Pahhu: Shifting Sands of Time 17: Reflections II

EIGHT DAYS LATER, DAY 35
 
The remnants explained what had happened to the others in grisly detail, and of the pact they had made with Thamisia. They agreed it would be best if they repaid the kindness and warning given by Thamisia, and they made their way towards Thamisia’s sanctum. They got lost multiple times trying to find the entrance, but eventually Pahhu lead the way. Theodore worried for traps after their recent experiences and enhanced Rasheed’s senses with foresight.
 
After a few questions and introductions Pahhu presented herself for the trial, she sat cross-legged and readied herself for the exam. Thamisia told her to walk back to the temple with her friends, and there the walls slid open and seven mirrors appeared, reflecting nothing. Thamisia bid them stand in front of the mirrors. Figuring the mirror was just covered in dust Pahhu reached forward and tried to wipe it. She vanished. Realizing the situation the others began touching their own mirrors.
 
Pahhu blinked as she stood in a stable torrent of temporal energy, as if standing on the line of one of Thamisia’s stable temporal portals. As she looked around she saw a familiar figure, seemingly herself a few years older, her body moving abnormally stiffly, as if she had perhaps not moved in some time…
 
(Dear readers at this point the party fought copies of each other in the mirrors in one on one battles. For sake of understanding the nega-versions of the characters will have their names prefixed with N, such as Nahhu. For Nyx, it will be Not-Nyx.)
 
The battle began with Pahhu acting first, perhaps the stiffness of Nahhu giving her the edge. Instinctively she cast a spell, paralyzing Nahhu as she froze the eery copy of herself in time. Pahhu began to approach to get a better look, but realizing the danger began to disarm Nahhu of her weapons and focus…
 
Theodore and Neodore faced off, both attempting to cast spells as they tried to feeblemind each other. Both resisted the effects and then transformed into elementals. Theodore into an air elemental and Neodore into a fire elemental. Theodore took advantage of this blunder and as a watery sphere appeared dousing the flames the intense system shock instantly overkilled Neodore…
 
Marinette and Narinette got into a hairpulling dragdown wrestling match as the two amazons ripped into each other with utter abandon. The true realization of Marinette’s self destructive tendencies. The battle was even.
 
Ned and Ed struggled to land meaningful blows on each other, the two heavily armored and incredibly tough combatants had a long war ahead of them.
 
Nyx and Tona faced Not-Nyx and Nona, and the battle began with fate favoring Not-Nyx and Nona. Critical wounds were delivered to Nyx and the battle swung heavily towards Not-Nyx…
 
Jorah and Norah unleashed withering magical blasts at each other, only surviving through their resistance to the overwhelming negative energy of the harvest scythes they released upon each other.
 
Rasheed faced Nasheed, the two enhanced with Foresight and unable to gain any advantage on each other fought a slow battle of attrition, unable to perform their powerful techniques on each other.
 
As Neodore dissolved in the portal Theodore felt the world about him shift, and through chance he appeared in the portal with Pahhu and Nahhu. Theodore quickly explained that he had gotten here by defeating his copy. Pahhu realizing her friends may be in danger, and having the advantage pulled her rapier and quickened time to slash into Nahhu critically, splitting her timeline. Pahhu then unleashed the full force of her entropic magic as a wave of temporal energy eroded Nahhu into dust. In a matter of seconds Pahhu had reduced Nahhu to nothing. The world shifted as they both teleported to the portal containing Nyx and Tona and their mirrors.
Nyx was glad to see help, luck had not been on her side and Not-Nyx held a clear advantage. With Theodore and Pahhu arriving to help the tables quickly turned, and as Pahhu unleashed a barrage of temporal static charged magical tears Not-Nyx was defeated. Theodore slammed his stone earth elemental fist into Nona, and as the panther’s will gave out the three found themselves split. Theodore arrived with Ed. Pahhu, Tona and Nyx arrived to find Marinette and Narinette wrestling.
 
Pahhu froze Narinette in her tracks, and combined fire soon wore Narinette down, but the woman would not go down. With no other choice Pahhu once again unleashed the entropic force, evaporating Narinette into naught but dust. They all found themselves with Jorah and Norah, and after a brief attempt to identify them they overwhelmed the twisted Firbolg as Marinette’s axe cleaved her in twain.
 
Everyone felt the shift again, and they were joining the battle between Ed and Ned, with Theodore indicating which was the impostor. Despite Ed’s toughness he couldn’t withstand so many, and Tona’s claws raked down Ed’s flesh as his defenses gave out.
 
The party all shifted to Rasheed and Nasheed’s duel, the two having battled uninterrupted now for nearly a minute; they were both critically wounded. As they struggled to identify the two Nasheed struck a final blow on Rasheed who began to stumble. Nasheed was quickly dealt with and then Rasheed was helped to his feet by Pahhu… Was this the end of their trial or only the beginning?