I've seen them before. There was... something that had occurred, on Sky Pillar.

I arrived too late-not realizing what had happened until afterwards. This Rayquaza was part of a summoning ritual. For what, and why, I still don't know.

[They sift around for another folder-one of lineages. You can see the name Yohualcoatl on the top clearly, the rest difficult to decipher. There's one spot that is empty, directly under the dragon's name.]

I'm led to believe that this Rayquaza is related in some way to Yohualcoatl. With the documentation I have access to as a Lorekeeper, they also seem to match the descriptions of The Great Sun-the Rayquaza who quelled Groudon and Kyogre.

[recursive-rifts]

That's the one, yes.

[You take in the details of the dragon, the constellation of Draco lining its form as it roars into the cosmos-purples and blues with scattered stars in the background. Around the maw, purple streaks cascading down the sides of the glass.]

A peculiar shiny Rayquaza, no one has direct proof of how they looked-we can only go by summary from legends and word of mouth. All that is known is that they were as dark as night, the stars on their scales. A twin even, as another serpent was associated with the night as well.

[You nod slightly to this, a slight jump as you turn to the sound of pages moving. Alruba pulled at a file and looked it over, eyes glancing up to your reaction with the hint of a squint.]

I've done some searching and cross referencing with Draconid texts, I believe we're one step closer to finding out about what happened to the dragon.

[They tilt the page towards you-the likeness of a Rayquaza in its commonly accepted coloration. This one however had spikes-or feathers, you couldn't tell-around its head. In the gold ring on their head, a strange little mark that looked like a golden crown.]

[The files set aside also caught your eye-different charts of lineages from all over the world. Underneath a few you could catch what looked like sketches of Garchomp-they looked as if they were Megas, but something was different.]

[From the angle you could see, it was difficult to parse exactly what. But one of them looked very familiar-was it that one tournament...?]

[recursive-rifts]

Sharp mind.

[She seemed happy to hear this, you can feel yourself starting to smile a bit at the positive reaction.]

Yes, that's the one.

It's the one in which I have been tracing the lineages of dragons, attempting to find a commonality, perhaps even a tie to legends.

[They look up to the glass, as if taking a moment to admire it.]

Do you recall the subject of that piece?

[recursive-rifts]

[Alruba smiles, you can sense they were proud of this reaction.]

All thanks to Lamassu. She now has what you could call a weaker version of Spacial Rend-something only Palkia is known to use.

As for why I called you here…

[She's on the opposite side of the desk from you now, seating themselves as you follow suit. They begin to card through some of the files as you watch them-you've learned to catch every micro-expression over the years, catching how her brows furrow slightly as she passes some of the contents.]

You're aware of the project I've worked on for several years now, yes?

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Well don't act so frightened, I didn't call you here to chew your head off.

[They chuckled quietly as they regarded you, a teasing glint in their eye.]

Unless you did something that would warrant such a reaction.

[There was a sinking feeling in your stomach as you recognized the tone she was using-playful, but very much a real threat. You hadn't done anything-not that you could recall-you shouldn't be this nervous, it had been so long that this feeling shouldn't even have registered. Masking your nerves, you clear your throat and fold your hands behind your back-mirroring Alruba's posture.]

[She approaches the desk that you're standing next to, a hand hovering over the surface as their gloved hand comes into contact with a file folder.]

It's been quite some time that you've been here. Was it difficult to pass through?

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[The condition that they were in was what surprised you the most-collecting dust on the exposed areas, but otherwise untouched by time. She never moved them from where they were? She could've used the space for something else, something to her own interests. There was the one series you liked when you were younger-the one where those Galarian siblings walked through a wardrobe, then an anthology of myths-also Galarian in origin.]

[There was a book on dragons, of course-the fake gemstone on the cover scratched and losing the adhesive that kept it glued to the leather cover-metallic paper that acted as scales also being scratched and faded. The book on music theory was one of theirs, you remembered. There were tabs and small pieces of paper sticking out from the closed pages, bookmarks and annotations.]

[Your attention is pulled away as you hear someone ascending the steps to the study, turning around as you put down whatever you were holding. With a short exhale you bow your head slightly to Alruba, who was smiling and issued her usual greeting. She was in her formal wear, the black of her clothes blending in with the stone that surrounded you both. Seeing them dressed in such manner, you could only steel yourself for what she could possibly bring up.]

[recursive-rifts]

...

[You've arrived as you always have, a matter of chance that always seemed to be in your favor. The middle of the sea, away from the mainland, yet only the slimmest possibility that this small island would be perceived.]

[You're granted clearance-not as if you would be stopped by the others present, lowly as they were-as you make your way through the rocks, further and further down into the dark walls. Every rock and step was accounted for, long part of some muscle memory that at times you wished would finally disappear. Another day, another time maybe. You were summoned, that's all you're here for.]

[You finally arrive to an opening in the rocks, surprisingly well lit for being so sequestered. The large stained glass piece above and opposite of where you stood shone in their purples and blues-Draco as you've always heard from her, the keeper of the original pole star, The Great Sky Dragon, the mother of all dragons. It was like reciting a speech-it's what it was, essentially.]

[They still hadn't arrived, and standing in this open space was getting to you. They did tell you to meet in their study, you didn't have to stand around the lab and fidget until it was time. And so that's what you did, climbing up the stone steps that wrapped around the lab's testing space to a more secluded area. The sight was familiar, the blues and purples of the glass casting their colors onto your clothes and the desk nearby. You let out a quiet huff, trying to hide your amusement-those books were still there after all these years. You didn't take her for the sentimental type, not entirely at least.]

[You arrived a little early. After all: early was on time, on time was late, and late was inconceivable. While you wait you decide...]