Tales of a Journey (Private!)

"So let me get this straight - We're inside Audri's mind, with a young Audri from a memory bank thing next to us, and her dead aunt is here as well, trying to kill everything in sight to get out or something? Do I have that much right?" Ranma asked, trying to put everything in one cohesive thought.

"Not real?" Neli asked, glancing down at Audri and then back at Andre, a sad look on her face.

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"Well, that's some sort of relief. . ." Kinta replied to this Audri's 'painless' comment weakly. "So, er. . . What do you mean by vessel? Can't she just walk out like Scarlett and Alice and Riri did?"

 

"Well, yes to everything, except about this little one," Andre said as he looked over at Audri, "To tell you the truth, I think this Audri is from her past time line, making her real in sense of her time stream. Meaning that Audri in the present remembers things like our conversation as we speak."

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"No, this is different. From how things worked back then, Scarlett, Alice, and Riri already had bodies. Don't ask me how, but they were here from something else trapping them here. But Altessa is over 20 years dead and is trying to look for a body to support her deranged soul," Audri said as she scratched the back of her head.

"Ok, who's Altessa trying to get revenge on then?" Xenlo asked as the blonde girl looked over at them before letting out a sigh, "She's going after Lizabeth. I don't know the details, but she is thinking of taking her apart for something she has done, or is doing now supposedly.."

 

"Wait, so that means that she'll remember Neli and that means-"
"Further encouragement to bring her along, even if she is barely a memory in her thoughts, kupo."
"Confusing."
"You said it, Neli!"

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"Or something she'll do in the near future. After all, we are talking with a time traveller next to us," Kinta sighed, looking around. "Then and again, none of us really know anything about Lizbeth. . . so who knows what she has done?"

 

"That sounds about right. Then again, that would explain why she trusts you guys so easily, even when she knows nothing about strangers like your group," Andre said as Audri cocked her head to the side confused, "I don't get anything you all are talking about!"

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Audri just shook her head as Xenlo snapped his fingers, "Ah, I know she has a boyfriend!" "She does? Why does she try to hook up with Kinta then? Just an act?" Audri asked as she looked at her grandfather annoyed as he nodded, "His name is Justis! ....Oh, son of a bitch."

 

"You'll understand when you're older, kupo. Or hopefully not," Monty told the young girl, shrugging.

"So what do we do now, then? About the crazy lady, I mean?" Ranma asked, gesturing towards the door arbitrarily, as if he expected her to be right outside but didn't care.

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"Wait, didn't you say something about him earlier when you were yelling at me, Xenlo? Something about him not being able to resolve my own erasing. Does he have time powers like you?" Kinta asked. This whole deal was beginning to come together right before his eyes. Just a little more, and he'd have it all figured out. Hopefully.

 

Audri just looked at them with a dead stare in her eyes before sighing, "Pokee doky."

"I don't know. I mean, I tried to get rid of her once when she was first in my head, but then she just found a way and broke into Audri's mind the next moment. She's not really immortal, with the fact that she's already dead, but what else can we do?" Andre said as he put his head in his hands as he looked down.

"Well, there must be something right?" Riri asked as Andre nodded, "I just..."

He was interrupted when the peacock jumped in front of Audri as it was hissing at the wall. A portal soon opened up and a black-purple tentacle shot out up to the ceiling before down at Audri. "Watch out!" Lizabeth snapped as she dash over and pushed Audri out of the way, and getting hit by the tentacle-looking thing.
"Lizzy!" Scarlett said jumping up about to help, but the tentacle had wrapped itself around Lizabeth's leg and dragged their through the portal.

"Son of a..." Andre said standing up about to run through the portal, but it had already disappeared.

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"Not entirely. Justis is the Noah of the Mind, making you think or do anything he wants. But he also can alter people's memories. Andre had somehow got in contact with him a few years ago, upset about something involving Audri," Xenlo muttered as the bleeding angel nodded, "He wanted to erase my memories because I was seeing "Akira"... also that he was human, and thought that I still had some type of deep hatred for humans after what happened when I was little...."

"But, that doesn't explain on why Justis would run into Lizabeth and they would be dating," Xenlo said as he looked up at the sky before he looked back down at Audri, "Is there something that Andre isn't telling the whole truth about?" "I... I wouldn't know," Audri said as she let out a sigh.

 

"Well, looks like we'd better get going, huh?" Ranma asked, pulling out his revolver and popping open the cylinder and looked at the crystals embedded in the chambers. "Huh. Hey, Monty, hold this a sec!"
He tossed it to the moogle, who just barely caught it. The crystals soon lit up a few moments later, and Ranma snatched the gun back.
"Gun powered by mana! You gotta love it!"
"You're obsessed, kupo. And magic-less."

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"Wait, HE'S the mysterious 'Noah of Mind' that we've been trying to locate?!" Kinta exclaimed, jaw dropping. "Let me guess - nobody has seen him since Andre, am I right? 'td be just our luck."

 

"Well, that explains why you suddenly took an interest in reading recently," Scarlett snickered as she went over to pick up a manual for the revolver next to Ranma's feet.

"So, where can Lizabeth be, and what was that thing?!" Riri barked a little stunned and frazzled as Andre went over and picked up Audri, "That was... I think something that Altessa is controlling now. It looked like an octopus of some kind." "Waaahhh! The mean wady is using everyone against us!" Audri sobbed into Andre's chest as they slipped out of the room.

"Well, where can we look for Lizabeth?" Ace asked again as she followed after them. "I don't know! I really don't know.." Andre said as he glared back at his wolf friend.

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"No. That's not all true, Justis is back in the real world with Audri's actual body when I left them last to come here," Xenlo said as Audri cocked her head to the side, "Why didn't you say so? Why don't we ask for his help?"

"Well, I can give it a shot, but he's pretty shaken up ever since Altessa tried to kill him those many years ago. Some type of guilt thing is hanging over his head of some sort," Xenlo said as a feminine voice came out from behind the tree, "And if you do bring him there, then I would be so glad to show my brother his girlfriend's corpse~"

"Oh, hey Altessa." Audri said in a blunt manner as a young lady, looking no older than 20 stepped out from behind the tree Audri was nailed to. She had radiant sun-kissed skin, bright green golden eyes, and wavy blue hair. The only thing that was odd was that she didn't have feet, just floated there like a spirit of some sort.

 

"Aw, c'mon! Doesn't anybody know any tracking spells or something or- NELI!" Ranma exclaimed, running over to the robot and grabbing her by the shoulders. Looking back to Andre, he asked, "Andross or whatever your name is! Do you have anything of Altessa's? A ring or hair or something?"
"Wow, Neli's become the big hero lately, kupo."
"Damn straight! She's handy!"

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"And then she shows up," Kinta sighed, turning towards the witch. "Let me take a WILD guess. . . you kidnapped Lizbeth from my friends somehow, and plan on torturing her while also using her as bait to bring Justis in, right?"

He glared at her while he asked his question. It was clear that he was tired of this.

 

Andre pat his pockets with free hand before shaking his head, "Sorry, but I have nothing." "Just great, what do we do now?" Riri groaned as they stood out in the hallway.

Then a loud high-pitched scream came from down the hallway and shook the place about. "I say we go towards the screaming," Andre said as he hugged Audri close to him. "I second that," Scarlett said as she rubbed her ears as the screaming ceased.

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"No, no! That would be TOO easy. We're going to play a game, all of you are participants in this," Altessa said as she leaned back on the tree with a sick smile on her face. "Well, this isn't sounding good," Xenlo said as the demonic girl giggled, "And as for what I'm doing with Lizabeth, I'm going to make sure she goes through the most excruciating pain ever before I kill her!"

"As for the part with Justis?" Audri asked raising her head up at the woman before Altessa continued, "I'm going to use Lizabeth's body as a host to be with Justis forever and EVER!"

"...That is the creepiest incest I've ever heard," Xenlo said as Audri nodded in agreement.

 

"Last one there is probably not gonna be happy!" Ranma cackled, dashing out the door with revolver in hand. He made sure it was locked in and ready to roll before activating his necklace, his armor covering his body fully. it integrated the gun so that it was attached to his wrist like some sort of wristblaster. This time, he wasn't going to get his ass kicked without being totally awesome first. Wait, scratch the ass getting kicked, that's a terrible idea!

Monty hopped onto Scarlett's shoulder and waited to for her to follow. Neli simpy changed her arms into knives and ushered the ginger out.

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"Alright time's up. You're going down, NOW!" Kinta barked, charging up a wave of pure magic, then whipping it towards Altessa with a wave of his fan. With his other hand, he formed a shield around Audri, himself, and Xenlo.

 

Andre ran ahead of everyone with Audri in his arms as there seem to be explosions, cursing, and roaring at the end of the everlasting hallway.

Scarlett dashed after them as Riri and Ace transformed into a fox & wolf before catching up with everyone else.
As they got closer, they saw a girl and boy with black hair fighting against a giant wolf. The girl seemed to be kicking the wolf's ass, but the boy wasn't doing as well itself.

"Xander, try to be helpful!" The girl groaned as she transformed the kunais she had into a huge-ass tomahawk.
"Don't yell at me! I'm not as useless as you think" The boy shouted as he dodged the wolf from tackling him into the wall as the girl shook her head ready to perform an attack.

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Altessa jumped back and put up her own shield just in time before the waves of pure magic hit her. "Now, come on Kinta. This isn't the time to be fighting! Mostly when your other friends are in danger as well..."

"Altessa, what did you do?!" Xenlo barked at the witch as she smirked before she opened a portal up behind her, "Let's me say one last thing from a noble, yet mad woman - Let there be blood. Also, you can be as angry as you want since Audri's emotions is the most delicious sadness I've eaten in years!" She laughed before she escaped through the portal as it closed behind her.

"Also Audri, wherever you really are, your plan and Lizabeth will NEVER happen to stop me~" Altessa's voice echoed in the air as everything seemed to be normal again.

 

"Who are these kids?" Ranma asked, his voice sounding metallic through the speakers of his armor. "Nah, whatever. Move over, I've got fire!"

He activated his fancy new weapon, aiming at the wolf directly and spouting flame at it.

"Why are there kids and a wolf here is a better question, kupo!" Monty grumbled from Scarlett's shoulder. Neli just hung back, waiting for an opportunity to knife the creature.

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Kinta's face turned into a scowl of rage as he heard about Altessa's meddling with Audri's emotions. "I'm going to make sure you suffer, hag! Do you hear me? Suffer!"

 

The wolf got hit by the blast, as the girl glanced seeing where the shot came from. She noticed Andre and her eyes brightened up immediately, "Andre!" "H-hey there R-r-raux..." Andre said as he ran over to her side stuttering as he looked into her blue eyes. The boy named Xander looked over at them before snipping at Andre, "Keep your hands off my sister you bastard!"

"Oh, shut up you big loser," The girl rolled her eyes before glancing at the young Audri. The girl looked at her with a smile on her face as she poked her nose, "Nobody knows you better like me!" "What?" The girl said a little stunned before Audri giggled.
The wolf glared at the group before letting out another roar. "What do we do now?" Riri said before she saw Ace tackle the wolf and rip at its flesh. "Well, that works," Scarlett said as Ace jumped off the wolf as the wolf had a surge of lighting surround its body.

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Altessa just let out a laugh as Xenlo went over and touched his shoulder, "It's not worth yelling now. We'll find her Kinta. And what did she mean by your plan, Audri?"

"It's a long story that I'll explain after this mess. Me and Lizabeth are the only ones that will know of this plan, Altessa might know of a plan, but not what we're planning," Audri said as she ran her fingers through her hair, "But you guys should go find the others at the least. Something's going on, but I'm not sure what is happening.."

 

"Alright, charred wolf to go!" Ranma exclaimed, preparing another shot and firing it at the beast. He was making sure this puppy stayed down for the count. And hey, if it was edible, that's another plus!
"Wow, Ranma really likes his new toy, kupo."
"I'm thinking of having fried pom-poms next. What do you think, Monty?"
"I-I'll be good, kupo!"

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"And just where are they?" Kinta asked with an exasperated sigh. "This place is huge!"

 

"Right, ok, while they cook that up, who are you two?" Scarlett turned around facing the newcomers as the boy came over as he slung a torn trench coat over his shoulders, "My name is Xander, this is my twin sister Raux." "You twins are complete nobodies!" Audri giggled as Andre put the girl on the ground to give his arms a break. Audri went over to play with Kinny the peacock as it started to flutter its tail feathers out.

"Ok, what are you two doing there then?" Riri asked as Raux responded, "We live here! We're good friends of Andre's and Audri's." "Yeah, REAL good friends," Ace snickered as he trotted over, hoping that Ranma doesn't catch him on fire. Andre just glared at the wolf boy as he glanced over at Raux, "So, have you seen Lizabeth fly by here at all today? Like, within the last few minutes?"
"No, but if I see that woman, I'm going to kick her ass!" Raux snapped as she let out a crazy laugh. "Right, you scare me." Riri said backing away from the odd girl.

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"Just go back and down the hallway this time. They're not that far away," Audri said as she gestured behind the two men. "Are you going to be ok Audri?" Xeno asked as she nodded, "I'll make sure to watch out for Altessa for you all. My peacock, which is traveling with the group as of now, will let you guys what's up with her demented scheming.."

 

"Hey, I've been wonderin'. . ." Ranma asked, the armor disappearing as he turned to young Audri, "Whydja name that peacock Kinta? Just curious, is all,"

"Why are there so many crazy people in Audri's head, asking Andre considering more than half the members of his present company were locked up in there at some point or another.

Neli just simply walked right up to Rauxdi, placing her forehead against the nobody's, and stared right into her eyes. Another one that reminded her of Audri. . . what was with this place?

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"Then we'd better hurry. Come on, 'old man'," Kinta said, dashing out the door and down the hall. It appeared that all his friends were in a safe place for the time being. Or so it seemed from what Audri said.

 

"I didn't name Kinny Kinny. A nice lady like Raux, but different had showed me Kinny. She named him hershelf!" Audri said as the peacock made a type of cooing noise.

Raux looked at Neli before patting her head, "You're an odd one, aren't you?"

Andre looked up to see Kinta and Xenlo before gesturing a friendly wave. "So, where'd you two go off to?" He asked as Xander went over to him glaring at him, "You better keep away from my sister, got it dude?"

"Come on Xander, why are you like this?" Andre asked before he facepalmed himself, "Right, with how I acted towards Audri and whats-his-face... Now, I'm regretting being an asshole back then." "Karma's a bitch eh?" Xander said with a snicker before Andre whacked him upside the head.

"Uh, who are these two?" Xenlo asked the demon as he turned his attention to his grandfather, "Erk! This is Xander. and the one that Neli is with is Raux... Raux....di..." Xenlo looked at Xander before over at Rauxdi, and then looked back at Andre, "Mind explaining on why a those two look like 20-year olds, but they are exactly 2 years old?"

"Well, to be reasonable, Raux was my fault because I went mad. Xander just happened to... happen at the time because of my mistake with Raux," Andre said blushing a little embarrassed on how he's trying to explain the situation without Kinta finding out what he is talking about.

 

"Kinta is here! And he's got the ring on, kupo!" Monty whispered frantically into Scarlett's ear. "Let's hope that he doesn't lose control anytime soon!"

"Wow, rude kids," Cackled Ranma, commenting on the display of the nobodies. Turning back to Audri, he said, "Well it is a name shared by my brother. So don't get confused, 'kay?"

"Well, looks like we are more or less intact as group. Save for Lizbeth and Audri," Kinta noted aloud, ignoring Andre's little conversation. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't that important to the situation at hand.

"Not odd. . ." Neli replied to Rauxdi, following her around the room. "LIke Au-"
"Aw, man! I just wasted a charge of my armor fighting that stupid wolf! I don't know how long it takes to recharge! Damnit!" Ranma complained, cutting off Neli.

 

"Yes, how about we convince him now to take it off?" Scarlett whispered back to the moogle as she eyed the rings on Kinta's hand from where they were standing.

Little Audri looked at Ranma before raising her hands above her head smiling, "Gotcha!"

Rauxdi looked at her before putting a finger to her lips, "Keep it a secret. Ok?"

"I can fix that!" Xander said as he popped up right next Ranma looking at the LED necklace hanging around his neck. "You know nothing about that type of thing bro. Just leave it to recharge in some time," Rauxdi said glancing over at the hyperactive Nobody. "Hm, can I ask what you two did to peeve off the wolf?" Riri asked as she walked over to the two nobodies.

"Nothing, just was watching some injured people and the wolf burst into the room. We had to run away so the wolf would not harm the patients anymore though," Xander said as Raux snorted, "You didn't do squat to save us! You could of at least tried to transform into a lady wolf or something to get the wolf from attacking..."

"You guys are more Sins? No wait, that's only this gingers," Riri noted to herself noticing they had black hair as Rauxdi smiled, "Nah. Xander just has powers to imitate and shift shape into people we've met before. I only transform or use weapons of people I've met. We're more of less the perfect team in a way.."

Andre glanced over at Kinta before noticing the rings on his fingers. He remembered immediately of the possessing danger with Kinta and those rings that he thought of an idea, "Hey Kinta. I was a tad curious of those rings you're wearing. Can I take a look at them?"