Passage through Mobius - Stavroula
You find yourself standing in Fenside just after sunset.
The streets are fairly busy with people heading to their homes and the
tavern. You scan your surroundings and see that you're standing in front
of the Temple of the Pantheon, and just up the stairs is Father Uvier and
Mother Kyari who seem to be discussing something with a disciple of
Asclepius. Something is different about them, though. The hair peeking out
of Uvier's hood is longer and has more color than you remember and Kyari's
crows feet and are much less pronounced. The scene is intensely familiar,
but you feel uneasy, as if something very bad is about to happen.
Suddenly, the most adorable satyr child you've ever seen comes sprinting
through the streets, rosy cheeks flushed with exertion and blond curls
bouncing with each stride of her cloven feet. She pauses at the bottom of
the stairs leading into the temple with an expression of distress and
trepidation. Kyari and Uvier notice her in this moment and the
acknowledgment seems to unfreeze the child, who bounds up the stairs and
into the arms of a slightly exasperated Kyari.
Uvier is less discreet with his annoyance. "Child, where have you-" Uvier
begins asking before being silenced by an icy glare from Kyari that you
can fully appreciate from this point of view. His expression softens and
he places a comforting hand on the now sobbing girl's head.
The girl pulls away. "Everything is g-going away forever! I'm sorry! I'm
sorry I was bad, and I'm sorry I was bad at school and dumb, and I'm sorry
I stole scones from the kitchen, and I'm sorry I fall asleep in mass, and
I love you!"
The air begins to crackle with electricity as Kyari tries to comfort her.
"It's ok, it's ok, everything is going to be ok. I love you too," she
whispers to the crying satyr. Uvier, on the other hand, looks toward the
sky. The blood has left his face but he clenches his fist and kneels down
to look into the girl's eyes. "Then we will greet the Truth together,
Stavroula." He joins the embrace.
In a moment the night sky lights up as if the sun had changed its mind. A
sound like distant wailing reaches your ears and the ground beneath you
begins to crack and churn. A strong wind whips your veil off of your head,
exposing your own blonde curls. Cracks in the street become chasms, fire
rains from the heavens, but still the trio remains locked in an embrace.
Before the end can come though, time slows to a halt and a blue hue falls
across your vision. The scene is still and quiet for about half a minute
before you notice that the girl is struggling to remove herself from the
now-frozen huddle. She pops out with a force that knocks her onto her
bottom and from that position she wipes the tears and snot from her face.
She turns to face you with an excited grin and wide eyes, hopping up to
bound over to you.
"Do you know who we are?" she asks with unconcealed excitement. "Do you
know what I am?"
"I'm the Truth! I'm your Truth! I'm what you've been looking
for! Isn't it amazing!?" she almost yells as she hugs you, her head
sinking into your bosom.
"It's been really fun meeting you! I can't wait to be you! You're
everything I've always wanted to be! I want to meet our new friends, too!
No more Ardesco though, I've had enough of him for an eternity." She
giggles. Smiling wide, she looks into your eyes as time resumes and
Fenside is flooded with cleansing light.
You wake up.