Reincarnation wars.

[D20ragon]

Alina snuggles closer to you, emmiting a tinklely purring .

[LordChaos13]

Erin dawws and cuddles her more

[3SecondCultist]

Oxygen. The three-syllable word was so often taken for granted, but at that particular moment, James began to feel like all the ink in all of the worlds wouldn't help him breathe again. He grasped at the taut skin around his eyes, trying to get a hold of himself. Why had Fate consigned him to this? What had he done that warranted such a retribution? When he tried to move, he found that his limbs were dragging him down, as if he were falling through the floor. Eventually, he felt the reserves of his strength begin to wane, and he collapsed to his knees. Better to conserve his energy for now. The voices within had gone silent, too. What was happening to him?
Calm down, James. Try to think! Whatever's happening, Fate won't let you die. No matter what he says, he has some reason for his bringing us along on this journey. So hopefully he'll release you from whatever this is soon.

[ArlEammon]

"Fate, dear man. . . I'm not necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to dealing with people who have power, but could you please show mercy to poor James? It's true you have shown us things I'm sure no one has ever known, well, no Namer, that is, has ever known, but being Namers, all of this is new to us. Things that are new aren't just exciting and fun to explore, but sometimes the unknown can be terrifying to us."

[Sen isSaqqara]

Gods, thinks Rob, glaring at Fate, What an insufferable prick. If I still had... Had what? What am I even thinking?

"We didn't conquer the universe, we just ruled the world. A world. Or maybe more, I don't really remember. That was after we killed the Light and took control of his little venture. It matters little; that was the past. Leave James alone. I may not have as much power anymore, but I wouldn't be worth having here if I didn't do what I can to stand up for those who are being hurt when they can't fight back."

[D20ragon]

Spoiler: James .

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Fates voice screams in your mind.
Oh you're damn right I won't let you die, James. Your life is to precious for that, isn't it? But rest assured I know what you did. I know, James. And don't think you can rest easy for a long, long time. Even Jacob has a better soul than you and Rob, and he's sharing it with mass murderers!

[D20ragon]

"Oh, sure." Fate spits over the side of the bucket. "It seems trivial. I don't even care that you ruled those worlds. But don't worry, you'll understand more later. And you might even understand why I'm not killing all of you right now."

He looks at Rob. "do at least try to keep those thoughts to yourself. In this instance, however, I am, as you put it, an insufferable prick. You're quite right.
And Jacob, I do apologize. Its been a long time sense any Namers have seen any of this. Of course you're frightened."

Fate seems completely different then he seemed a second ago.

[3SecondCultist]

Wh-what are you even talking about? I'm just a librarian from the East Coast! You brought me here in the first place!! Please don't hurt me anymore, please... A single tear began to roll down his cheeks, although whether out of fear or the current vertigo, he couldn't tell. Some vague part of his mind was conscious of his companions getting closer, of voices emanating all around him, but he couldn't focus on that now. There was simply too much pain to maintain a hold on anything solid. He was just floating, a minuscule object in infinite space.

[D20ragon]

James drops out of his falling, coming to rest quite gently on the bucket. A blanket wraps itself around his shoulders.
Again, fates voice enters your mind.

Spoiler

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I am most terribly sorry. You seem to have very little memory left of your past life. I am sure it will become evident in the future. And one last thing.
I am sorry your fate had to be like this. I am, sadly, merely a messenger of fate, not fate itself. You have my condolences, my boy.

[ArlEammon]

Silently contemplating if this Q like old man had any junk and testicles to kick, Jake thought against kicking him and ran over to James and put his arms around him as he laid on the ground, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. . He didn't say anything to him but he turned around to Fate. "I think that with all of your power and knowledge you cannot sympathize with lesser beings incapable of your level of morality."

[Tris]

Travis sits up. "What? What's happening?" He looks around at everyone. Suddenly, he feels a great dread come over him. His expression is very worried.

[Sen isSaqqara]

Realization dawns for Rob. He hadn't quite figured out that Fate could still hear his thoughts.

My apologies, Fate. I'd thought that Mr. Dresden was shielding my thoughts from general viewing. Perhaps if you would be so kind as to assist him, Elodin? The master namer's talent for putting his mind in a nigh-unreadable state of organized chaos was part of what had initially driven him insane.

In the meantime, though, if you would put James's mind back where it belongs, it would be much appreciated. I don't think he actually knows what he did, so punishing him for it would be rather cruel. You'd be better off throwing his incarnations in the metaphorical mental brig, not him.

[D20ragon]

Fate looks at Jacob reflectively.
"perhaps I have. I was once a Namer myself, you know. All the powers were."

Spoiler: Rob

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"I had to see how much he remembered. You seem concerned about him, so perhaps you are not to far gone. In any case, his mind has been restored.

[ArlEammon]

"Regardless, I know that to deprive someone the chance of a better future, no matter how vile they are, by taking away any chance of redemption and blessing others with their repentance, is not just cheating the redeemed, but also those they could have helped."

[3SecondCultist]

As he brought himself back to his feet, James took a deep breath. He was back. Jacob was busy speaking to Fate about something. His still-overclocked nervous system was in the midst of getting its bearings, but he could at least make out what Jacob, Fate, and the others were saying now. He inched closer to the old man, his expression one of constructed neutrality. In truth, he wasn't angry at the entity for what it had done. It was probably necessary, in a way that was entirely beyond him. But it didn't help the anxiety, the faintest of tremors coiling under his skin. This was truly a being of deific power, and he resolved to be more careful around it. "Thank you for letting me go. For what it's worth, I truly am sorry for my past misdeeds, even if I don't remember them. I don't know about my incarnations, but I will have a long chat with them about all of this when it's permitted."

[DoctorFaust]

Walking over to Fate as soon as he releases James, Daniel hauls back and slugs him in the face.

Spitting at Fate's feet, Daniel growls, "I don't know who he was in his last lives. I don't know what those lives did to deserve that. But right about now, I am willing to bet all four of my reincarnations that the man you just almost killed is a better person than you are. And you can give me back access to my bloody reincarnations right goddamn now. Either do that or send me home."

[D20ragon]

Fate spits blood.
"I deserved that, you may be sure. But you're wrong in one place. I'm not a person. I'm a power. And I'll do what I have to to make sure the multiverse survives. And if that means scaring one Namer, I'll do it. And I'm afraid I can't send you home. For better or worse, we're stuck in this."

[Sen isSaqqara]

Rob plants himself to the concept of the bucket's bottom. Trying to seem as calm and nonchalant as possible, he walks over to James and tries to help him recover. He has to shout to be heard over the wind, even at point blank range.

"Sorry about that. I seem to have gotten you in a bit of trouble. Good thing is, I think you passed his little test. Anyways, yeah. Remind me to tell you the full story sometime. I don't think right now is ideal for the telling of epic tales."

[D20ragon]

"Look, Jacob. This is a lot bigger then you, and maybe I know. You have every right to lecture me, but save the final judgement till all this is over. Now, I want everyone to hold onto something, because I'm going to make us accelerate."
He waves his hand. The wrapping around your soul vanishes, and you can sense the presence of your reincarnations.
"I advise you to use all of your capabilities to hold on," he says, and pushes the lever on the floor down, fast. You hear a jangling noise, and look up to see the bucket detach itself from its chain, before the sound of wind drives all sound from your ears, and the speed at which you rush downwards overwhelms all other sensation. Fates voice in your head seems far away, though audible.
"Don't open your eyes, any of you. Some things are not meant for you to see..."

[3SecondCultist]

"It's alright, I'm alright. Just a little bit of vertigo, you know?" Even as he spoke, however, a faint cough undermined his conviction, as he held back a wave of nausea. Some people hadn't spent an abundance of time aboard an aircraft, and unfortunately James counted himself among that number. Whoever he had been, whatever powers he had in his past life, they seemed to be beyond him now. He still needed answers, but he had already begun to realize that it might be better for him not to know everything right away. At Rob's suggestion of a later re-telling, he settled for nodding. Opening his mouth now wasn't the greatest of ideas anyhow.

And then the vessel's descent began to pick up speed.
No, oh no. Not again...
Fear not, Lord Repositor. Let me help you this time. Ciara moved in to catch him, holding him up beneath his shoulders. Her sinuous fingers were wrapped around him. She was silent, supporting him, helping him right himself. He understood this much. The need, the drive. James took his first step with Ciara. The second was only partially supported. The third was on his own. He stood in front of the glass pane in the Hall, once more in control. The other three incarnations were mostly quiet, although he could hear Sylar and Rashek were muttering something behind him. No matter, he always had the Faerie Queen to talk to.
Have you all been watching the whole time?
Yes, and I'm sorry we couldn't help you sooner.
It's alright, I just want to move on. But I must say I'm surprised at your reaction. Such a human response, from someone who considers themselves to be one of the Fair Folk?
There was a time I’d have swiftly responded to that. You would be dead, if you were fortunate enough.
Right, of course. Tell me, do you tend towards conflict like some of the other parahumans in your world?
No. Which is a good thing, I imagine. My other half was always more patient, more relaxed than most. Its duty was always at the end. For those who had duties at the beginning, it would be harder.
But how do you define beginning and end, when it’s all one big cycle? Sylar said much the same before.
Beginnings and endings... I’m tempted to say you just know. That it’s instinctual, you know where you are. But that’s something of a coward’s answer. More correct to say that you can distinguish the two when there’s a long, long journey in the middle. James sighed inwardly. It would appear that talking for Glaistig Uaine for any extended period of time was pointless. He had better focus on what was to come instead of this nonsense. Getting a grip on the edge of the vessel, he sat and waited for the descent to finally end.

[ArlEammon]

Jake clenches his eyes shut and holds on with all of his power. Even his durability was being somewhat tested by all of this madness. So much change and difference in his life all at once. He made a strange sound, which was exactly the same as Doctor Zoidberg's, from Futurama. "Woo woo woo woo"!!!

[Tris]

Travis is relieved when his past lives return. He grabs on to the nearest thing he can hold onto and closes his eyes tight.

[LordChaos13]

Leaning against the bucket, cradling the cluster. her expression blank as the 5 aspects reunite and mold back the way they were

[ArlEammon]

Jake continued to hold tightly. How long was this going to take? He certainly didn't want to lose his cool and maybe get himself dead or something by opening his eyes. He felt so strange as the world seemed to change around him. Today was certainly an odd day, wasn't it?

[silphael]

Silent for a long time, Ethan reopened his eyes.

"You know, that's not because you're not hearing your souls anymore that they are away... you kinda lack sense of self control, and I mean it. Oh, and Fate... if you indeed have the power to separate ourselves, you would already be doing what you're going to ask us to do, right?"

[D20ragon]

"Shut up and let me steer," Fate snapped over the howling wind.
"I'm not a god. Some things are beyond me."

[ArlEammon]

"Oh for the love of God get this over with. . . " Jake said to no one in particular. "When the hell am I going to realize I'm not in Kansas anymore? This is like a drug induced trip that never ends!"

[D20ragon]

"You all can open your eyes now," Fate says. "we're gonna fall right past, so you'll want to depart from the bucket. I don't care how. The oracle can tell you more. I'd say I hope to see you again, but I'd be lying. I wish I didn't, but I will. See ya."

Stepping backward off the plummeting bucket, he falls through space.
"The one you want is the wooden door," he calls, before vanishing from your sight. Sure enough, what appears to be a closet door hangs some thousand feet away, slightly below you, and to the left. The distance is closing rapidly, as you plunge wildly downward, just to the left of where you need to be.

[ArlEammon]

"Oh well, I gotta do it. . . Let's get this acid trip over." Jake said, making his way to the wooden door. . . "Good by normalcy, good by life. . . good by everything. My family, my home and my past. . ." Jake said as he walked towards the door. "My mother and grandmother were kind to me, as was my grandfather. What waits behind the door, more insanity?"

[DoctorFaust]

Peering over the edge of their bucket after Fate falls off, Daniel jerks back as he sees how fast the bucket is falling. Gripping the edge, he stutters, "So, um, a-are we g-going to have to jump out to that thing?"