[Saori sits by a window with her head leaning against the glass. There's some faint redness in her eyes. She sniff and brushes some hair out of her face before looking at the tablet.]

Sorry. I...got pulled out of here suddenly. It's hard to believe I've stayed there for six years and yet only a few days apparently passed. I'm sorry if I worried you, especially you Margulis, with my disappearance.  The room assignment hasn't changed yet, right?

I'm not going to lie, it was nice to see home again.  I just wish...I had a way to see my children. It'd be too cruel to have them be brought here but  if I knew they were safe, I can focus on things here better.

Um, also one more thing. I'd like to try something with the plant life here. I've been working on some of my other powers and I'm hoping it would help with growing plants here.

*There's something strange about this broadcast, and not just that it doesn't seem to be deliberate. While it is indeed being recorded by one of the prototype rings, it's picking up two voices: one easily recognizable as Margulis', the other female and entirely new.*

Tis a shame, is it not?

What are you on about this time?

That thou canst not repeat thine meeting with Uzuki. Was not thine argument with him similar to some of thine discussions with Chaolan?

You mean about my death. Perhaps their points had some similarities, but it's a moot point now.

Thou art evading again. Thou hast seen for thine self that any could arrive in this place.

What reason would I have-

Dare thee ask that question of thineself? Thine tendency to deny the foolishness of thine stubborn habits is well displayed, as is thine aversion to speaking of thine own emotions.

Paschar...that's enough.

*The female voice sighs in disappointment.*

If thou art that determined...

[ The video feed opens to the outside, a downfall of raining hitting the tablet screen and blurring out the details of buildings and shop signs nearby. Not too long after the feed begins its run that a hand – evidently a woman’s – passes over the screen, wiping the excess water off. ]

They did say it was water proof. I hope they were right. [ Comes her voice. Eventually the tablet focuses on her – in a glistening, green bodysuit, with a golden crown-like ornament resting atop her head. She’s drenched in the cold rain yet appears unfazed by it. Her bright eyes gaze intently into the feed instead. ] My name is Mera, and... well, I was on a different Earth until today. Our greeter did not carry out her duties properly, I suspect. I’m hoping someone out there can answer my questions as she did not.

I’ve been in other dimensions before. I’ve heard them claim no one has been able to leave of their own volition until this Transporter allows it. [ She pauses, her eyebrows knitting closely together in vague irritation. ] Does this Initiative truly have no control over their machine?

I have also heard in passing about a recent battle in another dimension. [ Mera’s expression is grim, but genuinely concerned then. Resolutely: ] I’ve seen and fought in many myself, but it seems we aren’t often given much choice in the matter. I would like to hear about this battle from those who were there and what happened in this other world. What became of it? [ She strongly suspects nothing but bad news and braces herself as much she can for it. She has many more questions to ask. ]

[Saori's rubbing her temples as the feed starts. She's sitting down on one of her bar stools in the Uji tea shop. No one else is in at the moment, given how early in the morning it was.]

[Jesse's reporting in from the lab, for once, which probably looks a little strange for anyone seeing him in hazmat coveralls for the first time. Look at him. Professional-like. Behind him is a peek at the Initiative's futuristic chemistry equipment, but the focus is on a vial of clear liquid pinched between Jesse's fingers.]

Yo. Remember how I said like a month ago I was working on something? I finished it.

Wait - Um, backing this up a little in case you missed it. We got word a few months back that the U.E.'s been drugging their people with something called verstatsi. A lotta the Exiles that turned up here ended up sick 'cause they couldn't get their fix. A lotta them were dying from the withdrawal. It was pretty bad.

Anyways, I was developing an anti-addictive drug. We tested it this week.

[He taps the vial he's holding, looking pretty proud of himself.]

It's working. Everybody we gave it to stabilized in like under two hours. Cravings totally gone, symptoms gone. And the dose is only once a day, which - if you've ever been on methadone - that is huge, okay.

I know a lotta you are probably like, "Who cares? I'm not a junkie anyway." No, seriously, this shit? This could save your life if the U.E. ever captures you. This is big. We're gonna keep testing it, but I'm making sure the clinic gets stocked A.S.A.P., yo. All my research notes'll be there along with it so I don't gotta sit here explaining science to you for three hours. Everything about dosage... Recipe, too, in case anything happens to me.

So... Yeah. And thanks to Vanadi and Rin for helping me out with getting chemicals. We totally did it, you guys.

*From the view behind him Margulis is evidently standing on one of the abandoned buildings in Exsilium, looking out over the city.*

Well...it's been a while, though it seems like it hasn't been long at all from this side of things. I hope this won't become a pattern, getting used to the loss of the Dark Hour was irritating enough once.

And Nakagawa... *There's a pause and a brief flicker of something that might be worry or anticipation on his face before his expression turns calm again.* You neglected to inform me that Pellegri and Uzuki had arrived in Prospero since my first visit here.

*The video turns on as the tablet is dropped to the ground in the training center, just in time to record Margulis walking away from it to stand directly across from...Margulis? Somehow there's two of him now, identical down to the scar running down the right side of his face. The one who dropped the tablet is muttering something to himself.*

-have to make sure to find out at some point how resistant they are to fire and electricity.

*He turns to face his doppleganger without a word. The duplicate cracks his knuckles and speaks as if continuing what the other Margulis had said, still in a tone that seems as if he's thinking aloud rather than talking to someone.*

Though I suppose in this case, I would be better off using weak Ethers even without carrying it. It feels like it's still active, but there is still the possibility that I'm mistaken.

*But whatever he's not sure about, he doesn't plan on letting it stop him as the one who spoke last launches a fireball at the other. The Margulis on the receiving end of the attack doesn't even flinch, even as the flame hits him and vanishes.*

Good. It seems whatever technology they used really did manage to overcome the disappointingly short time limit on that ability. Now for- hmm?

*It seems one of them has caught sight of the tablet and noticed that it's recording as both have turned to face it. After a moment, the first returns to what he was doing and electricity crackles on the ground around him in a circle before rising up through his body and fanning out in the shape of small skeletal wings before fading. In the meantime, the other one walks over and picks the tablet up.*

I suppose now is as good a time as any, though you'll have to forgive a slight delay in my responses. I'm looking for people to spar against...preferably without having to refrain from use of my Ethers to avoid rendering the fight one-sided. In other words, I'm not particularly interested in fighting people who can't stand up against someone with enhanced physical abilities and offensive magic. If you're interested and think you can handle it, let me know.

*With that, he turns the recording off.*

I don't know who here was so tasteless as to deliver these cards this morning, but at this point, it doesn't particularly matter. If anyone else feels the urge to indulge in a juvenile "celebration" of an ancient holiday, I would suggest limiting to those you're personally familiar with.

<sub>[The device is easy enough to use. It's not unlike the stuff from back home, so it doesn't take her long to get comfortable with it. The post goes up without a hitch.

She'd easily prefer video--this feels a little impersonal, but it's better this way for now. She's still not quite well.]</sub>

Hello, everyone. My name is Flora. I'm really very sorry if this message isn't...well, it's normally supposed to be, I guess. I'm a little out of it. I can't say I've had to make introductions like this before, but it's nice to meet you, nonetheless. :) This is still just a lot to take in, and what's happened to the Earth itself. I still can't believe it. This planet was once so beautiful.

I don't expect much, but there's no harm in asking. If anyone's heard of or met one of the Winx, would you please let me know? I would very much appreciate it.

Lastly, I have a question for anyone willing to answer it. Thank you, in advance.

Do you believe in fairies?

[ Though considering the video is a close up of the toe of a white boot, which is tapping up and down on top of what looks like wet roof tiles, there's not much point to a video in the first place. ]

The people who brought us here have a lot of nerve asking us to fight for them without giving back in return. If they're going to take us away from our homes and demand that we fight for them, they should give us a reward for what we're doing. I don't want their useless money, I want real compensation for my time. I'm a professional, after all. Paying me to fight battles that don't involve me isn't cheap.

I suppose the end of last month should be a lesson about placing too much trust in technology you can't fully control. While I fortunately had little interest in idle social interaction even back then, I do owe a certain amount of apology to those few who had to deal with my attitude of that time.

( Private to Pidonus )

( Action for Unit 904 )

*I hope you like blood, Exsilium, because there's a lot of it in this video. Margulis' face has been cut open along one side, forcing his right eye closed, although the blood splattered around the wound and dripping off his face makes it difficult to tell how severe it is. He also looks out of breath, with thick dust clinging to water on his skin and hair.*

If this is a rescue attempt, it's a poor one, but if it's a kidnapping it's even worse. I hope someone on this primitive network can explain to me where I am and why or better yet, how I can leave this God forsaken excuse for an inhabited planet. Otherwise, I can't promise I'll be a very pleasant neighbor.

*He pauses to spit out some blood that had dripped into his mouth.*

Aside from that, if anyone here is of a helpful nature, I would appreciate information on where I can gain access to basic medical supplies. This wound is hardly worth relying on nanotreatment, but the bleeding is becoming something of a nuisance.

And if anyone else is here from U-TIC, report in with whatever information you've obtained.

*There's a very sour looking man with a scar from some sort of blade running down his face on the screen, looking somewhere between unimpressed and outright disappointed.*

So, this is the city the Initiative operates out of. If that's the case, then it's truly no wonder they feel the need to outsource to other worlds. That is, assuming their words are true. But I should hope that having been here longer, it isn't too much to presume at least some of you have seen evidence either supporting or refuting their claims about this so-called United Earth. If that is, indeed, the case, I want to hear what information is available from direct observation. But if you've just mindlessly accepted their words as true and have no personal experience to prove one way or the other, don't waste my time.