Questioning the Past

Questioning the Past is the fourteenth episode of Ghostverse Adventures, premiering on January 17th, 2019. In this episode, Taikari and Volta, along with their allies, come to Ascerth to request the aid of Kaiden and Elina in defending the planet Venaral from Tobura, with Solotus being quite resistant to the idea. Meanwhile, Tobura herself begins to enact the final phase of her master plan.
==Plot==
The episode opens with a shot of a ship flying by a planet that looks to be green and blue. The camera then shifts to inside, where Taikari and her crew are observing it from a distance, with Volta and Kaori close by and quite intrigued.
Volta: This is Ascerth? Reminds me of home.
Taikari: Trust me, once you get on the surface it'll feel MUCH different. Last time we were here was for a wedding.
Kaori: Hopefully your contacts here are capable fighters.
Gralnin: Oh, they are. One of them's a profound swordsman, the other's one of the best magic users I've seen.
Volta: Sounds useful. This is quite the team we're forming.
The ship lands on Ascerth, within Xastil City. Taikari and Volta walk out, looking towards the others who are still inside.
Taikari: Keep the ship clean, okay? I don't wanna clean up any of your shit when I get back.
Zerrik: You got it boss!
Taikari and Volta begin to walk down the street, with Volta staring up towards Taikari as they walk. The streets seem bustling.
Volta: If I'm being honest, I'm...nervous about going into a battle like this. I'm a superhero, not a soldier.
Taikari: Sometimes heroes have to fight in large battles. Fighting isn't an easy thing, but it's often inevitable.
----
Tobura is meditating within her throne room again, before Zomok approaches. She then opens her eyes and stares towards him.
Zomok: The troops are assembled and ready to invade. Shall we prepare to warp to Venaral?
Tobura: Not yet dear. We have one last thing to do. Set a course for the planet Jygok.
Zomok: Jygok? The graveyard world? What's there?
Tobura: Let's just say I have some...personal matters to attend to.
Zomok: Alright then.
As Zomok leaves, Tobura begins to form a maniacal grin on her face as two blue flames rise from her hands.
Tobura: The chains will finally be unbound today.
----
Kaiden is standing over a crib, with Elina nearby. He seems to be changing the diapers of his children. As he opens one up, he lets out a hacking cough.
Kaiden: Jeez, there's a lot here.
Kaiden reaches for a tissue as he places it in the crib, with the camera focused on him from a worm's-eye view. He seems to have his eyes closed and his tongue out as Elina giggles nearby. He then disposes of the "waste" in a nearby garbage can, right as the two of them hear a knock.
Elina: I'll get it.
Elina walks over to the door, opening it. Before her is Taikari, alongside Volta. She then smiles at Taikari before hugging her tightly, as it's been nearly a year since they last met.
Elina: Taikari! How you been?
Taikari: Been good. You?
Elina: Kaiden and I have been in a few scraps of our own, but we're still a great couple. Hell, we even have kids now!
Taikari: Congratulations!
Volta peers over to Elina, waving quietly and nervously.
Taikari: Oh, I almost forgot. Elina, this is Volta. She joined our crew when we visited a planet called Earth.
Elina shakes hands with Volta, smiling.
Volta: It's great to finally meet you.
Elina: Good to meet you too. So what brings you two here?
Taikari: We need your help. Something's going to go down soon and we need all the allies we can muster.
Elina: Well, I can't say no to that.
Elina peers over to Kaiden, who's done changing the diapers.
Elina: Kaiden, Taikari here's wondering if we'd be down to help with some incident.
Kaiden smirks, before walking over to Taikari and hugging her, patting her back.
Kaiden: Of course I'd help a friend as good as you. What's it entailing?
Taikari: A planet known as Venaral is due to come under attack by an army of undead. We sighted their leader once and she's this...zombie woman essentially.
Kaiden instantly gazes at Taikari with a grim look on his face.
Kaiden: Oh, I know who you're referring to. Her name is Tobura and she's one hell of a bitch.
Volta: Sounds like a pretty shitty name if I say so myself.
Elina: Tobura actually captured Kaiden and gave him amnesia, and I had to go and rescue him.
Taikari: Then I'm sure you guys have a huge reason to join us. What about the rest of the old Ascerth gang?
Kaiden: From what I've heard, Ukoras leads his clan now, and both Orthesu and Grik left the planet to pursue their own mercenary work. They'd be hard to track down.
Elina: That being said, we DO have some new allies who'd probably answer the call. Leave it to us.
----
The camera simply shows a shot of a barren, ruined rock planet. Rocks roll by, but the ground begins to shake as a massive warship lands. It then opens up as countless skeletal and zombified soldiers walk out, accompanied by siege weapons. At the forefront are Tobura and Zomok, with the former grinning intently.
Tobura: Right in front of us.
In front of the combined army is a giant cavern that resembles a skull, with what appears to be a portal inside. Tobura motions for the army to enter, with her hands firmly gripping her scythe.
She was about to break a deal she made a long time ago.
----
Kaiden and Elina are standing before a door, looking at each other wearily.
Kaiden: Last one. Thankfully Tamasha and her brother agreed to this.
Elina: Solotus seems like he'd join us anyways.
Elina knocks on the door as Solotus eventually answers. He's smirking as he looks at the two of them, as if it's been a while.
Solotus: How you two doing after all this time?
Kaiden: Been better. We came here to ask you for help.
Elina: It's a...complicated situation, and we need all the help we can get.
Solotus: Come in then! No need standing around at the door.
Solotus opens the door wider as Kaiden and Elina enter, sitting down in the living room alongside Solotus.
Kaiden: You remember Zomok, right?
Solotus: That douchebag? Of course I do. He did quite the number on you, didn't he?
Elina: Well, he and his master who's...someone we've fought before apparently command a massive army that's due to attack a planet.
Kaiden: We need your help to stop them.
Solotus: Well, I don't see why I shouldn't help you.
Elina: Great! Venaral's gonna be safe after all!
Solotus suddenly expresses a face of shock as he looks at the two of them.
Solotus: Wait, what planet?
Kaiden: V...Venaral.
Solotus: Venaral is my homeworld. I lived there back when I was a Ranger, remember?
Elina: Then all the more reason to join us!
Solotus immediately starts laughing, pounding the coffee table in front of him as he chuckles hysterically.
Solotus: You really think I'd want to HELP the ones I deserted? The ones who kept helpless animals locked up and studied for "research"? Those...BARBARIANS deserve to go unhelped!
Kaiden looks to be furious, clenching his fists tightly. He seems enraged by Solotus's words.
Kaiden: They're still living beings Solotus! They deserve to be saved!
Solotus: After what I've seen them do, they DESERVE to die!
Elina: This is full-scale genocide we're trying to stop Solotus! Not some petty war! They'll all be dead unless we intervene!
Solotus: You guys are free to save them, but I want NO part in this!
Kaiden: Elina, let's go. I can't hear anymore of this.
Elina nods at Kaiden as the two of them storm out of the house, keeping their backs turned from Solotus. He sits angrily for a few seconds, then looks down at the coffee table, guilt going through his head.
This would be a long time to think things through.
----
Tobura's army is marching through what appears to be a valley of bones and ice, with cyan flames flying around. Tobura is constantly blasting the bone piles with cyan fire as they form skeletons. As she does this, the ground seems to rumble.
Zomok: This area seems...densely populated by the dead.
Tobura: Hence why we're here. The souls here are what I need to grow in power further. Someone who inhabits here once said that the more souls bound to you, the stronger you are.
Tobura continues walking with her army, before coming across a throne made of bone and flesh. Sitting on it is a familiar face, one who views the army before him with curiosity.
Koreku.
Koreku: Ah, Tobura! Decided to pay me a visit. And I see you brought the souls under your control to show me!
Tobura: I did, yes. But I also came here with...something else in mind.
Tobura immediately throws her hand out as greenish-blue energy flows from it, wrapping Koreku in chains of some sort. He tries to break free, but they keep getting tighter. The soldiers behind Tobura, Zomok included, are also standing idle, their eyes consumed by a greenish haze as energy flows from them to Tobura.
Koreku: What are you...DOING TO ME?!?!
Tobura laughs annoyingly as she flicks her wrist, moving Koreku's body into the center of the room. She then walks around it smugly, knowing she's won something she's after.
Tobura: It's simple. You said yourself that the more souls bound to you, the stronger you are. And while you finely curate the souls you collect...
Tobura points at her soldiers, grinning.
Tobura: ...I amass a sheer army of them. Your idea of keeping only the best of the best was your undoing as it turns out.
Koreku: You don't...know what forces you're DEALING WITH!!!
Tobura laughs as she clenches her fist, tightening her grip on Koreku. She seems to be well aware of how she's in control here, with the death god that revived her at her feet.
Tobura: Knowing that I've surpassed the literal god of death, I can get away with whatever plan I want. You held back on your powers. I intend to fully use them to my advantage. My dream of a unified populace of undead warriors defending this galaxy from any potential threats can be realized.
Koreku: What will you...do with...me...
Tobura: I could kill you, but let's be honest: that isn't fun. So instead, I'll do you one better.
Tobura snaps her fingers as giant bones rise from the ground, with the magical shackles connecting to them. Koreku's eyes then glow a hazy cyan as he remains idle, staring towards Tobura.
Tobura: And now...the fun begins.
Tobura taps her scythe on the ground as magical energy begins coursing through the bones, into Koreku's body. He screams in agony, creating shockwaves of energy in the process. Tobura grins as she watches.
Tobura: Have fun being tortured for all eternity. I have an empire to build.
Tobura lets loose her control over the soldiers as they go off on their own duties. Zomok however seems to be standing by Tobura, awaiting his next order.
Tobura: Now then, let's claim our prize here.
----
Solotus, having just demanded the departure of Kaiden from his home, is now sitting on the back porch of his house, dejected and feeling guilt-wracked. He had felt a mix of emotions go through him during this time.
He had grown up on Venaral and joined the Rangers at the age of twelve, believing that his people were doing the galaxy a service. Yet when he found out the truth, he was in fury and vowed to never return home or aid them again. It was a difficult decision.
???: You feel conflicted.
Solotus suddenly turns behind him to see the Spiritwalker, the figure from the last episode who aided Volta and Kaori. He's leaning on the wall as he looks at Solotus.
Solotus: Who...who are you?
Spiritwalker: Someone who can help. You don't want to help save Venaral, correct?
Solotus: Nope. Those fuckers deserve to die after what they did.
Spiritwalker: That may be true, but what if I told you that the enemy invading their world...was far worse?
Solotus: Far worse? How so?
Spiritwalker: Watch and learn.
The Spiritwalker creates a holographic display of a battlefield in front of Solotus. On it, Tobura can be seen cutting through soldiers with her scythe. She then pushes her hands out as their corpses begin to rise as undead, before being thrown into the battlefield. Solotus's jaw is agape.
Spiritwalker: This enemy is unlike any you've faced. Every kill they gain...means another soldier for them.
Solotus: And if they kill Kaiden and his allies...they'll serve her.
Spiritwalker: Mhm. The choice is yours Solotus. Either allow your allies to die...
The Spiritwalker shows a vision of Kaiden being stabbed in the chest with Tobura's scythe on the holographic display, with Solotus wincing as he watches.
Spiritwalker: ...or join the fight.
The Spiritwalker disappears as Solotus looks towards his location, pondering the situation. He then sighs to himself before getting up and walking inside.
----
Tobura and Zomok now stand before a giant door, sealed by a chain of bones. Two cyan flames are lit next to it.
Tobura: Here we are. The Vault of Souls.
Zomok: What kind of souls?
Tobura: Koreku was a curator of them and kept the best of the best here. And now...
Tobura snaps her fingers as the chain snaps, opening up the door before her. She then grins intently as she looks around the room, seeing cyan flames flying around. It was clear that these were the "souls" kept here.
Zomok: I have...no words. This'll be a great asset.
Tobura: He kept some of the finest generals and thinkers known to the galaxy here. Now they're ours for the taking.
As Tobura walks around, she notices one soul floating around. It looks to be a greenish color, and her scythe begins to glow as she approaches it, placing it above her hand.
Tobura: Interesting...it looks like he kept HIM in here.
The camera zooms in to show a familiar face: that of the Soul Grazer. His soul was kept by Koreku all this time.
Tobura: Pathetic. The one who opened up our galaxy to the rest of the universe...doesn't deserve to be here.
Tobura clenches her fist as the soul dissipates. She then smirks to herself smugly.
Tobura: Looks like this soul...has been grazed.
----
Kaiden, Elina, Volta, and Taikari are all eating together in Kaiden and Elina's apartment.
Elina: It's a shame we couldn't get Solotus with us.
Volta: Ah well, being down one person shouldn't be too big of a deal.
Taikari: I don't blame him honestly. Must be tough having to go back there.
Kaiden: Hopefully we can-
The door is knocked on. Kaiden immediately gets up and opens it, seeing Solotus before him. He smirks at him as he holds the door open.
Solotus: I changed my mind, believe it or not. I hope you can forgive me for what I said earlier.
Kaiden hugs Solotus tightly as he returns the hug, the two of them seeming happy.
Kaiden: We got leftover pizza for you if you want.
Solotus: Heck yeah. I hate pineapple though.
Kaiden: Oh, we aren't that disgusting.
The screen fades to black, but there is one final scene...
----
Tobura and Zomok are standing at the bridge of their ship as it reaches Venaral, witnessing the dark planet from above. It looks to be relatively urban as well, with a city covering most of its surface.
Tobura: Prepare for attack immediately.
Tobura grins intently as she grasps her fists. This would be the first power move of hers to cement her empire.
Tobura: ...and prepare my shuttle immediately.
The screen instantly cuts to black.
Category:Episodes
Category:Ghostverse Adventures