New Beginning 23: One for the Record Books

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Indeed." comes the reply, and the Penultimate gestures for Marvelous to lead the way.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Marv nods and leads the the group away from the crowds and up towards the empty castle that served as his home. They traveled through the well lit halls adorned with various miscreant artifacts until they arrived at a large descending staircase. The staircase leads deep below the building and into a large room of white marble, furnished only with a long table and dozens of chairs.

As the doors close, a low buzz sounds as the room is insulated from from prying eyes.

"And here we are!"

[Philote]

"Hmm, I don't suppose you know telekinesis, or flight, or something similar do you?" she asks. "That's how we've always done it. You could always try thinking in one direction really hard."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Urghhhhhhhh." He groans, his body going blue and gooey again, transforming into a dull gold Magnemite. Letting out a static buzz of annoyance, he bobs off after Knight. He had liked this power when he got it, but he was slowly realizing how embarrassing it was to be a Pokemon in front of other people. It just felt stupid, and sooner or later he would run into someone who actually knew what he was changing into and that wasn't an encounter he relished the thought of.

He caught up to Knight, who had slowed himself to a stop in front of one of the doors and was waving his companions over. "Did he have telekinesis?" Vault thought, "Or did he just propel himself forward with happy thoughts?"

"I found it." Knight said, and sure as you like there was a meteor plastered on the door.

"Why a meteor? That can't be a good sign." Vault tried to say, but what came out was a high pitched static drone and Kinght threw open the door.

[Zaleramancer]

Miss Blue blinked and looked around.

"My apologizes, I was called upon to adjudicate a matter between a large green scaly thing and a big tentacled aquatic thing. Did I miss anything?"

[Ericus Europaeus (Bug)]

CONTENTS DELETED

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[The Narrator]

Narrator sits near the middle of the table. 



--
Derek A. Haynes
Lead Tutor
Destined for Greatness: Academic Services

[Philote]

There was a room on the inside. A room that was not present behind the frame of the door. The room is circular, and a matching door lays on the other side of the room.

This is irrelevant though, as there is a stone man with the texture of a meteorite starring Knight down from the center of the room.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Seeing that all the others are seated, the Penultimate finds a seat of his own. Though he tries not to reveal the inner worry building in him, his expression is still one of solemn concern.

"Okay, so here's the deal." he begins, closing his eyes; the walls begin to reflect events as The Penultimate recalls them in his mind, "I came across a series of books, in the possession of the Changeling Praetors. I thought it was only three books at first, but as it turns out, there are twenty-three total. And from what I saw, they've dictated, quite eloquently, the entire course of New Beginning. From the beginning up until the very moment I stopped reading. I dared not go past that point, for fear of sealing the future in stone. Still, everything prior, it's accurate without fail. To be quite honest, I haven't the slightest clue what it means, but I have a feeling it's no good."

[The Narrator]

"I've had books like that. Books of

My adventures, and it's part of the reason I came here, I started reading and thought it would be fun to join y'all. "

"Someone must have complied these together. Or they just exist...."

--
Derek A. Haynes
Lead Tutor
Destined for Greatness: Academic Services

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Greetings and salutation sir and/or madame." Knight says as he lands in the room. "Or whatever is appropriate for some indeterminate third mineral based gender. My name is Knight, I'm very pleased to meet you."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"NO!" The Penultimate slams his hands down on the table, as though to emphasize his point, "This was different! I've read books like that before! I've read books detailing the lives of close friends and loved ones! I've read the Sibylline Oracles, the Tablets of Phanes and the Tablets of Ophion, this was not the same. It wasn't some clinical, objective analysis, or some cutesy adventure tale. The one writing the story seemed almost...almost to know the details intimately. And their portrayal was anything but flattering. Told partially from the perspective of some snarky cynical storyteller, and partially from the perspectives of various horrified mortals. It was...it was awful. We were awful."

The scenes replay on the wall in a loop.

[The Narrator]

*Sees scenes*
"Am I really that crazy and clumsy??"

"We need to find the creator of this stuff and send him to New Bern...permanently!"

--
Derek A. Haynes
Lead Tutor
Destined for Greatness: Academic Services

[Marvelous Miscreant]

The Marvelous Miscreant contemplates this new development. His brow furrows as he thinks.

"This is very concerning," he mumbles, turning to The Penultimate, "Anything that could potentially contain our future's is very dangerous indeed. Not only that, but I'm sure the accounts of our past could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I'm sure we've all done things we may want to keep secret."

Marv paces back and forth across the room, his voice grave and serious.

"But even more concerning is the author of these books. These books' existence means there is someone, or something out there with not only intimate knowledge of our lives and pasts, but with unknown and possibly dangerous knowledge of our futures. We need to destroy these books and find the author. Soon!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Hands clasped on the table, the Penultimate exhaled, "My thoughts exactly."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

The Marvelous Miscreant thinks for a moment then asks, "What do we know about the books? Anything we can use to find the author?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

A sigh escapes the Penultimate and he shakes his head slow, "Nothing I can readily glean. And you know me. My perceptions are ravenous. When I lock onto the slightest sniff, I can typically track it to its source. This time, though? Nothing. Not in a single volume. Not even the barest psychometric signature. There's got to be some trace, but if it's to be found, a deeper glimpse is required."

He called a glass of ginger ale to hand, and sipped, before adding with a note of almost-pleasant surprise, "Hey, I forgot to look at who the author was."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Marv rubs the bridge of his nose.

"It can't possibly be that easy.... can it?"

[The Narrator]

Narrator sighs.

"That is the first thing you do...."  Narrator says grabbing the 21st book.  A couple of pages fall out of it. 

"They even know what I was doing before I got here.  My days in other lands, my time

Back on Earth, Areson's exploits.  Who has the time to follow me of all people."

--
Derek A. Haynes
Lead Tutor
Destined for Greatness: Academic Services

[Philote]

The guardian's demeanor changes instantly from one of passivity to one of driven aggression as soon as Knight maneuvers anywhere inside the room. A long mineral blade is formed out of the transformation of the guardian's right hand.

"The unworthy may not pass. Return whence you came."