by Endesu » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:35 am
The Marebito did not say anything in response for a moment. It, instead, turned its sad yet knowing gaze to the temple. Greg, who apparently had also looked it over, could see that the structure was presumably hundreds of years old, yet still in solid condition, despite the cracks that had formed on the surface here and there, each overflowing with incumbent vegetation.
"Just as the plant life eventually manages to find a way to work through even the tinest of cracks in this great structure, so too do the virulent strands of destructive darkness manage to work through the vast distance that separates worlds, whether physical or magical.
You must realize, Gregory, that while a part of this can be blamed on you, much of it was preordained to occur. The destructive being that you have seen is no stranger to invading worlds... it has done this before. Each world is, in its own way, a sentient being, and each is capable of knowing the pain that has been brought about on others."
The Marebito had kept its eyes on the structure for some time, but shifted them, now, directly to Greg, giving him a look that may make him a bit uneasy. "So while that bit of 'destiny' does not fall upon your shoulders, the fact remains that part of the reason it is here is because you came here. It may have taken longer to reach this world had you remained on Gaera... however, your movement to this world caused it to eventually follow. You were hunted on your former world... and even though you were killed, you still managed to avoid your fate.
However, either it or they may very well know about this, and wish to rectify this fault in their plans. Along the way, they may very well wish to exterminate those who have helped you or brought you on your way to this location. In that sense, your vision of death being brought down upon some of the people of this world was correct."
".... however. That is not to say that it will not continue its path of terror on your former world. That is where it was 'brought about', so to speak, and that is where it will return, either now or later. Those it will encounter will be unable to stop it... simply because they do not possess the unique characteristic you possess... one whose ultimate fate is still ultimately unknown.
It is because of these visions and your unique experiences, knowing yet now knowing many of the people you have witnessed in visions or tangentially met, that you may yet be able to change the course of events...."
"... but, given that you are, still, ultimately only mortal, you can only remain in one place at one time. You will only be able to truly impact one world's fate. The other world you will be forced to leave to a potential future much as you have seen in your visions... you may hope that your actions on one world will reflect on another, but you cannot be entirely certain of this. It is the way of things."
"Hopefully I have been clear enough. Given the choice, you can either return to the world upon which you originated, or remain on the world you have already partially doomed to damnation and darkness. Either world, if left to its own devices, may descend into destruction... or may not. We may be able to take you to your world, given the magical nature of your mirror shards... but once the choice is made, return will essentially be impossible. You must make your choice, and live with the consequences, much as both Lucian and Carroll have done with their lives, and much as we Marebito have consigned ourselves to our own ultimate fate centuries ago."
The Marebito paused in its speech, now, and looked to Greg for an answer.