Following The Sliders

Demiurge says "Sephar, the last thing you saw was Daimon and Sarah tumbling backwards through some weird Lightning experimental portal. And vanishing."

Sephar dives in after!

The world swirls... and changes.

Sephar eeps and looks around.

Sephar finds itself in a _strange_ place.

Sephar floats and orients.

Apparently Sephar is in Heaven. But the Council Spires seem warped. The Groves are in flames. There are screams and cries in the distance. There is, in a word, chaos. Few people are about. Except for one Cherub, just - there.

<> Demiurge says "Who is Dana."

Sephar shivers and looks around to see if it can spot Daimon and Sarah.

There is no sign of Daimon or of Sarah. The spinning disc that Sephar came through floats behind it still, pristine and bright. Not flickering too much.

<> Demiurge notes, Dana: this is just after Laurence has been rescued, and hauled off for medical assistance.

Dana stands, watching the Spires.

Sephar hrms and eyes the disc, and then wanders a bit further into this chaotic Heaven, moving up some to see if it can get a wider view and spot the two that fell in.

<> Demiurge says "Alas, time is weird between universes, and Sarah and Daimon are already gone - but Sephar doesn't know that."

<> Sephar . o O (Target... Pull!)

<> Demiurge says "Whereabouts in "Heaven" are you trying to go, Sephar? Any particular landmark?"

<> Sephar nods and figured, but...

Sephar tries to just move up, keep the disc in sight, but see a bit more around it.

In the Groves, in the distance, it looks as if two great figures are fighting, wings dark against the burning sky. Nearer, Marc's Tower seems to be fallen, snapped off partway down and crumbling. The Halls of Progress look... barriered. Shut off.

<> Sephar says "Do I know that touching the disc will warp me through again? Or can I pull it with me at all?"

<> Demiurge says "You don't know what touching the disc will do."

<> Demiurge says "You doubt that you can pull it."

<> Demiurge says "You suspect it might require a directed move in its direction to pass through."

<> Daimon hrms. Heaven needs some tidying up. *tidy tidy*

Sephar flies back to the disc, assuming that if it can't see them, they're not here, so moves back through the disc.

With a warping ripple, Sephar moves through the disc... and the disc begins to vanish.

Dana ponders briefly, and approaches the disc.

The disc ripples, fading.

Dana mumbles "Just add it to the list of weird stuff that's been going on" and jumps in.

The word ripples - and Sephar, with Dana tumbling onto him a second later, land in a bright, clean Heaven. The Spires of Judgement rise above in gold and ebony. All is clear and bright. A Malakite stands nearby, oath-chains firm, dark wings spread.

<> Demiurge says "No, the Spires are not normally in _ebony_."

Sephar oofs at Dana and catches her carefully.

Daimon turns to look with surprise at a Kyriotate and Cherub who come spilling out of the portal, oath chains clanging.

Sephar blinks up at the Malakite.

Daimon says "Sephar and Dana! Where did you two come from?"

<> Demiurge says "This Malakite looks like Daimon would look like - if Daimon were a Malakite."

Dana looks around curiously and says "Whoa."

Sephar just boggles for a bit.

Dana says "Um...Daimonique?"

Sephar shakes cloud stuff a bit, "Uhm. Through the disc. Is that you?"

Daimon holds out a hand to Dana to help her up. "It's the same me." She grins.

<> Demiurge says "Daimonique would, after a moment, notice that weird flickering disc thing there."

Dana stands up and brushes herself off. She looks over at the Kyrio. "Are you okay?"

Sephar wiggles a bit on getting up off the ground and then rolls a Kyriotate bow at the Cherub, "Yes. I think so."

Sephar says "I'm used to falling down."

Daimon peers up at the disc. Hmmm. Interesting. She walks over to examine it, little theatrical mask pendants hanging from her oath chains and clicking against one another.

Daimon says "Sephar, I assume this is the product of one of your many experiments?"

<> Demiurge | Sephar . o 0 ( it's my fault! I broke the universe! )

Sephar blinks quietly at the chains and the masks, "Uhm." and has no idea what to ask or how to ask it and then blinks at Daimonique's question, "Not really, it was one of Progress' experiments, but I mostly dropped through to follow you and Sarah."

<> Sephar says "Or *did* I make this? "

<> Demiurge says "Who knows? :)"

Dana notices the Spires, and gets misty eyed. "Is this real?"

Sephar says "Though things seem to keep changing every time I go through... and you're not quite what I was expecting."

Daimon hrms, then grins and laughs. "I'm sure someone will be along soon to look it over."

Sephar looks a little relieved, but not a lot.

Daimon flexes her wings. "I'm exactly as I was this morning. Oh, you're making a Funny! I get it!" She grins wider. "Sephar, I told you, you have to work on _timing_, or your audience won't laugh. Now try it again, waiting just the right time to lay in with the punchline."

Sephar says "Punchline?"

Sephar says "uhm... how's this? This morning, when I woke up, you were a Lilim."

Daimon says "A Lilim? One of the Innocent's great children? No, unfortunately not."

Sephar sits on the ground, *poofing* out a bit and sighs, "Wow."

Dana is transfixed by the Spires, and takes a step toward it. "I didn't think I'd ever see it again..."

<> Sephar says "You know, the problem is there might be places it just wouldn't want to leave."

Daimon says "But Dana, you're one of the Promise."

<> Demiurge laughs.

Dana turns to Daimon. "The Promise?"

Daimon says "Uh, yeah, sure. Are you guys trying to pull a fast one over on me?"

<> Demiurge says "Though you probably already exist there - or a version of you does."

Sephar says "If so, it's not very fast."

Dana says "You know I'd never do that, Daimon. Well, not until everything's calmed down a bit."

Daimon looks a little confused. "Man, that portal must have scrambled your little cherubic neurons."

Dana looks over at Sephar. "You know her as a Lilim too?"

Sephar nods at Dana. "Yes. This is... surprising."

Daimon looks back and forth, and then to the portal, looking for the joke.

Dana looks over at Daimon. "Yeah. Although in some way, it seems...appropriate." She grins.

Sephar laughs softly.

Daimon says "Erm."

Dana holds a paw out to Sephar. "Hi, by the way, I don't think I've met you. I'm Dana."

Sephar takes the paw thoughtfully, "I don't think I've met you, either. I'm Sephar."

Daimon starts to look around for someone in authority. Just looking... around.

Sephar eyes the Spires in black and gold...

There is nobody in authority directly in sight. The Spires are just next to him, however. A moment's quick step inside could fetch someone.

Sephar says "Dana, were you in the last place the disc was? Were the Spires there in black and gold?"

Daimon says "Hold on a sec...."

Daimon steps inside to fetch someone.

Sephar says "Uhm. Daimon..."

Sephar drats mildly.

Dana says "Nice to meet ya, Seph...No, where I am from, the Spires..." Dana looks vaguely ill. "Don't exactly exist anymore. Not in Heaven, anyway."

Sephar nods and Kyriotate hugs Dana at the look and hrms quietly.

Dana CherubHugs back. "I wonder what's happened. This is so...strange."

Sephar says "I think my Daimonique and Chephirah aren't here, and might be further on with the disc... it seems to be bringing us to different Heavens."

A bright-winged golden Seraph flows out of the black and gold Spires, following Daimon. It looks mildly concerned.

Sephar says "Where things are very different. I kinda like this one, though."

Daimon says "Hey hey hey little friends. I brough a little help."

Dana says "Chephirah? Hmm. But she knows both of us."

Sephar rolls a bow quietly at the Seraph and looks at Dana.

Dana watches the Seraph approach, cautiously.

The Seraph's voice is melodious. "Dana. Domination. Are you troubled in some way, angels?"

Sephar says "I am. I'm looking for a Daimonique who is different than this one, and trying to find her and Chephirah, both of whom disappeared from Heaven through a disc... and I followed to find them."

Dana watches the Seraph, unsure of what to say. "Confused is probably a better term, at least from my perspective."

<> Demiurge rolls the d666 and gets 6 3 CHECK: 2.

The Seraph's brows rise. "I know of no other Daimonique. And why are you confused, Dana? We have worked together for long enough now."

Daimon folds her ink black wings back. Oath chains rattle.

Dana says "I have no idea who you are. I'm...sorry."

The Seraph's wings flex. He glances to Daimonique the Malakite, then back to Dana. "Do you remember my name? Focalor?"

Sephar falls over backwards.

Daimon says to the Seraph, "It could be just a really funny scam."

Dana's jaw drops.

Sephar scrambles half a roll backwards and then takes a deep, slow breath.

Sephar mutters under its breath, "So it was possible for even Focalor to redeem..."

Dana pauses a moment, then says "WHAT?"

Daimon blinks. "Hey hey hey, just relax now..."

The Seraph says, dubiously, "You know more of Laughter than do I, Virtue."

The Seraph stares at Sephar.

The Seraph says, "Why should I need to Redeem? I have never Fallen."

Sephar wipes a surreptitious tear away with a hidden hand and shakes off mildly, "I'd better keep going."

Dana says "I would really like to know what is going on here."

Sephar looks at the Seraph, "I'm very glad you never have."

Dana says "Me too. You'd make a serious jerk as a Balseraph. Trust me on this one."

Daimon looks at the Seraph and looks at the two others. "Erm."

The Seraph ruffles his wings, looking a shade offended. "God forbid I should ever Fall to Judgement."

Sephar blinks again.

Dana blinks again too.

Dana says "Who do you work for, Focalor?"

Daimon says "Geez, Dana, you do work for the Promise, you should know this."

Sephar listens raptly.

Dana looks over at Daimon. "Humor me for a second?"

Daimon grins. "Sure!"

Sephar chuckles.

Daimon says "Funny is what I'm hear for."

Sephar says "Uhm. Pretend we have no clue what you're talking about and explain what the Promise is?"

Focalor says, slowly and gently, "I work for the Promise, Dana. You and I have served under Asmodeus for decades together."

Focalor says, "The Promise is that which every angel makes to God - a promise of abiding loyalty and love."

Dana looks over at Sephar. "So this is some alternate universe?"

Focalor glances to Daimon. "Alternate universe?"

Sephar says "I think so."

Sephar says "And I think I'd better step back through that disc before I think I want to stay here..."

Daimon shrugs. "Maybe they're pulling your leg, er, tail."

Sephar says "He's a Seraph."

Dana says "Sephar, I think I want to stay here forever... But there must be another me here if they know me, right?"

Daimon peers at Focalor. "So he is! What about that!"

Focalor says, "It seems a strange and exotic joke."

Sephar nods sadly at Dana.

<> Demiurge rolls the d666 and gets 2 5 CHECK: 6.

Sephar says "And this Daimonique knows me, so there must be a me here, too."

Focalor says, "I am indeed surprised to see you here, Dana. I had thought you were on Earth, and part of the operation to deal with that Balseraph of Judgement."

Dana grins very slightly. "I guess some things never change."

Sephar winces in anticipation. "Uhm... what's the name of the Balseraph? it wouldn't happen to be Jordan, would it?"

Daimon flaps her wings in a little bit of agitation.

Sephar blinks mildly.

Dana says "Sephar...how can I get back?"

Sephar says "I think through the disc."

Sephar says "I have to go forward, but I think it might be *able* to take you back, too."

Sephar eyes the disc thoughtfully.

Focalor says, "It is. I was not aware you were cleared for that information."

Focalor says, "This is troubling. Possibly you should come inside, Dana, to have one of the Powers examine you."

Dana says "No, I think I should leave. I can't exist on someone else's merits, even if that someone else is me."

Focalor does the triple-blink.

Sephar shakes its cloud quietly and tugs Dana towards the disc. "You first, and I'll follow in a bit and see if something else happens."

Daimon just looks confused.

Focalor says, slowly, "Wait. The Symphony reveals... that you are not of this world?"

Daimon says "Funky."

Sephar says "Not of this Heaven or Earth."

Dana says "Okay. Wait one minute." Dana walks over to Daimon and kisses her full on the mouth. "I hope that doesn't get the Dana that you know in any trouble."

Sephar chuckles softly.

Daimon says "Mmmmmmmmmmnope."

Sephar looks indecisive for a moment, fidgetting a bit, but then just remains by the disc.

Dana steps toward the disc. "If she's anything like me, then she's absolute nuts about you."

Daimon blinks. "Woah. Cool."

Focalor fans his wings slightly, but just watches.

Dana takes a final look up at the Spires, fighting back tears, and steps in the disc. "Goodbye..."

The disc swirls, and Dana vanishes.

Sephar waits, watching the disc carefully.

The disc remains present, as though waiting for Sephar.

Sephar sighs, takes another look around, rolls a bow to the two waiting figures and then goes into the disc.

And the world changes...

---

Fiat Justitia