Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2016 3:48:05 GMT
It was a blasted landscape that greeted Walker as he emerged into the lower regions of the Afterlife. He looked down at himself, frowning. It was rather irritating to discover he was still in this bloody puffball form. He had not yet determined how to re-awaken his body, but he felt he was getting close. If he could just figure that out, he would be able to proceed on his mission. After all, the reason he was here awaited down there, somewhere. Cernunnos, the demon who had given him life, indirectly or not. It was rather irritating, thus, that he did not find himself returned to his normal form yet.
Oh well. Hell was supposed to be punishing, and he did not expect it to be easy. Still, something was odd. Despite his Ki Sense not being properly functional at the moment, it felt like something was there, just at the edge of his awareness. He had no idea what it could be, but it was there nonetheless, pinging his consciousness off in the distance. It was like a bizarre resonance, and it was eerily familiar somehow. Had he felt this before, somewhere? Why did it feel important to what he had just been considering...
Suddenly, a memory resurfaced. Back, ages before, when he had been wandering the earth looking for a purpose... a similar instance had happened, hadn't it. Something had resonated within him, when facing another fighter. This was far stronger, though. At that time, it had been Cernunnos's energy within the tribal leader, but now, it didn't feel like it. Besides, if the demon had felt him, he probably would have contacted him. No, this was someone else.
Lifting up, Walker flew off towards the direction the feeling was coming from. He didn't know what it was, but he was determined to find out. Running over the mystery as he floated through the afterlife towards the source, something occurred to him. He had been made from a combination of many beings, formed into one. A demon, Cernunnos, had provided part of it. The soul of the corrupted master, his body impaled and blood soaked into the sapling that had become his form, that had been another part. However, the scientists had attempted to combine him with other creatures.
Based on his form and abilities, it seemed most of them hadn't taken. Probably because the attempt was to place DNA inside, and it required more mystical essence than scientific building blocks. Yet, one had, the one that arguably tied it all together. The Namekian piece of the puzzle, one he hadn't considered before. He had assumed it was just some random alien they managed to get essence from, and yet... Perhaps not. Whatever the reason, as he drew closer, traveling over the landscape, he beheld the source of his feeling.
A Namekian, dressed quite differently from Helix and Lusca, and Scargot as well. Descending towards him, Walker spoke, hovering in mid air. "Who might you be? Something about you is oddly familiar." His voice, quite distinctive in it's oddness, was the only remnant of him still visible to others. Right now, he was just a chaotic, non-corporeal mass of energy.
The Namekian turned, examining him with raised eyebrow. He stood on a rock, overlooking a semi-distant settlement. The underworld had a fair number of small areas built by various powerful souls who had managed to evade punishment, or rogue devils. This was but one of them, created by some local power or another, with a small gang of damned souls and devils at his command. To the shock of precisely nobody, Hell's workers had a bit of a tendency for dereliction of duty. Whether or not people were properly locked away or punished here depended heavily on the person in question. Otherwise, they tended to be left alone, allowed to exist in the darwinian struggle of the afterlife's lower areas, preying upon or being preyed upon as the situation allowed.
Straightening up slightly, he let his hands fall to his side. "Hmm. I confess, I was going to wave you off as yet another irritant in this place. However, I cannot deny I feel an odd... resonance about you. Almost like Xylo, one of my children. Yet you're clearly not him, even in that form, unless your voice has changed significantly." Adjusting his cloak, he moved off the precipice, circling the puffball slowly. "Hmm... Your energy is... interesting. What /are/ you?"
Walker, still in his puffball form, mentally ran over his options. He could try to explain, but that would likely be complex. Perhaps there was another route, however. Focusing himself, he brought his will to bear, focusing on trying to alter his body. He had limited shapeshifting before, and this should be much the same, in theory. He had been trying for a few hours now, with little success. Still, perhaps in a pinch... But no luck. He was making no progress, his odd form still shifting about like the pure soul energy it was. Making a frustrated noise, Walker sighed. "I apologize. I was attempting to show you, but I have only been here for a brief time. I have yet to determine how to regain my physical form. For now, my name is Walker. As to what I am... I have been called many things."
His conversation partner's eyes narrowed, and he was about to speak, but the tree continued. "I am an artificially created life form, birthed through rather convoluted means. Suffice to say, I am one part Demon, one part Namekian, one part Plant. The plant part is the most prominent, however." As he spoke, the as-of-yet nameless Namekian stiffened slowly. When he spoke again, it was rather careful.
"One of the more... valuable items in Hell is a crystal ball. Do you know what those are?" He had ceased circling, and now stood turned to one side, looking at the spirit with interest. He hadn't actually said much, nor mentioned his name as of yet. Perhaps if Walker had encountered the Namekian he had spoken of as his child, he would have recognized the connection. If he had spoken to Lusca or Helix, he definitely would have known the person's name. "I'm afraid I don't know it, no. What is it's function?" He was still trying to focus on his form, but no avail. It was like trying to shape air into a coherent form. Why was this so difficult? Was he merely not strong enough? Why... why... And then, in a flash, it occurred to him. What if he was thinking about this in the wrong manner?
He was trying to alter his body, but this was not really a body, was it? It was an indistinct thing, not physical. It was him, his essence, a spiritual form created from his soul and Ki, his energy and all that which made him who he was. It was almost silly to imagine it would respond to the typical impetuses of his mortal form. That had been wood and vine and sap, powered by magic and his own will. This was far different, and would respond as such. As he contemplated this, the Namekian spoke again.
His arms were spread now, and he was slowly tossing an orb in one hand, staring at it. "A Crystal Ball allows one to see the outside world. This is an approximation, created with my skill. A true one is much harder to acquire, but I have been able to utilize one on a few recent occasions. I intended to watch the progress of my son on Namek, in his fight there. The SSE is interfering with Namek, as they do so many other places." The robed Namekian growled the words out, and Walker nodded slowly, or tried to. The SSE was a constant issue, even in Hell. How many people had they sent there, he wondered? "As it is, I found my attempts somewhat confounded."
He stopped, staring at Walker. "Can you assume your physical body yet?" It had the air of an innocent question, but there was a weight behind it. It sounded almost like a test and a suspicion, all in one. Well, he had no idea what the correct answer was, but there was really only one he could give, anyway. If he had any hope of achieving his goals, he would have to do it eventually. Might as well be now. Focusing himself, he attempted to change again. However, this time, his focus was on himself, his image of who and what he was. His full sense of his body, soul and mind, his very self image. Pushing his determination out, he let his will encompass his whole being, pressing against the world he now inhabited to deny that which he had been assigned. He was not some mere pawn, some petty criminal or thuggish warlord. He was here because he was willing to brave death itself in pursuit of his strength, and he would not be held back by some mere trick of the Ogres.
With a sudden shifting, his spiritual form warped, turning dark and growing. Trailing puffs lengthened into arms, and the curling smoke twisted into a long robe. His eyes glowed a deep purple, streaked with flashes of black and red from his bursting Ki, and his maw cracked open, hands clenching as he looked down on the much smaller Namekian for a moment. The strain was great though, and his earlier attempts had tired him. He was not fully recovered, and after a moment, he reverted to the puffball again. Now, however, he knew the path. All it would take is another effort of will, and he could regain his true form. Then, he could begin his training and searching in earnest. Now, however, he had something else to discuss.
Looking back up at the other, he said, his voice hitching slightly, "Not entirely, but almost. It took me a bit to figure out the method." It didn't help that his normal body was so malleable, between all the different transformations that had occurred to it, he hadn't picked up on the fact that most people merely expected themselves to look a certain way. He was used to having to look a certain way via choice, not via expecting to. Nodding slowly, a slight chuckle came from the Namekian, and he looked up, grinning. "I knew it. The voice was familiar, and it was the only reason I could think of for the crystal ball including you in my attempts." Chuckling more, he threw back his head and laughed.
"What a serendipitous moment.... my son. I am Lord Tuner of Namek, and based on the evidence, your father. You say you are part Demon, part Namekian? That would explain much. I am not entirely certain how those who created you acquired my essence, but the similar energy and the explanation leaves no doubt." His certainty echoed through the suddenly still air, and Walker almost took a step back before remembering he had returned to his puffball form. His... father? Thoughts flooded through his mind, and suddenly, he realized how much sense this made. His thoughts had been scattered as he had focused on returning to normal, but the similar energy, the unknown Namekian 'donor'... it was quite similar to the demon he knew shared essence with him. Additionally, this crystal ball was likely how Cernunnos had watched him before, unable to quite project his Telepathy across the dimensional barrier until Walker established the connection.
"I... see. I take it you saw me in this crystal ball, when you asked to see your son? It must have been quite confusing." Tuner laughed, baring his teeth. "Indeed so! But I am well pleased with what I saw. You've grown into an incredibly powerful fighter. Any father would be proud of a son like that. I witnessed you defeating a Super Saiyan's full power blast with an equally charged one of your own, blowing him out of the sky, and saw you over Vegeta. Come, my boy... we have much to discuss, you and I." He turned, heading for the settlement. "Try and regain your form before you enter the town, hmm?" Cackling again, Lord Tuner headed for the settlement he had founded out of boredom. This was an interesting development indeed. To think, the unusual tree-like fighter who had tried to wipe out those damn monkeys was his son, all this time. How very very interesting.
Behind him, Walker floated, his mind awhirl. It made sense he would have another "Father", but to think he would also be in hell... It would be wise to proceed cautiously. Generally speaking, "Nice" people did not end up in Hell, and this Namekian, this... Tuner, did not seem quite the same as Scargot, Lusca, and Helix had. Something was different, in his dress, his speech, his energy. Walker had never met one of the "Mazoku" caste that Scargot had once mentioned, but it seemed reasonable to assume that Tuner was likely one of them. Either that, or an especially eager Warrior Class, who had gone too far or something. Still...
Stopping for a moment, Walker looked about, his puffball form flickering somewhat. This place... to think nearly all of his progenitors was here. It made him worry. Was he really as well-intentioned as he thought? If this was where his past lay, what did it say of his future? His path ahead may not be as brightly lit as he thought. Shivering slightly, the tree moved after Tuner, down into the enclave in the valley below. Many odd creatures moved about down there, some of them unrecognizable even to the relatively knowledgeable warrior. What awaited him down there, he had no idea. Still, he would be damned if he let fear keep him from learning about his past.
He had to pause at that. He had... forgotten for a moment. He was already damned. In that case.... might as well see where the path lead. Nothing said he couldn't forge his own, after all. Besides, he wasn't one for following conventions. With that in mind, his mood brightened, Walker and Tuner moved side by side towards the Mazoku Lord's hellish residence.
Oh well. Hell was supposed to be punishing, and he did not expect it to be easy. Still, something was odd. Despite his Ki Sense not being properly functional at the moment, it felt like something was there, just at the edge of his awareness. He had no idea what it could be, but it was there nonetheless, pinging his consciousness off in the distance. It was like a bizarre resonance, and it was eerily familiar somehow. Had he felt this before, somewhere? Why did it feel important to what he had just been considering...
Suddenly, a memory resurfaced. Back, ages before, when he had been wandering the earth looking for a purpose... a similar instance had happened, hadn't it. Something had resonated within him, when facing another fighter. This was far stronger, though. At that time, it had been Cernunnos's energy within the tribal leader, but now, it didn't feel like it. Besides, if the demon had felt him, he probably would have contacted him. No, this was someone else.
Lifting up, Walker flew off towards the direction the feeling was coming from. He didn't know what it was, but he was determined to find out. Running over the mystery as he floated through the afterlife towards the source, something occurred to him. He had been made from a combination of many beings, formed into one. A demon, Cernunnos, had provided part of it. The soul of the corrupted master, his body impaled and blood soaked into the sapling that had become his form, that had been another part. However, the scientists had attempted to combine him with other creatures.
Based on his form and abilities, it seemed most of them hadn't taken. Probably because the attempt was to place DNA inside, and it required more mystical essence than scientific building blocks. Yet, one had, the one that arguably tied it all together. The Namekian piece of the puzzle, one he hadn't considered before. He had assumed it was just some random alien they managed to get essence from, and yet... Perhaps not. Whatever the reason, as he drew closer, traveling over the landscape, he beheld the source of his feeling.
A Namekian, dressed quite differently from Helix and Lusca, and Scargot as well. Descending towards him, Walker spoke, hovering in mid air. "Who might you be? Something about you is oddly familiar." His voice, quite distinctive in it's oddness, was the only remnant of him still visible to others. Right now, he was just a chaotic, non-corporeal mass of energy.
The Namekian turned, examining him with raised eyebrow. He stood on a rock, overlooking a semi-distant settlement. The underworld had a fair number of small areas built by various powerful souls who had managed to evade punishment, or rogue devils. This was but one of them, created by some local power or another, with a small gang of damned souls and devils at his command. To the shock of precisely nobody, Hell's workers had a bit of a tendency for dereliction of duty. Whether or not people were properly locked away or punished here depended heavily on the person in question. Otherwise, they tended to be left alone, allowed to exist in the darwinian struggle of the afterlife's lower areas, preying upon or being preyed upon as the situation allowed.
Straightening up slightly, he let his hands fall to his side. "Hmm. I confess, I was going to wave you off as yet another irritant in this place. However, I cannot deny I feel an odd... resonance about you. Almost like Xylo, one of my children. Yet you're clearly not him, even in that form, unless your voice has changed significantly." Adjusting his cloak, he moved off the precipice, circling the puffball slowly. "Hmm... Your energy is... interesting. What /are/ you?"
Walker, still in his puffball form, mentally ran over his options. He could try to explain, but that would likely be complex. Perhaps there was another route, however. Focusing himself, he brought his will to bear, focusing on trying to alter his body. He had limited shapeshifting before, and this should be much the same, in theory. He had been trying for a few hours now, with little success. Still, perhaps in a pinch... But no luck. He was making no progress, his odd form still shifting about like the pure soul energy it was. Making a frustrated noise, Walker sighed. "I apologize. I was attempting to show you, but I have only been here for a brief time. I have yet to determine how to regain my physical form. For now, my name is Walker. As to what I am... I have been called many things."
His conversation partner's eyes narrowed, and he was about to speak, but the tree continued. "I am an artificially created life form, birthed through rather convoluted means. Suffice to say, I am one part Demon, one part Namekian, one part Plant. The plant part is the most prominent, however." As he spoke, the as-of-yet nameless Namekian stiffened slowly. When he spoke again, it was rather careful.
"One of the more... valuable items in Hell is a crystal ball. Do you know what those are?" He had ceased circling, and now stood turned to one side, looking at the spirit with interest. He hadn't actually said much, nor mentioned his name as of yet. Perhaps if Walker had encountered the Namekian he had spoken of as his child, he would have recognized the connection. If he had spoken to Lusca or Helix, he definitely would have known the person's name. "I'm afraid I don't know it, no. What is it's function?" He was still trying to focus on his form, but no avail. It was like trying to shape air into a coherent form. Why was this so difficult? Was he merely not strong enough? Why... why... And then, in a flash, it occurred to him. What if he was thinking about this in the wrong manner?
He was trying to alter his body, but this was not really a body, was it? It was an indistinct thing, not physical. It was him, his essence, a spiritual form created from his soul and Ki, his energy and all that which made him who he was. It was almost silly to imagine it would respond to the typical impetuses of his mortal form. That had been wood and vine and sap, powered by magic and his own will. This was far different, and would respond as such. As he contemplated this, the Namekian spoke again.
His arms were spread now, and he was slowly tossing an orb in one hand, staring at it. "A Crystal Ball allows one to see the outside world. This is an approximation, created with my skill. A true one is much harder to acquire, but I have been able to utilize one on a few recent occasions. I intended to watch the progress of my son on Namek, in his fight there. The SSE is interfering with Namek, as they do so many other places." The robed Namekian growled the words out, and Walker nodded slowly, or tried to. The SSE was a constant issue, even in Hell. How many people had they sent there, he wondered? "As it is, I found my attempts somewhat confounded."
He stopped, staring at Walker. "Can you assume your physical body yet?" It had the air of an innocent question, but there was a weight behind it. It sounded almost like a test and a suspicion, all in one. Well, he had no idea what the correct answer was, but there was really only one he could give, anyway. If he had any hope of achieving his goals, he would have to do it eventually. Might as well be now. Focusing himself, he attempted to change again. However, this time, his focus was on himself, his image of who and what he was. His full sense of his body, soul and mind, his very self image. Pushing his determination out, he let his will encompass his whole being, pressing against the world he now inhabited to deny that which he had been assigned. He was not some mere pawn, some petty criminal or thuggish warlord. He was here because he was willing to brave death itself in pursuit of his strength, and he would not be held back by some mere trick of the Ogres.
With a sudden shifting, his spiritual form warped, turning dark and growing. Trailing puffs lengthened into arms, and the curling smoke twisted into a long robe. His eyes glowed a deep purple, streaked with flashes of black and red from his bursting Ki, and his maw cracked open, hands clenching as he looked down on the much smaller Namekian for a moment. The strain was great though, and his earlier attempts had tired him. He was not fully recovered, and after a moment, he reverted to the puffball again. Now, however, he knew the path. All it would take is another effort of will, and he could regain his true form. Then, he could begin his training and searching in earnest. Now, however, he had something else to discuss.
Looking back up at the other, he said, his voice hitching slightly, "Not entirely, but almost. It took me a bit to figure out the method." It didn't help that his normal body was so malleable, between all the different transformations that had occurred to it, he hadn't picked up on the fact that most people merely expected themselves to look a certain way. He was used to having to look a certain way via choice, not via expecting to. Nodding slowly, a slight chuckle came from the Namekian, and he looked up, grinning. "I knew it. The voice was familiar, and it was the only reason I could think of for the crystal ball including you in my attempts." Chuckling more, he threw back his head and laughed.
"What a serendipitous moment.... my son. I am Lord Tuner of Namek, and based on the evidence, your father. You say you are part Demon, part Namekian? That would explain much. I am not entirely certain how those who created you acquired my essence, but the similar energy and the explanation leaves no doubt." His certainty echoed through the suddenly still air, and Walker almost took a step back before remembering he had returned to his puffball form. His... father? Thoughts flooded through his mind, and suddenly, he realized how much sense this made. His thoughts had been scattered as he had focused on returning to normal, but the similar energy, the unknown Namekian 'donor'... it was quite similar to the demon he knew shared essence with him. Additionally, this crystal ball was likely how Cernunnos had watched him before, unable to quite project his Telepathy across the dimensional barrier until Walker established the connection.
"I... see. I take it you saw me in this crystal ball, when you asked to see your son? It must have been quite confusing." Tuner laughed, baring his teeth. "Indeed so! But I am well pleased with what I saw. You've grown into an incredibly powerful fighter. Any father would be proud of a son like that. I witnessed you defeating a Super Saiyan's full power blast with an equally charged one of your own, blowing him out of the sky, and saw you over Vegeta. Come, my boy... we have much to discuss, you and I." He turned, heading for the settlement. "Try and regain your form before you enter the town, hmm?" Cackling again, Lord Tuner headed for the settlement he had founded out of boredom. This was an interesting development indeed. To think, the unusual tree-like fighter who had tried to wipe out those damn monkeys was his son, all this time. How very very interesting.
Behind him, Walker floated, his mind awhirl. It made sense he would have another "Father", but to think he would also be in hell... It would be wise to proceed cautiously. Generally speaking, "Nice" people did not end up in Hell, and this Namekian, this... Tuner, did not seem quite the same as Scargot, Lusca, and Helix had. Something was different, in his dress, his speech, his energy. Walker had never met one of the "Mazoku" caste that Scargot had once mentioned, but it seemed reasonable to assume that Tuner was likely one of them. Either that, or an especially eager Warrior Class, who had gone too far or something. Still...
Stopping for a moment, Walker looked about, his puffball form flickering somewhat. This place... to think nearly all of his progenitors was here. It made him worry. Was he really as well-intentioned as he thought? If this was where his past lay, what did it say of his future? His path ahead may not be as brightly lit as he thought. Shivering slightly, the tree moved after Tuner, down into the enclave in the valley below. Many odd creatures moved about down there, some of them unrecognizable even to the relatively knowledgeable warrior. What awaited him down there, he had no idea. Still, he would be damned if he let fear keep him from learning about his past.
He had to pause at that. He had... forgotten for a moment. He was already damned. In that case.... might as well see where the path lead. Nothing said he couldn't forge his own, after all. Besides, he wasn't one for following conventions. With that in mind, his mood brightened, Walker and Tuner moved side by side towards the Mazoku Lord's hellish residence.