Date night

[Anastasia]

In the mirror you see a teenager. A beautiful angel with six wings, a solar. He walks the hills of Jovar, another walking besides him - your point of view. He seems unnaturally handsome, flawless, radiant in a way that shines even in memory. Tall, beautiful and with hair like woven gold, clad in golden armor.

"There's so much to learn, Father," the young man says, "Creation is as wide and varied as you said it was. Filled with so many, yet less than we are. But there are so many of them." He's facing you, his face serious, contemplative. "Brother says that they must be guided to here. He's found his place, Father."

[Ebiris]

Alicia settles in to watch. The mirror's too small for lots of them to view it at once but she can show her companions afterwards.

[Anastasia]

"Have you?" The voice is gentle, kind. It is beautiful and strangely almost like yours and yet not.

"...no, not yet." The solar admits, expression contemplative. "You created me to shine bright. If Brother is meant to guide people to the light, then I am meant to be the light." A pause, the figure's eyes, a beautiful golden blue that draw you in even across ages and time, gaze into your own. "We need an Answer. If I am to be the light, then I must have an Answer."

A moment of silence, after which the solar's expression melts into a smile - the smile of the faint but familiar annoyance of a familial joke, of an old point sanded to comfort by ages. "I know you won't tell me my purpose, that you want me to grow into it. Just like all those mortals, Father? Worry not, I will go and find an Answer, and be the shining light to herald the reopening of Chronias."

A brief pause as he considers, a hand coming to his chin. A moment in a thinker's pose, "You believe in mortals, Father. The Answer must come from them, from within one of them. It must come from inward. Yet if they can manage that, then I will do the same looking inward far more easily than they could. I will study them as well I think, so better guide myself."

[Ebiris]

From such good intentions, hmm? Well hopefully now it's come full circle something good can come of it at last.

There's nothing to interact with at all here, so this would probably best be served as just one big lore post rather than breaking for Alicia to go "Hmmmm," every few lines.

[Anastasia]

That's fine, it's lot to write so I'm breaking it into chunks so I don't spend an hour on a post.

Unthinkable years pass, all with a gaze on one figure. On the figure before you. You see him dealing with mortals, studying from them, observing them. At first he seems interested, invigorated and hopeful. Yet over the years he slowly becomes less and less so, kind but reserved, slowly growing distant from them. He is more and more silent, often alone and lost in his own thoughts.

Then libraries. So many tomes read in the blink of an eye, the solar endlessly seeking. An expression of interest slowly changes to one of discontent.

Wise men. Sages. Loremasters. All of them are visited by the solar, yet none seem to quell his discontent, nor soothe his distant frowns.

Now the solar paces back and forth, lost in his own thoughts. You watch him as he paces across the hills of Jovar until at last he turns. "Father!" He smiles now, banishing his reserve.

"My son," The same voice again, rich and beautiful.

"I have sought long and yet no mortal seems to have an Answer, nor does all the knowledge the planes produce." The solar declares, "I fear I was right from the beginning, Father. They are less than us - perhaps they have meaning and value in ordered masses, as do ants, but they will not find an Answer."

Silence.

"No," Again the solar speaks, determined, "The Answer can't come from them. It can come from me, your creation." He gently taps his fist to his chest, "Yet I must throw off every restraint and be able to face myself in full. There must be a way to do that, Father, for an Answer can be found. I know I can produce it."

"You know not what you ask, my son," The voice replies gently, "Creation's limits are wisely made."

"Then I will go beyond them," The solar does not back away, does not hesitate. "Father, you made me for this. I believe that now with every ounce of my soul. You made me to find the Answer and I will not fail you."

"No," The voice replies, "Not for this, not for what it may cost you."

"Father." The figure says, meeting his gaze. It is still a beautiful gaze, still an otherworldly love within it. "Please. We have free will and this is my will. Let me be what I was meant to be."

A longer silence follows this until at last the voice declares, "Beyond. There you can focus inward without restraint. But know that without Creation's protections, you may well never return or worse. You seek to become One."

"One..." The solar murmurs, "I understand." His face is radiant with a smile, "I will not fail you in this, Father. I will not fail you as mortals have. I will return victorious, now and forever."

A shimmer of light and now you see another memory.

From faraway you see yourself, Syala and Antenora in the Beyond. Events you know well, your triumph there seen with another set of eyes. There is no comment throughout it, until at last the three of you are gone. Finally the voice declares, "Then shall we Compete, Asmodeus? At last we both have a piece in play."

The voice that responds is one you know, the words of the Lord of the Ninth heard. "As long as they stay within our courts and not the courts of the other two."

"Agreed."

A moment, shadows and darkness flickering in the edge of the memory's vision. "You failed one child," Asmodeus says coldly, "To see you fail the one stolen from my realm will be gratifying. Any of her friends she takes with her will be a delight to savor for an eon."

"Eblis, Gathgorian and Bel," Is the voice's answer, "None of them will avail you in this."

"They already have availed me," The voice of Asmodeus is even more hostile now, then calm. Utterly calm. "It matters not. Our quarrels will resume soon, but not yet."

"Soon," The voice echos, "There will be hope eternal. Leave me, monster."

Then the memories fade, leaving you holding the mirror.

[Ebiris]

"Who are the other two?" Alicia wonders aloud, on the off chance Zaphkiel is listening. "Morwel and..." the Abyss has no leader of course, but there's one name that's come up relating to all of this isn't there? "Pale Night?"

[Anastasia]

We meant those who are not of law.

[Ebiris]

That's who she meant as well, Morwel being Zaphkiel's opposite... although not of law and of chaos are different things. "Of neutrality and chaos, then?"

[Anastasia]

Yes.

[Ebiris]

"This is where I'm obliged to mention my loyalty to Mystra once more," Alicia says dryly, while sending a mental summons for Antenora, Marie, Latha, and Syala to come attend to her so they can see what was hidden in this mirror.

[Anastasia]

Getting everyone together isn't too hard.

"Alicia?" Latha asks once you're assembled, "What is it? Is Jessica back already?"

[Ebiris]

"Not Jessica," she shakes her head. "A gift from Zaphkiel," she holds up the mirror. "This contains within it memories, those of Eblis's youth. You should all look into it and see what it has to show, as I have done."

[Anastasia]

Antenora needs no prodding, the mirror taken. The three crowd around it as Antenora adds, "Come here, Marie."

[Ebiris]

Marie makes things easier for everyone by shrinking down to her old-fashioned coure size, albeit she still looks far nicer than she ever did back then despite lacking the gossamer wings. This way she can sit on Antenora's shoulder and not have to jostle for view with everyone else.

[Anastasia]

Antenora flashes Marie a quick smile at that as they watch.

There is silence after from all at first, until Latha speaks. "What a tragedy. I see now why his father sought to save him so persistently."

Antenora's gaze is narrow and narrowed more yet, and utters one word like a malediction, "Bel."