Zephrun’s Imperium

"I am in the same position, it would seem."

Thought smiled at the sincerity. "That ambition is what redeems you in my eyes. A heart like mine does not come free. But you've paid such a high price already. So I let you steal it."

"And what would you say to Calamity if you could?" Thought studied him, eager for an answer. Hungry for his thoughts.

"Well, the fact is you did. I have a question. Did you want to die? Deep inside, the one I'm speaking to now. What would he have screamed to Calamity? What would he have begged me in that moment?"

"It was only a frail hope. I could not have killed you, though I desperately wanted to. Calamity used pride to lure me. As I said, it's my own fault I'm this way. And you would never what?"

I think one thing that's important to consider is that Preservation says in SH, "I've never been able to kill," which to me, sounds like something in his past that he's refering to. Maybe something that haunts him even. Oooo, now I'm thinking about it, it would be really sad if he were talking about Ati. His Shard forced him to lock his friend away rather than put him out of his misery. I don't know, thinking about those two gives me chills. It'll be really sad to read about them later knowing how their story ends.

"I know it was Calamity, not you, but... It was your face. It's my own fault I broke. I thought I could hold out. Lure you closer and finish you. I had the will, I just wasn't strong enough. The only time it mattered, I failed."

"I was on the ground. You tore at me from the inside and out. Ripped my essence with your bare hands. Rent apart my soul, self, and mind."

Thought glared. "I swear, if I had my Shard, I would rip him apart, the same way he did me. Pin him to the ground. Let him rot as he's torn apart from the inside." Thought turned to AJ. "Did you have any idea what you were doing to me?"

"He didn't care about you. I could feel it when we clashed. He just didn't want you to die. AJ, what if he wanted us to do something for him?"

"Storm it. AJ, why did Calamity leave us alive?"

Thought realized something. "AJ. Are there more of you out there? Epics. Calamity's servants."

Thought frowned. "I'm afraid not. I'm not exactly from here."

"If you're speaking of Calamity, then I wouldn't fear. He already took what he wanted from me."

Thought paled slightly.

Thought blushed, but cocked her head in consideration of the newcomer.

"I agree." Edit: Ninjaed...

Thought chuckled. "Nothing fits together. The voices sing different harmonies; everyone wants something different, intents grate against one another. As a Shard, I would be able to pick out each one, sense their desires, their motivations. But now it all comes at once. Wrapped in an uncomfortable feeling."

"The people here are dissonant. That's the only way I know how to describe it."

"No. I just sense things."

"There is a cacophony. Of thoughts and ideals. I can't pick them out, but they are discordant. It makes my head ache."

Thought nodded. "Yes." She fingered her necklace. "Something is not right here."