okay, so, it's possible you didn't know the part is out. understandable, things got weird and confusing, for reasons which are entirely my fault. BUT! the admins were very understanding, not to mention merciful on my soul! the part is up, and able to be read! and virtually unchanged as far as i can tell. i'll be certain to use discretion in the future. (and thank you again admin.)

You're very welcome!

Admin

 okay, this update is an important one, because it's the... the end of chapter two.  so i need to finish it before all my ideas for it fall out of my head. i'm going to choose FIGHT as the command, but this is in no way me setting a precedent, i promise i'll wait for your commands in the future. this is a moment of weakness!

EDIT: Hawkstar, I'm so sorry, I only saw your comment after I'd finished! 

with that out of the way...

~~~

FIGHT==>

You charge the figure mindlessly, fists up in the air, teeth gritingt in frustration. You throw a punch, and the figure nonchalantly blocks it with its forearm. You try again, and this time it grabs you by the armpits, and gently sets you down. Its thumb touches your face slightly, and you realize that its entire body is covered by a shiny black carapace, like a beetle. It looks at you with its white pupiless eyes, and shakes its head.

???: BOY. YOU WOULD ACT IN SUCH AN UNCOUTH MANNER TOWARD A LOYAL ALLY?!

Diana: We have no idea who you are, and you just attacked our parents unprovoked!

???: AH, AN EXCELLENT POINT, SEER! HOWEVER, AS I STATED, NO SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THEM. I AM 95% CERTAIN!

Diana: Why did you call me Seer? And, again, we have no idea who you are!

???: AH, I AM A FRIEND OF THE HAWTHORNE PATRIARCH! IF THE WORD "FRIEND" IS UNDERSTOOD LOOSELY. I AM THE ORACLE! 

The Oracle gestures in an incredibly melodramatic manner, an begins a speech at an even louder volume than usual.

Oracle: I AM CURSED TO WALK THIS EARTH FOR AN ETERNITY, ABLE TO VIEW ALL POSSIBLE FUTURES! FAIR OR FOUL, GRAND OR GRIM! I HAVE WATCHED THE EARTH DIE IN A THOUSAND WAYS, YET REACH NEW PROSPERITY IN OTHERS! MY ONLY AIM IS TO PRESERVE LIFE, YET I AM UNABLE TO TAKE DIRECT ACTION! THUS, FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, I HAVE SOUGHT HEROES SUCH AS YOURSELVES TO UNDERTAKE QUESTS, SO THAT THE IDEAL FUTURE MAY TAKE PLACE!!!

It pauses, and starts breathing heavily. 

Wren: Are you okay, man?

Oracle: OF COURSE, SCRIBE! 

Ten: So, I take it our "quest," or whatever is saving my girlfriend?

Oracle: ALAS, KNAVE, WERE THAT IT WAS THAT SIMPLE FOR ALL OF YOU! YOUR MISSION IS TO SAVE YOUR HUMAN PARTNER, YES, BUT ALAS! THE OTHER THREE HAVE A FAR MORE... DIFFICULT TASK.

It pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect, but it just... stays paused. 

YOU: Are you going to tell us, or-?

Oracle: OF COURSE, HEIR! THERE IS A GREAT EVIL, LURKING AROUND, IN SOME RIFT BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME. IT IS THE LEGACY OF YOU THREE, SCRIBE, SEER, AND HEIR, AS WELL AS THREE OTHER HEROES TO RETURN THIS ABOMINATION TO THE HOLE IT LURKS IN NOW!

Diana: Is this Hastur, or that creature that is seeking Ten's girlfriend?

Oracle: ALAS, IT IS NEITHER! THEY, POWERFUL AND ALIEN THOUGH THEY MAY SEEM, ARE SMALL FISH COMPARED TO THE BEAST YOU MUST SLAY. HE IS CALLED APOPHIS. HE IS THE ANCIENT ENEMY OF THE GODS, AND OF ALL CREATION. BEFORE HIS EXISTENCE, EVIL WAS NOT EVEN A CONCEPT!

Ten: Whoa, so, like, everything was good before he existed?

Oracle: WELL, NO. HIS EXISTENCE DEFINED BOTH EVIL AND GOOD. BEFORE, NEITHER EVIL NOR GOOD EXISTED. BASICALLY, WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND AS "THE UNIVERSE" EXISTS ON TOP OF A GIANT WHEEL. YOUR WORLD, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS, ALL ARE HELD ON THIS GREAT, TURNING WHEEL. APOPHIS EXISTS SOLELY TO DESTROY THE WHEEL, AND HE WILL NOT BE SATISFIED UNTIL HIS WORK IS DONE.

Wren: Oh, so we just need to defeat the literal god of evil. No pressure. 

Oracle: YOU MISUNDERSTAND.

Wren: Oh?

Oracle: THERE IS TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF PRESSURE. 

Wren: >:|

You exhale. This is a lot to process. You're just a teenager who kind of sucks, not some chosen one! And... Hey, hold on, this guy talked so much, and for so long, that it actually almost made you forget that it totally beat up your mom! Your life is completely ridiculous. You look around the dark room you're in, and you see faint lights on the walls... looking closer, you see they're screens. There's camera feed of various things. Wait, is that...? One of them looks like camera feed of you yelling at Wren like you were about an hour earlier? You realize the screens are all showing various scenes featuring you and your companions. This must be how the Oracle was watching your adventure. Wait, why does your Grandpa have security cameras all over town?

Oracle: BUT, THIS IS NOT YOUR CONCERN FOR A WHILE. NOW, YOU MUST AID TEN IN THEIR QUEST TO SAVE THEIR HUMAN WOMAN GIRLFRIEND. THERE IS A PORTAL. IT IS THERE. 

The Oracle points at the wall behind it. You realize there's a small black square on the wall. Presumably that's the portal?

Oracle: THINK OF IT AS A VENTILATION SHAFT BETWEEN WORLDS! A MULTIVERSAL BACK DOOR!!! IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CRAWL THROUGH A RIFT BETWEEN WORLDS, AND ENTER THE PLACE WHERE THE PERSON YOU SEEK IS HIDDEN! (YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS THROUGH ABSOLUTE NOTHINGNESS FIRST.) 

Wren: Are you not coming?

ORACLE: ALAS, I AM FAR TOO GIANT TO TRAVEL THROUGH THAT DOOR.  

Diana: Fair enough! Thank you, giant insect man! 

Oracle: I AM ONLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

Diana isn't listening, she's too busy running at top speed for the portal. Wren shouts at her to be careful, and then runs after her, and they both jump in at about the same time. Ten turns to you.

Ten: Are you coming? I really wouldn't blame you if you didn't. You don't have a stake in this, I understand.

YOU: ... I've gone this far. I guess I should finish the job.

Ten smiles, gives you a thumbs up, and dives in. 

You approach cautiously. You can feel a cold wind blowing from the portal, which makes no sense, since apparently nothingness is outside. You slowly slip in...

It's dark in there.

END OF CHAPTER TWO.

CHAPTER THREE WILL BEGIN SHORTLY. 

CHAPTER TWO==> BEGIN

You're in a dark, dark place. It's cold, and you're crawling on your hand and knees. There's a thin walkway, which is what you're crawling on. It's thin, but still wide enough for you and Diana to crawl side-by-side. 

Oh right. Your name is Wren Hawthorne. That's right, you're Wren again, although from Wren's perspective, you've always been blah blah blah running joke.

All around the walkway, there is utter darkness. You're in a void, you suppose. That's interesting, and vaguely terrifying. You could probably stand up and walk, but it isn't like the walkway has railing, and although you know you wouldn't fall, Diana absolutely would. She'd trip over her shoelaces and fall into an infinite void. If you don't stand up, she probably won't realize that's an option. You look over your shoulder, and see that both Ten and Alex are following you. You're glad Alex followed, you were genuinely worried he wouldn't. He's bitter, and cynical, and cowardly, but you mostly feel bad for him. He kind of reminds you of yourself before you transitioned. Not that you think he needs to do that, he just seems like he's missing something the way you were. 

But yeah! Everybody's here, and going on the horrible adventure a giant insect creature that yells constantly just gave you. And to think, you could have spent the day snuggled in a blanket with your beautiful girlfriend watching movies instead! Wow, your internal monologue is getting really sarcastic.  That might be a good sign that it's time to do something else.

You look forward, and see that there is, in fact, an end to the walkway. It just cuts off, and a white square is hovering in the void above it. That's pretty obviously the portal out of this place.

YOU: Hey, guys... I can see the "exit," or whatever.

Ten: Is it close? 

YOU: Not really. Geez, it's cold out here.

Alex: Yeah, why is there wind in a void?

YOU: Not sure. Why is there a walkway in a void?

Alex: Heh, yeah. Good point.

Diana: Hey, um. Wren?

You turn to look at Diana, and... She doesn't look like she's doing well. She's gone pale, and sweat is dripping down her face. Her eyes are wide open, and she looks very frightened.

YOU: Deen, are you okay?

Diana: Uh... I do not know.  I feel this j-just... this baseless dread. Like there is s-something... Like  something bad is going to happen. I cannot-

She just stops talking, and start breathing in shuddering gasps. You start trying to console her but then-

Then something happens. 

In the darkness of the void, far away from you, behind Diana, an eye opens. 

The eye is massive, but because both it and you are suspended in an infinite void, there's really no telling how big it is. It isn't just floating in the darkness, it seems somehow set in the darkness, as if this is somehow the eye of the void. The eye looks utterly inhuman, the whites of the eye are clouded and gray, with angry red fissures of mottled viens clotting it. The iris is a blindingly bright yellow, and the pupil is a black, jagged, line. The eye is snakelike, but even though the eye has no eyebrow,  face, or any other way to reveal its emotions to you, you know that it is feeling something no snake ever could. Utter, monstrous hatred. 

This must be Apophis. 

Wren practically body slams you trying to get closer to you. You grab onto her, tight. You can hear Alex quietly murmuring to himself. You think he might be praying, or maybe swearing? Either way, you understand the impulse. The eye suddenly turns, slightly. It's looking at you. Oh man, oh jeez, it's looking at you. 

That's when the sound starts. It sounds like metal being scratched aginst metal, but louder. A thousand times louder. The shrieks are loud, and long, and... Oh. It's laughter. Cruel, inhuman laughter. 

YOU: Okay, okay... Guys! We're going to all stand up and run on three, okay?

Ten: Yeah, good idea! 

You slowly stand, helping Diana to her feet. Ten and Alex rise behind you. The eye widens, and the laughter gets louder somehow. 

HEROES.

You freeze. That voice. It sounds like a choir of insane, tortured children. But you know who it is, it's Apophis. You forget to count to three, but it seems like the others also forgot you promised to do that, so it all works out okay. You all bolt down the walkway in a mad dash, you gripping on to Diana's shirt, so you can grab her if she falls. The laughter starts up again, which is enough motivation to push you a little faster. You reach the white square, and all of you dive in at the same time. 

You're not entirely sure what happens after that, except that you hit your head three times, taking 2.5 damage along the way.

When you open your eyes you're laying flat on your back. you sit up in a start. Turning to the side, you notice Diana and Ten are both lying on the ground, apparently fast asleep.

Alex: Yeah, it turns out it's basically nighttime. we've been at this for a while, huh?

YOU: Yeah. 

Alex is standing a feww pace to your right. Presumably he couldn't sleep. 

Alex: You blacked out when you fell. We just kinda set up camp. By which I mean, lied down on the floor.

You look around. You're in a pine forest, one virtually indistinguishable from the forests behind your house. 

YOU: We traveled through an interdimensional portal just to... end up in a forest?

Alex: Not exactly. Look up.

You look up, past the trees surrounding you, and see...

YOU: Are there... Are there two moons in the sky?

Alex: Yep. 

YOU: Are we in some kind of... Garbage Narnia?

Alex: Looks to be the case.

Welcome to Garbage Narnia!

What do you do? 

WRAP BRAIN AROUND SITUATION==>

That's going to be hard. This is just a bizarre situation. It's really weird. And also cool? Being in a narnia, even a garbage narnia, is awesome. Even though you're most definitely in trouble. And further from home than you can probably even comprehend. Oh boy!  

You look around. It really does just look like an ordinary pine forest. Which is incredibly improbable. You think you can hear a stream bubbling somewhere nearby, but... You can't hear any birds. Or frogs, or insects, or... 

That's really creepy.

YOU: So, what, we got here, and they just... laid down and went to sleep?

Alex: Yeah, well, with you unconscious, we couldn't get anywhere quickly. And Diana practically passed out once wesat down to rest.

YOU: She was probably just overstimulated.  

Alex: Yeah. You know, I just recently realized, she doesn't use contractions when she talks.

YOU: Yeah. I asked her about that, I'm not certain she knows she's doing it.

Alex: Huh. Well, once Diana was asleep, and Ten and I realized we had no idea how to find Lillie, and neither of us have leadership skills, so we just kind of... Camped out. Ten seemed to think a little man would appear in her dreams, and give her directions?

YOU: Oh yeah, Nyarl.

Alex: What?

YOU: Yeah, that guy shows up in my dreams sometimes. He's this little guy in a green suit. I guess he's real? That... I'm actually kind of confused about that. 

Alex: Well, what's he like?

YOU: ...Fine? He's pretty nice? He always used to give me advice, and it usually used to turn out to be right? I figured it was my subconscious mind talking to me, or something. But then it turned out giant evil eyeball gods exist, and everything is horrifying forever.

Alex: Yeah. In tv shows, y'know, the heroes usually figure everything out by the end. But, I don't really think we ever will. We'll always just be confused.

YOU: We'll do our best. That's all we can do. 

Alex: Yeah. Okay.

Alex starts fidgeting with his hat, tucking his hair under it. He seems to be working up the courage to say something. He exhales slowly. 

Alex: I'm... I'm really, really sorry about all that garbage I said outside the house. I'm... That was just unacceptable. To you, but mostly to Diana. I'm a huge jerk. And I can't excuse anything I said. 

YOU: It's alright. You were under a lot of pressure.

Alex: So were you. And so was Diana, and so was Ten. And somehow, I'm the only one who went on a tirade against someone who had no control over what was happening. And... I don't want to be that kind of person. I want to be better. I want to be your friend, if that's at all possible. And I understand if it isn't.

YOU: Sure, man. Friends.

Alex pauses. 

Alex: Really? It was that easy?

YOU: Yeah. You should apologize to Diana when she wakes up. I hope she isn't having an alien dream again. I wonder if that will ever turn out to be, like, relevant.  

There's a natural lull in the conversation. You sit down on the ground. Alex sits too. You eventually lie down, and sleep comes naturally.

You wake up in an armchair in a study. You immediately realize you're dreaming.

What do you do? 

FLY==>

You've never actually been in a dream where... What is it called? Lucid Dreaming? You've never done this before. You wonder if you can fly? You stand on the red armchair you're seated on, looking at the study. 

There are red drapes, drawn in front of the windows, which no light emanates from. There are various bookshelves, filled with old leather-bound books. There is a roaring fireplace, and you think to yourself about how dangerous that is, seeing as you're the only person in the room. All along the wall to your left, there are various hunting trophies. You cannot recognize any of the animals. 

You prepare for flight, bending your knees and clenching your fists. You leap, and you do manage to go unusually high, so perhaps you were flying for a bit, but you promptly hit your head on the ceiling and fall to the ground like a sack of bricks tossed into a river. 

You lie silently on the carpeted floor, realizing you can somehow feel actual pain, despite this being a dream. You can hear something, or someone, moving outside the room you're in. You hear murmuring voices, and a figure drawing very near....

But whoever it is, they don't enter.  They move on. 

You sit up.

What do you do? 

EAVESDROP==>

You quickly crawl toward the wall, pressing your ear up to the door and listening. Two voices are talking, you recognize one, it's Nyarl, the little guy from your dreams.. The other, however, doesn't sound like anyone you know. It's a woman's voice, you assume, but it's low enough that that might not be true. 

Nyarl: ... luckily it wasn't to long until she woke up, or we might be in trouble.

???: They.

Nyarl: Oh, right, sorry. Yes, they were looking for you. Poor thing. They confirmed my suspicions. The Old Voice knows where you are, or is following your scent. 

???: Why does It want to find me so bad anyway? I'm not anything special, really.

Nyarl: You're It's heir. I imagine It intends to kill you before you inherit this land. 

???: Dude, I don't want to inherit the land. I want to go back home and see Ten again. They're looking for me, right? How close are they?

Ten? You realize who it is you're hearing speak. It's Lillie. So the little guy is important to this whole mess, somehow. Jeez, why is everything so complicated?

Nyarl: They made it here, somehow. Traveled across worlds, all of that. They apparently have a decent little party. Wren is traveling with them, one of my clients. Has a room somewhere in here. I used to give her advice in her dreams, take little things in return. They also have Diana with them. One of Hastur's clients. 

You hear mild disgust in his voice when he says "Hastur." That's the alien from Diana's dreams, you think? Of course the alien from her dreams knows the guy from your dreams. Of course. That makees perfect sense. You hate your life.

Lillie: So, we should see them soon, right?

Nyarl: Oh, yes, I gave them directions. Hopefully, they can get here before the Old Voice. Although, they said It was ahead of them, and they aren't used to this planet, so... likely they will show up a little late, and- 

They must round a corner, or something. You can't hear them anymore. You're torn between trying to wake up, and trying to go follow them.

What do you do?