The Path of The Cleasning. (Alberdyne Style/Easy Quest)

Path of the Cleansing

Easy Quest

Requirement: None

Reward: 1,000 zeni and +10 Hero Points

You make it to the afterlife, but feel ashamed of your past deeds. That’s when you’re approached by a little red skinned demon. He tells you of a way to cleans your soul, but the path is difficult. But in three steps, you could be free from your sins. First step is to run through a cleansing machine that they use for those going to Hell.

It began. It began before it could end properly, but it had begun none the less.

The story of Alberdyne Cormyr, son of Michael Cormyr as it was written by the fates themselves. With the battle against Oroki written on his very soul, the Kronith warrior appeared in the Check-In Station. However, upon arrival things began to go South. Very South. The large Ogre that handled the tome of the dead, and every soul in the Otherworld. But an entry was missing, the latest. Immediately upon his arrival, problems started. The Kanassan was not meant to be there. Kroniths had their own beliefs of the afterlife, but a Kronith on the Earthrealm was virtually unheard of.

"What is the meaning of this, there is no entry in the Tome of The Dead!" Immediately, all eyes turned towards the phenomenon manifesting before them.

Alberdyne Cormyr, son of Michael Cormyr had fallen in battle. With the scars of trauma fresh on his mind, Al screamed out loud as his spirit body manifested. It was like being born again, but in reverse. Death and rebirth. In spirit form, the Kronith markings glowed powerfully with Al's ki. He was in full battle-mode ready to lash out anything that came his way until he realized one thing.

"Where the Hell am I?" Al asked to nobody in particular.

A voice responded and Al searched the darkness for the voice. It belonged to a resident of the new world, Al assumed. Al attempted to read the creature's thoughts, but it's mind had advanced psychic shielding.

"This is the outer layer of Otherworld. Young Kanassan." Al looked at the owner of the voice, a strange creature wearing a fancy tuxedo, it's eyes hidden behind sunglasses. "I suggest you lower your guard."

For a moment, Al hesitated, but soon, he relaxed himself and his anger levels were considerably reduced. "Where's Oroki, what happened to the Dragonball?" Al had a million questions to ask. And he had not realized that he'd upset the creature before him. "S-sorry this is all quite hard to deal with. You're saying I'm dead?"

"Yes I am. This is a place in between worlds." The creature looked off in the direction of a rather large, bulky creature. Al assumed was an Ogre-type of beast. "We've never had a Kanassan in our midst before, this is a completely new adventure."

Al was hesitant. "This is not what Kanassans believe...how could this be true?" Al asked, he wondered why he had ended up on The Earthrealm's afterlife, and not Kanassa's afterlife. Someone was lying to him. However, Al was mentally worn out, tired. Beyond exhausted. The last few moments of the battle against Oroki had left his Fatigue completely drained. It seemed the resident could give him information and so Al relaxed himself a little more. "In between worlds? I don't understand Earthrealm's belief of the afterlife, this is new to me too."

"There seems to be a problem with your presence here." A guard of some sort approached the pair, and by then, the prying eyes returned to whatever they were doing.

The guard spoke when he approached them. "You are not on the list. That means that your death went against the plans of Fate itself." The guard said. "We cannot allow you to proceed past the Check-In Station as you are. You still have too much negativity in your Soul to pass into King Kai's Realm." Al frowned at what was happening, he understood and didn't understand at the same time. I am being judged. Al sighed. "Though to your credit, you had an Honourable Death."

Al could only nod. The guard paced around Al, sizing him up. Meanwhile, the other creature in the suit watched as well. "Oh forgive me." The suit said. "I am your case worker. Consider me a lawyer to plead your case to The Judicars." The suit continued. "Judicars weigh your soul and decide where you ultimately end up once your time with us has passed. But since you're a special case, and this rarely happens, you are allowed limited mobility in the Check-In Station. We have to weigh your actions here against the actions of your life in order to place you correctly." Al tapped his chin as he considered what he was learning.

"What happens now?" Al asked. "What is a Judicar, exactly?"

"Celestial Hosts that are residents of King Kai's planet. It's okay if you don't understand now, in time, you will." The guard said. "But for now, we have a task you must complete before you are officially ready to face the Judicars."

"A task?" Al asked.

"Well more like three tasks, but those are specifics. We'll get into specifics a little later." The suit said. Then he raised his hand, and a mysterious document appeared in the form of a scroll. "This is your life, Alberdyne Cormyr. Up until now you were moving along a path that Fate preordained for you. However, you were not supposed to face the warlord Oroki at this juncture of your young history." The lawyer made a gesture with his hand, snapped his finger, and the scroll vanished. "Events swirled rapidly around your young history and this is part of the story you have written yourself. Oroki screwed up the natural order of things when he killed you. To be fair, he did not know of your importance to coming events." Al frowned when the lawyer walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My boy, there is a great plan for you ahead. I promise you that much. The King Kai has written your future, but not your Fate. Your Fate is yours to control." Al listened.

"Where do we go from here?" Al asked. "I mean, if I am so important, why not just let me go back?"

"You can't go back." The guard said that time. "Even though your death was untimely, there is no body for you to return to. Your body will eventually be remade and you will reincarnate into a newer form. More complete. We can begin this trial by telling you in all honesty, that we are completely sorry for what has happened to you, Alberdyne Cormyr."

Alberdyne WC=1,048

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

It seemed like he had suffered an untimely death, and yet, these people weren't letting him go back. I guess even in the afterlife there are damned rules. Al sighed, he turned towards the suit and the guard.

"All right, then lets discuss what happens next." Al said. "I've never been a very patient person when it comes to this sort of stuff."

"We have your next task set up for you. It is crucial you complete this job before traveling to The Kai's planet." The guard said. "Before you can travel there your soul must be purified. Your path has been set before you. You are Heroic in nature after your battle against that mysterious man named Oroki. You've acquired enough positive karma to be permitted into The Kai's world. But first, you must face the Judicars."

"Just tell me what must I do!" Al hated when peopled talked to him in complicated terminology and jargon. "The Judicars await, and I don't have all day to face 'em!" Al said, he was quickly getting impatient with the way those creatures handled the afterlife.

"Worry not, young Cormyr." The suit said. "You merely need to follow me."

"Very well, let's do this." Al responded and did what was asked of him.

***

After a short period of walking, Al saw something that he had not expected to find. What waited before him surprised him more than anything. "Huh!? That's..." Kanassan technology! But how...? Al folded his arms across his chest. This is gonna be bad...I just know it. He turned to the suit. "You have some explaining to do. What is that doing in a place like this?" Al could not help but notice the amused look on the suit. The guard had gone off somewhere at that point and he was alone with his lawyer. There were several forms of Kanassan tech, one form of was the very common type. It was called modern Kanassan and was made readily available for trade to other planets. The other form was Ancient Kanassan tech. That sort of tech was hard to come by, and it would have taken exceedingly old tech to end up in the earth-realm's afterlife. The lawyer had explaining to do. Al recognized the type of machine before him, it was a Soul Beacon. He had oft heard of them in his training, and he knew they were amongst the rarest of Kanassan machines. It was one a piece of technology that enabled the soul of a user to be cleansed by recycling the ki. They had it configured uniquely though and Al had never seen one in such a configuration. Are the Judicars somewhere in there? Al looked at the other thing before him very seriously. "How did you get your hands on this?" Al wanted to know.

"The how is not what is important. It is a cleansing unit as I am sure you have already guessed." The suit was clearly holding something back. "You must activate the cleansing unit in order to face the Judicars. All of the wayward go through this process."

"All right. If it means being done with this place, I'll do it." Al said. Then he turned towards the machine. "I don't need instruction on this thing, I've handled worse than whatever you guys can throw at me." Al was serious too, the gate in the astral plane could only be moved by The Omniverse. Even as he walked towards the machine, he was focusing on the swelling of power that The Omniverse provided. When the machine came in contact with The Omniverse, a strange reaction occurred. It immediately opened up and a room within the device was revealed. Al looked at the reaction of the lawyer.

"H-how did you do that?" The lawyer asked.

"I have my secrets. Like I just said, I've handled worse. Now, I will enter the device and face these Judicars. Alone. I do-not need interference on this matter." Al threatened. "Just stay put and I'll be back once my soul is cleansed or whatever." He could not help but feel he was walking into a trap.

When Al stepped in the machine, the thing closed around him. And Al was within the structure, he did not like to wait. Waiting had never been in his nature, and he was always more of a man of action. As Al sat in the dark of the machine, a moment later, it lit up. A phosphorous light shined brightly around Al. It reacted to Al's aura and he felt himself pricked by small needles. Something was pumped in his body that was a type of burning fluid. He didn't like it and panicked for the briefest of moments. The chemical soon produced it's effect on his body and Al found himself physically asleep. However, despite that, he was awake at the same time. Wide awake. He found himself floating in another place, somewhat similar to the mechanics of the astral plane. When he came to, he was surrounded by four glowing individuals. The Judicars. Al presumed, and each one had a pair of magnificent wings. However, their reptilian nature made him realize that they were Kanassan also. Al felt a strange sense of kinship to the creatures.

"We are The Judicar. Hero of Kanassa." They said in one voice that penetrated Al's mind. "Before you can travel to The Kai, you must begin your training. But there is one thing you must know. You are not the first of your tribe to visit us, there was another."

"Was he my Father?" Al asked. "Michael Cormyr?" In another life, he would have felt resentment for that. But since his sacrifice, he had let go of his hatred towards his Father and made peace.

"He was." The Judicar said. "Long ago, your Father came to Earth-Realm to seek command of The Omniverse. Now it is your turn. Hero of Kanassa."

"What are we waiting for then?" Al asked. "Let's begin."

WC=1,027
Alberdyne WC=2,075

Similar to the last trial he faced on Kanassa, Alberydne Cormyr found himself once again overshadowed by his Father's legacy.

After his death at the hands of Oroki, he no longer let it bother him. Something had happened, and he had let go of his hatred towards his Father, now he had to purify his soul in order to face the Judicar's trial. He had no idea that the Judicars had also seen his Father long ago under similar circumstances.

Al found himself in another chamber within the reality-construct of the Kanassan machine.

His mind was compatible with the machine due to the fact that he was Kanassan.

Furthermore, the machine read The Omniverse within him.

Once that process was done, Al was approved to enter the realm within the machine.

For a moment, there was nothing and then there were presences in the realm with him. The realm was a glowing white room, with energy pulsing everywhere. Every now and again this energy would flash out in various colours across the multitude spectrum of all known colours. Al felt a little bit intimidated by what he was seeing. He held his breath and turned to face The Judicars he knew were there, but it was more like the realm itself was The Judicars. Al thought about going back for a moment, but knew at that point, there was no choice but to move forward. So he addressed The Judicars.

"Uh...I don't know what really to say." Al began. "I'm supposed to do something here. Perhaps you all can help me?" Al asked.

"Interesting." The Judicars responded as one entity. "You Father was quite similar to how you are now Alberydne Cormyr. Your family has always interested us, Keepers of the Omniverse." There was a pause and Al could hear whispers in the back of his mind. "Just as we can see that you have a completely clean slate, your Father was also an enigma to us. He died under similar circumstances when he was here, long ago." Al felt some intimidation at knowing that his Father had been there and they would likely judge him the same as they had judged his Father. It was all systematic. Al began to question if there was such a thing as destiny at that point. "Before we begin, there is something that we need to discuss. Your death was Heroic and a prime example of the courage of your Clan. But it was not meant to be. You had a choice at that point you could have escaped with The Dragonball intact. You could have done many things once you had The Dragonball in your ownership." The Judicar paused for a long moment.

"What of Yamcha?" Al was sincerely concerned for his Wolf-Brother. "Did he perish as well?"

"No." The Judicar replied. "Yamcha fled shortly after you died. The one called Oroki and his minions still function on Earth and that will become your test. Before we can begin, we, The Judicar, have a mission for you, Alberdyne Cormyr."

"What is that mission?" Al asked.

"You must grow powerful enough to engage Oroki in combat and defeat him. He and his followers are far too dangerous to be allowed to wreak havoc on Earth. That is your task now." The Judicar ordered.

"I accept." Al said. "Show me how I must engage in this enemy and I will defeat him by my clan's honour." Al boldly said. He looked at the general direction of The Judicar, then he knelt before them and the true trial could begin.

~FIN~

WC=600
Alberdyne WC=2,675