Epica!

A loud explosion rocked the small town in which the startled civilians paused every activity and glanced in the direction of the shock wave where a small mushroom shaped cloud slowly crept higher and higher to the sky. They all knew the place, it was Ark V, a laboratory where the so called scientists practiced their science. Mishaps such as an explosion, or a large - albeit controlled - fire, were common in the lab of experimental sciences, but none of this caliber.

"It's him!" an excited girl shouted, seeing the puff of smoke over Ark V as people clamored into the streets of the town. They knew all too well of the prodigy of Ark V, who was the only one capable of such an explosive power. A brilliant chemist, he was, yet he was so young, and handsome. All the people of the town adored him - the young girls especially who dreamed of marring such a successful young man - whenever they had any question, he gave them answers. Most of all, he was sponsored by the government to do as he pleased, so long as he was willing to share the information he discovered.

The mushroom shaped cloud had began to change color at this point. From within the cloud electrical currents became visible turning the cloud a from a dark gray to a pale blue. The people who had gathered outside stared in amazement. Then suddenly, a second surge came, a bright crimson color, then another in lime green. One after another, the surges came in succession until multiples of colors painted the sky.

As the wind moved the cloud of color closer, a wonderful smell overcame the people and they all shouted in jubilee. Such a beautiful display could only mean a success by the young chemist. A success in the form of a product that could drastic wealth to the town; just as his previous successes had.

"I sure hope he's alright." responded another girl in a bar who excluded herself from the sudden festivities. Moments before she had been staring the pocket watch she always had in her possession wondering when exactly she would be dismissed, only to find her watch had once again stopped. Tired of getting it fixed over and over again, she resorted on getting rid of it whenever she could.

Her pocket watch was broken and her concerns over a certain someone went unheard as drinks were ordered for everyone in the bar and she - along with the other waitresses - were called to service.

Before she could serve her first drink, however, her employer - an elderly man who walked with a slight limp - came to her holding a letter. "Helena," said he, "this came for the Ark. I need you to take it over as soon as possible." Helena nodded obediently and took the letter from the old man, who joined the excitement by loudly proclaiming a second round of drinks.

As soon as the old man was gone, Helena looked to who the letter was addressed to, and indeed it was to someone of Ark V. Something curious she noticed was the calligraphy used to write the letter. It was very foreign, but the only thing Helena could indicate as to where it came from was a name; Mephisto, was written in the upper corner. She was curious, but pushed it aside.

Ark V was isolated from the town. Not many were allowed in but the researchers and a few of the staff who assisted in running Ark V for the scientists. Helena smiled, glad that she could skip work. She served as messenger between the town, and Ark V. Since the scientists of Ark V were usually to engrossed with their research they needed someone who could go into the town and back for them to fetch the mail and supplies. Helena was one of these people.

While all the townsfolk looked on with awe at the sky, Helena weeded herself through the throngs of people with the professionalism that only a native could possess. Only a few times did she stop when one of the more eager participants stepped in her way, or tired to egg her to celebrate with them. Soon she came to the edge of town and to the small thicket between the town and Ark V.

The noise died down the further she walked into the thicket. Slowly, it seemed like Helena had stepped into another world. The only reminder of the outside world was the sky, which had settled on a light violet color. One of life, and one of death. Animals preyed on each other here; she knew this. But she also knew that with every spring, came a new generation of critters to replace those that had been lost. In this strange world, in which any curious wanderer could get lost in, Helena was able to find a peace that she couldn't find anywhere else.

But her peace didn't last long, when she caught a glimpse of the vine wrapped walls of Ark V. Inside, she knew by experience, she would find a chaos that was - in any other place - unheard of. Helena clutched the letter tighter, remembering her past experience inside the building. Her hair had only just began to grow again. She was glad, when she was directed away from the building by the doorman. Instead, she was sent around the building to the back. There, in the testing area, she found him laying on the ground next to a table with vials filled with different liquids; his eyes closed contently.

"Ariel!" she shouted happily, racing up to him. He turned and looked at the person calling his name, before returning to his previous state. He remained this way until Helena dropped the letter on his stomach.

"Did you see the cloud?" he responded eagerly, after sitting up and placing the letter aside. Helena sate down next to Ariel, just like they had when they were children.

"I don't think there isn't anyone in town who didn't see." she laughed remembering the glee of the people when they had seen the display. "They're convinced you had some kind of breakthrough."

"Well of course I did! It's me after all!" Ariel declared standing up triumphantly. "But sadly it wasn't the one was looking for." he added. Helena stared at him quizzically. "Allow me to demonstrate." He offered Helena his hand - knowing full well that she hated chivalry. In response playfully, and rather dramatically took his hand and allowed him to help her up. Ariel led her to the table with the all the vials, holding her hand tightly all the way.

On the table, a series of vials were set in some kind of order. Each was a different color and texture. An old clock was also set on the table. The backside of the clock had been removed to expose all the gears within. Next to it there was a liquid that looked rather chalky, while another continued to bubble even though there was no heat source.

Ariel didn't seem interested in any of these liquids. Instead he focused on one battle of translucent liquid that housed a kind of smoke inside it. He picked it up and a smoke seemed to move like a storm cloud and emitted a strange light here and there. The liquid was placed in Helena's hands and she found it warmer than she had expected.

"What is it?" she asked looking up at Ariel who always knew the answers. He only stared at the miraculous liquid in the vial.

"Everyone knows the law of conservation of energy." he said taking the vial from her hand and set it once again on the table with utter care. He only received a blank stare from Helena who didn't as well as Ariel in school. "Energy can't be created, or destroyed, it can only be transferred."

"Yes, of course." Helena said pretending had already known the law of conservation of energy. Even now, it still didn't make sense since she created energy every time she flipped the switch to the recently installed light bulb.

"However, I managed to transfer the energy from all these components," he said motioning to all the other liquids on the table. "and managed to create perpetual energy!" He declared holding up the vial with the clear liquid that Helena had held earlier. Again, Helena failed to see the specialty in this liquid other than it was colorless.

"See, this clock?" he said putting the liquid down and taking the old clock. "It ticks!" he said exasperated while holding up the old clock from the table holding it close to Helena's face. The only miracle she could see was that such an old clock could still tick.

"Ariel?" Helena questioned. "Isn't a clock supposed to tick?" having no easy way of explaining it his discovery, Ariel planned on giving up on Helena. Maybe this time, there wasn't an easy way to put it. Then an idea came to him, like a light bulb flicking on above his head.

"You still have that faulty pocket watch don't you?" he asked remembering all the times she had complained about it failing on her. Helena nodded, taking it out from it's safe place in her pocket. "Just watch." Ariel said taking it from her and holding it from the tip of the thin golden chain attached to it.

Slowly, he lowered the watch into the nozzle of the bottle containing the liquid. Helena watched as the smoke within consumed the watch, and the emitted light shone through the face of the clock. After a few moments, she watched as the thinnest hand on the clock began to tick once again, counting again the seconds of time.

"Now the gears to this watch will never stop moving." he said putting it back in her hands. Helena stared at the watch that had given her so many problems in the past.

"Thank you." was all she could say to him. "But, how..?" A bewildered Helena asked herself studying the watch closer expecting it to stop ticking at any moment.

"Perpetual energy is occurs when something, such as your watch, produces more energy than it consumes. Therefore powering itself for all eternity. This concoction I made is essentially liquid energy. It can be applied - "

"Magic." Helena interrupted putting a hand up to stop him fully aware of Ariel's tendency to ramble on about science. "Got it." she smiled.

"Magic indeed." Ariel playfully agreed with a laugh before his gaze hardened and stared at the ground. "But it wasn't what I was looking for."

"Ariel! This is brilliant! What else could you be looking for?" Helena asked putting away her watch whose cool gold plated metal now emitted a strange warmth.

There was a long pause. For many years now, Ariel had been searching. Searching through all the books in the Ark V library, and through all possible combinations of experiments. Through the search for this one thing he managed to create a great deal of brilliant things, such as the discovery of perpetual energy. Most of these things, he had come upon almost by accident during his search, yet what he wanted was as of yet undiscovered.

"Helena. Please listen to me." Ariel said aware of Helena's tendency to interrupt him whenever she didn't understand to ask a question. "I am looking for the most important thing in the universe. Something, I've unfortunately learned, is not every easy to find." he continued.

Other than those in Ark V, hardly anyone was educated enough to match him in intellectual conversation. The belief that the planets - including the sun - orbited around the world, and that it was the center of the universe was common for normal people. Having no one who he could personally relate to in a metal state he felt alone in what they called the center of the universe.

Having learned everything he could from the books and other scientists in Ark V, Ariel couldn't see how he could possibly learn what he desired most. He had finished studying everything he could from Ark V, staying there would no longer satisfy him. Someone, somewhere had to have found the same thing he sought.

"And what is that?" Helena cautiously asked coming closer to him knowing he had asked her to listen before she began questioning. She came close enough to easily hug away his worried mind, but restrained from doing so. The reason for which she had come to him - the letter - had long been forgotten.

"I want to know the single, universal Truth."