Awakening of the Shadows [COMPLETE]

Scipio

Antares

I went through the portal last.

Well, I should say second. Even if I'd gone third, it wouldn't do the word last justice. Last implies lower than the three podium positions

Then again, I was only walking through a doorway. A glowing, fancy, magical doorway.

I didn't go third, which would have technically been 'last' in that case (Given that there were three of us), for one reason: Eldernova was not yet feeling himself. His legs were wobbly, his hands slippery (According to him), and apparently it was relatively painful for him to breathe. Eternity was quick to worry about the issue, and I'm sure her brain must've jumped to some kind of horrific conclusion (Such as internal hemhorraging), but after a quick Biokinetic sweep of his body, I concluded that one of his left ribs was cracked - nothing life-threatening, but somewhat movement-impeding. As such, neither Eternity and Eldernova went 'first' or 'second' in order of going through the portal, rather, Eternity supported Eldernova on their way through.

As such, I went second, instead of third, because no one could have gone third.

As I entered the vortex of crystalline light, I could feel the sensation of being in a Throne World - a somewhat odd feeling, as if the brain inherently knew that the place wasn't supposed to exist; wasn't a natural place - departing, like a curtain lifting over a stage. I was only inside the portal's energy swarms for a split-instant - after only a couple of milliseconds, I stepped out onto the sandstone ground of the grotto in which we'd set the Starlit down. Nothing seemed out of place, not anymore - after a couple of glances around the area, I realized that not even the doorway to the Paradise Vault, the entryway to that extradimensional beach, was present any longer. I let my mind extend around me, feeling for the intricately-woven Optokinetic magic that had been infused with the island itself, and came up with nothing.

Daedalus had completely removed any and all traces of the Vault's existence from the area.

Eternity must've been thinking the same, because she said, "Wow. It's... it's gone. The entire Vault. I can't sense anything left of it."

It was really very impressive, but since I was still slightly angry with Daedalus for the completely unfair last stage of the Vault, my pride was not yet ready to acknowledge that. "Yeah," I said, somewhat dismissively. "Let's just get out of here. I'd like to never visit something made by Daedalus again."

.      .      .

Eldernova

Once we got into the air, events seemed to blur around me. I barely registered it when we arrived back at the Supernova, though once we had gotten back to the bridge, I do remember (Once she gave Arcturus a brief report) Eternity taking me down to a medical bay to have my ribs checked out by the ship's Arkmedic (Whatever 'Arkmedic' meant. I assumed it was similar to chief medical officer, or something like that), who turned out to be Ashara, the young-looking female doctor whom I'd briefly met back on Celestia. Apparently she'd been working in the Palace of Shining Talons while the Supernova was being refueled for its next quest, and now that the ship was back, out among the stars, she'd returned to her post.

After that, I remembered nothing else, except for occasional bits and pieces of Eternity's voice, like whispers in the background of reality, faintly echoing in my ears in comforting tones.

I must have fallen asleep (Or passed out, which seemed far more likely given my experience, brief as it was, as the Nova), because what felt like hours later, I woke up, lying underneath the blankets of my own bed (To be specific, the bed that I was given thanks to my new position as First Seeker). The room was dark, meaning that the 'time of day' aboard the ship was now night - at least past nine in the evening - and I appeared to be the only person inside.