1 The Ashes Of Another Can Tear The Universe Asunder
Prolog
Year 3303 May 2
A being of divine descent sat upon his throne, watching as the people below mingled and mixed. They spoke to each other with tones that ranged from hateful' loving, sorrowful, to pitiful.
A war had just happened, and I would prefer not to speak about it. Many down there handled grief in different ways as almost everyone in this room 'bar me' had lost something to the God of Chaos and his cult of psychopaths.
This celebratory party was supposed to represent the passing of an old era and the beginning of a new one. But it instead turned into a day of mourning for those who had lost something to the wrathful god that had rampaged across the galaxy. I didn't do much to stop it either, as even I couldn't help but feel pity for those who still drew breath.
"Sir?"
My eyes widened for a fraction of a second before returning to the impassive gaze they were before.
"Yes, Tanya?" I said as Jaded Green eyes turned to meet the pair of golden honeyed orbs staring at me.
"Are you okay?"
"I am why do you ask?" I respond with a slight uprise in the corners of my lips.
"Ohh! I uhh just wanted to... Get in your good graces! Ya, that's it! Like I would care about you after all!" She said with the cutest and most condescending smile I'll likely ever see.
"Is that so..." I said as my lips turned traitor and perked up slightly, becoming something akin to a smile.
"Ya, That's It! After all, I do have to stay in your good graces so I can eventually betray you and take your throne for myself." She said with a face that screamed confidence despite standing next to one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse.
I couldn't stop the small chuckle I had thanks to that statement.
"Hu? What are you laughing about? You think I won't? I'll have you know I'm-"
I didn't let her finish that sentence as I quickly covered her mouth with the lower part of my hand. If looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ash right about now, as her gaze felt like magma.
Before she could pull away, I suggested something that froze her in place.
"You know, we could always get married." the statement glided off my tongue like a smooth stone.
It was funny seeing her face turn tomato-red.
"wh-wha-what?" was her response.
'Did I not say it enough? I'll try again.' "I said we could always get married."
"I-I-I Know what you said, Baka!"
'Baka?'
Before I could pounder on the word's meaning, I was interrupted by her answer.
"Y-ya-y-y-ya, I guess I wouldn't mind... I--I mean so like, it's not like you could live without me because of how stupid you are; of course, you need Me to take care of you an-and like... I mean, Ya, Of Course, You're Going to need me after all because I am great and mighty!" She said, all the while, her eyes danced circles around my head, never making eye contact. It was one of the cutest plays I've seen in the past hundred years.
"So, is that a yes?"
"No!- I mean yes, but not as in like Yes, but yes!" she spoke while tripping over her own words.
She started to prattle on about random things to keep me from seeing how flustered she was, but I was too keen not to notice, yet I let her think it was working to keep her happy.
With the best smile I could muster. I listened as she prattled on and on about how she was to usurp my throne or how mighty she was. All the while, I nodded my head and sang her praise.
'She's so cute!'
Before she could continue her prattling further, one of the guests walked up to me; well, I wouldn't call walked because as soon as he was in front of me, he kneeled and bowed his head in a sign of respect. And for that, I gave him the time of day.
"Yes...?"
"Prudens Valken, My lord"
'Tanya's Brother?' was one of my first thoughts. The next was Victor Valken, one of the oldest occupants, sitting right behind me in terms of age.
"Ah! Victor's Grandson. How have you been?"
"I've been well, my lord."
"Good- good, and what might you need, Prudens?"
"It is nothing too important, my lord. I wish you would hear out one of my proposals."
"Ohh, and what might this proposal transcribe?" Tanya had stopped a while ago to keep track of the conversation between her brother and me, as was her job as my aid.
"My lord... Can I speak my mind freely without repercussions?"
I pondered on this for a moment before coming to an answer. "You may."
"Right... My lord, have you heard about the latest development transpiring with my grandfather's territory?"
"I don't believe I do; would you be so kind as to fill me in on this matter?" I said with a matter of faculty.
"It would be my honor, my lord."
"As you know, my grandfather owns most of the western galaxy, and soon all of it, as he has been talking to the local nobles about buying their land for a hefty sum, most seem to agree more than others. But that's not what I'm here for. I have come to ask you... if you'd be willing to... to..."
Most of the party had gone silent by now, as they all seemed interested in what he had to say. As was I.
He seemed nervous about what he had to say, so I went ahead and reminded him that no repercussions would occur upon hearing his request.
"Remember, there will be no repercussions to anything you have to say; you have my word," I said with a voice as smooth as silk.
"Yes, My lord." He gave a short pause before continuing with what he had to say. "My lord, would it be appropriate to ask to be indoctrinated into the royal family."
There was a small silence until there wasn't.
That small sentence caused outroar among those who watched. People started berating and criticizing him for daring to ask me such a question; there were even some who demanded he be executed.
Before I could speak, he started to plead his case by saying stuff, like how his family was the only one that had stayed by his side during the war and how if they were to become a part of the royal family, there would be none who could oppose us. And he didn't even need to mention the amount of money that would come across from such an integration.
Looking over at Tanya was like looking at a live-action performance that wasn't happening on the street but in a theater.
Everyone quieted down once they noticed me laughing, and I had no one else to blame for this but myself, as I had found all of this too funny to care. My laughs soon turned hysterical as I keeled over, clutching my gut.
Pruden was the first one that spoke up. "Sir?"
It took me a few minutes to calm down and reorganize myself. Pruden spoke again when I did.
He looked like he was about to cry as he lowered his head. " Sorry... Sir... I-I didn't mean to... offend you..."
"Offend me?" "When did you do that?"
Pruden began to talk as his head tilted up to meet mine. "I Know it was... a...dumb..."
He couldn't finish his sentence as he gazed into my flawed Emraled eyes.
I used this quiet time to speak.
"Pruden, No... Brother, I would be honored to call you family, but you must give me one thing."
Pruden. Still in a state of slight shock replied with the simple word, "Anything."
I also replied with a simple answer. "Your Blessing."
Pruden's face contorted into confusion at the answer. That was until I turned to my right and kneeled.
Tanya's face again became scarlet as I took her hand and asked her the question again.
"Tanya Valken, Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
Again, she made a motion of twirling with her hands while avoiding my eyes and said. "I guess you stupid Baka."
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Year 3324 Jun 5
'Another dream...'
It was always that dream. I'd sit on my pathetic throne, only to fall asleep and dream of a better past. A past in which she still lived.
Not even the vast pools of power I had could wipe away the past and fix the present.
For a being such as me, a being thousands of years old, and yet with all that wisdom, knowledge, and power, I failed to protect the ones I held dear, And I had no one else to blame for it but myself, I had gotten lenient and softer over the years. When the conflict started, I thought it would only last until the end of March at most, but I was quickly proven wrong.
My fist began to tighten the longer I thought about it.
Those Animales! Ripped Everything I Had From Me! And yet, I still held out a foolish hope that they would stop their madness and end this stupid coup. Even when they took my land and wealth, I still held out, hoping they would listen to reason. I gave up that hope when they started to take irreplaceable things from me.
It was my Brother Pruden first, then Victor, next it was...Tanya... and... and then... it was my sweet little girl next. Not even five, and she was burned to death for being a proclaimed WITCH!
After that, I snapped. In a fit of rage, I used my dormant power to rid the planet of all human life, not leaving a single one left. And all it took was a single movement of my hand. A simple... easy... wave...
After everything was done, I gathered whatever remained of my family's corpses and buried them in the courtyard of the castle. At first, I wouldn't even leave their graves, which didn't last long. Over time, it turned into occasional visits, then rarely, and before I knew it, I grew cold and distant to the point I didn't see any reason to continue going to see headstones that had names on them.
I've tried many things to end my everlasting life, but they always failed in the end, robbing me of the chance to be with them again.
With the planet devoid of human life, everything quickly fell into disrepair, and Mother Nature took over as it had before, leaving beautiful works of art in the forms of overgrown homes.
Every house in a fifty-mile square radius was covered in green, with flowers of multiple colors sprouting from random points across the city; each flower varied in size depending on the location of said flower. Certain sections of this planet were abundant with the core energy. Core energy is a crucial piece of the plant, as it acts like a lifeline when they're young, providing them with the necessary nutrients they wouldn't be able to obtain themselves until they were much older; it also helps out when the plants didn't have any luck with prey items; when that happens, they draw off the planet's energy to sustain themselves.
But, just because they are pretty doesn't mean they're not deadly because they are not plants that photosynthesize. Instead, they developed a carnivorous diet that consisted of animals and humans when they were still present.
When one of these plants catches a victim, it proceeds to sting the target; said sting will be laced with a poison that kills the victim 2 hours after the initial sting. But that is one of the mysteries of the plant, as a few minutes after the death of the prey item, the target will rise again with an insatiable hunger to eat any living creature.
I never bothered to look into it as the discovery had been made during the coup the humans performed. But I did note some of the papers they were working on at the time said it had only occurred in infected human victims.
Yet another reason to despise humans.
"They are such pitiful creatures."
Those words will be the last I'll say for a while as I plan to go to sleep for a bit.
But I wouldn't settle for just that.
Holding out my palm, I created a physical manifestation of a fragment of my power in the form of an emerald butterfly. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face as I thought about how much havoc this fragment could cause. As it was a being with my power, in theory, it should be second to none when it comes to this planet's food chain.
That was going to be the last action I was going to do while awake.
I sat there and watched as the emerald flew off into the distance. My eyelids grew heavy as I took one last look at the most serene view before giving in and letting my body do the rest; I went still a moment later, falling into a slumber that would last for decades at least.
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Year 3392 Oct 21
"Sir!"
"What is it private." asked a man with a large ponytail.
"We have something showing up on the satellite images!" was the response given to the man.
"When don't we? It's always the same. Someone says they see something, and it turns out to be a floating rock." He said with a bit of irritation.
"No, Sir! You don't understand. The object we caught in the photo appears to be an entirely new planet!"
"Is that so..." He replied with a tone that would make you think he didn't care.
"And it's not only that, sir! There appears to be life on it!" Was the response he gave to his superior.
Now, that caught his attention.
"What kind of life?" he asked the private. As the private spoke, he grew increasingly happy - he could use this discovery to impress his superiors and perhaps finally earn the promotion he had been working towards.
"Good Work Private! I'll make sure to put in a good word about you to the higher-ups."
"Thank You, Sir!"
"Jay!"
The woman who was previously standing to the side during this conversation spoke up at her superior's call.
"Sir?" was her quick response.
"Go get Jack."
"Yes, Sir!" with another quick response, she was off, going to fetch her superiors second-hand."
It wasn't until two hours later that Jack walked through the door, his prosthetic leg hobbling along with him.
"What is it, Seti?"
"You fucking idiot! What Took You So Long!?" the now-named Seti cried out in an uproar.
Jack responded. "Ya know, doing paperwork, working on my office, and... some tomfoolery, if you know what I mean," he said with a face so stupid that you wouldn't believe him.
Seti huffed in irritation at the audacity the youth had these days.
"Listen here, dumbass. We got confirmation that there is a new planet out there with the possibility to house life. So you're going to take your happy ass up north to the outpost and inform them of this. That way, we can start preparation for a possible space expedition and get to it before any other country discovers it. Now Move Your ASS!"
Jack didn't even get a chance to react as he was shoved out of the main room and into the hall.
With a scowl painted on his face, he begrudgingly made his way to the parking garage to pick up a car.
"If it's so important, why don't you do it, you lazy bastard."
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Year 3392 Jan 12
"This is unit 202; we are ready for take-off."
"Roger that 202, we are activating the launch now; brace yourselves."
"Copy that."
"All Personale Are to Leave The Launch Pad; I Repeat All Personale Are To Leave The Launch Pad. We are preparing for lift-off."
"All Right Everyone! It's Time To Wrap Up! Step Away From The Thrusters And Move Back To The Safe Zone!"
"We Have Lift Off In 5-4-3-2-1."
With a boom that could be heard for miles, the thrusters roared to life like a bat out of hell. The shuttle took its time before rising into the air, gaining altitude faster and faster until it was past the atmosphere. Only then did it discard the items that helped it get up here in the first place. Its empty fuel tanks were discarded, and thrusters engaged.
"This is Captin of 202; we have successfully breached the atmosphere and are on a trajectory for Planet Zero; I repeat, we have successfully breached the atmosphere and are on a trajectory for Planet Zero."
"This Is command; we have heard your message and wish you good luck on the expedition." With that final line said, the 202 crew hunkered down for the night as they were in for some uneventful days.
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Year 3392 Jan 21
"Log 1"
"This is the captain of unit 202; we are 2 hours out from Planet Zero, and I can confirm that life is present and being sustained; other than that, there's not much to see... End log"
Jan 22
"Log 2"
"This is the captain of unit 202; back with a report. We landed yesterday and have not found anything out of the ordinary. This place is almost exactly like planet Earth. The air seems breathable, but we opted to continue wearing our rebreathers so we don't have to worry about contracting some unknown illness... End log"
Jan23
"Log 3"
"This is the medic codename Angle of unit 202; we have discovered an odd fauna. We found it dead on one of the forest edges and are now conducting an autopsy on it. The subject of the study appears to be a large cat-like species with five 2-meter-long tails and two sets of legs that reach up to eight feet. It has fangs the size of a twenty-four-inch machete and claws that extend up to a foot. We have not begun dissection yet because we are waiting for the captain to return from scouting... End log"
Jan 24
"Log 4"
"This is the captain of unit 202; the creature my team found has been dubbed Claw, and Angle will go into further detail on it upon completing the dissection. On another note, while on the scouting mission the other day, I ran into two things that might interest the command. One can't be extracted due to aggressive behavior, and the other is just a matter of catching it. The first one I mentioned displayed intentions to harm me when I got too close; it had the image of a large flower with petals painted in different shades of red; another I saw had green petals instead of red, so I'm going to assume that one is a subspecies of the other or they both have different meanings in what they can do; almost like jungle frogs. The other creature I observed was a butterfly that looked to be made out of emerald; it also seemed to glow from time to time. I didn't get to observe it longer because it flew off, but I have this odd feeling that it won't be the last we see of it... End log"
Jan 25
"Log 5"
"This Is the engineer codename Architect of unit 202; I don't know what it is about this place, but it doesn't feel right. Every time I turn my back, I swear I can feel something watching me, not to mention the creature who keeps leaving scratch marks on the ship's outer hull, and that's not even the creepiest part either. I don't know how or why, but the scratch marks always appear on the outer wall, specifically the walls that block the outside from the sleeping quarters; it's almost like they know we are asleep and want to get in. I don't know how much longer I'll be willing to stay... End log"
Jan 26
"Log 6"
"This is Angle of Unit 202; I have completed the dissection of the fauna now known as Claw; the creature's internal structure appears to be vastly different from the average cat you'd find on Earth. Most of the known big cats on Earth are meat eaters. This one doesn't appear to be one; its internals are structured in a way that makes it obvious it is a herbivore; more proof can be derived from the fact that aside from its canines, all its teeth are flat. I also found a gland of some kind in its lower jaw. For now, I have dubbed it dangerous because of the unknown factors that lie within, and given the interactions with most glands within a subject's body, it's safe to say it's most likely a toxin of some kind. I have put it in a vacuum-sealed bag for further study when we return to Earth... Log end"
Jan 27
"Log 7"
"This is the Architect of unit 202; I... I... god damn it... I woke up today expecting the same. Scratches on the outer hull and the feeling of being watched; I got both... and a little more of the other... The feeling of being watched has doubled, and the number of claw marks has tripled. We held a vote; instead of leaving on the designated date, we are cutting the trip short and leaving In a few hours; both the Captain and Angle agreed to this as it is becoming increasingly more hostile the longer we stay here before we go though, the Captin went out one more time to catch this butterfly she keeps talking about; I don't know anything about it, but with the way she talks about it, it has to be something... End log"
Jan 27. An hour before the departed
"Finale log"
"This is the captain of unit 202; the specimen has been caught, and the ship is preparing to launch. All research and samples we've collected and documented are being loaded as we speak; once we lift off, it'll take Nine days to arrive back on Earth... End log"
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If you were still on Planet Zero, you could see a second coming of the sun as it rose past the horizon and into the depths of space.
Many things were there to witness it, and they always have been.
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Year 3392 Feb 5
"Everyone get to your post and prepare for their arrival Now!" Shouted a man with long black hair tied up into a ponytail.
The area around him was bustling with activity in preparation for the inevitable landing of Unit 202. When they received a message from the 202 launch ship stating they were on their way back, they were notably shocked as they had not been expecting them for another five days. As such, they had to make haste to create an appropriate landing space for them to use.
Seti was surprised. But not too surprised, as he had already anticipated their early arrival. The mission was more of a test run to him than anything, as it is common for a commander to send in scouts to observe possible threats, and it seems he was right to do so because, upon landing, the ground team and everyone around couldn't help but notice the sizable claw marks imprinted in the metal.
They only stopped gawking when the landing gear was fully deployed to stabilize the ship.
People began to move again because all of them had different tasks to take care of; some were sent to retrieve the pilots and check them over for any injuries they might have obtained while there, while others were sent to the cargo bay to retrieve any samples and documents they had collocated or documented while off-planet.
Most were sent to document and repair the damage accumulated on the ship's outer hull.
A worker was looking at the damage when he spotted something odd. A flower; it was so small you wouldn't think twice upon seeing it. He leaned closer to get a better picture of it.
To him, it looked dead, but he could still see a faint red outline on it. Leaning in a little closer, he could have sworn to see it move, but that was just his mind playing tricks on him... right?
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The Butcher Plant is a plant that has eight colored petals; the colors vary from Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Black. Each color represents a different meaning; some mean danger, while others mean safety.
For Example/ Green, Blue, and Black are all in the safe category. Green secretes an Orange substance that has healing properties and can cure most known illnesses; Blue genetically modifies the host from the inside; it can do this thanks to the spores it releases in the air; said spores are microscopic and can't be seen under normal circumstances. The spores will turn the host into the equivalent of fantasy elves, with much longer lifespans, long ears, sensitive hearing, and an unnatural connection to nature.
The last of the safe ones are Black; Black represents death, is what most say, but there, on planet Zero, Black represents life. The Black flower, located on the planet zero, has properties that can make one immortal... An undying being that not even the strongest of gods can kill.
Next, we move on to the deadly Butcher Plants, Red and Yellow.
Yellow on Planet Zero represented cessed motion in nature; the Yellow Butcher Plant can shoot out two-inch needles covered in a toxin that permanently paralyzes any targets hit. When hit with this plant, your only option is to die, as there is no cure.
Finally, we move on to the Red Butcher Plant; this plant is the worst plant to come out of the butcher family, as its colors represent the opposite of the Black. Death. This plant uses a long and malleable protrusion with over twenty-six medium to large needles embedded in it; said protrusion is located at the center of the Red Butcher Plant and has been described as an unblinking Eye of ink. If you were ever stung by this plant, you would experience symptoms such as Haemorrhagic fevers, muscle spasms, severe migraines, partial blindness, loss of hearing, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, psychotic tendencies, irrational behavior, Aquaphobia, and more. And to top it all off, you'd only have two hours to live after the initial sting. Once that time is up, you will die, yet... You won't...
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Two Hours Before Fallout
The worker decided he didn't care too much and went to pull the flower and throw it in the trash, marking it down as space debris; when he did get a full grip on it, he could have sworn to feel a prickling sensation, but when he turned his hand over to get a look at the area he found nothing so he continued with his job unaware of the world he had just doomed.
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When a person is stung by a Red Butcher Plant, they won't feel anything for ten minutes after the initial sting.
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An Hour Before Fallout
Seti looked on with curiosity as the fluttering creature flew about in its container.
"And you said it could glow?" he said as he looked at the 202 captain.
"Yes, Sir." was her quick response.
Seti thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, as impressive as this thing is, we have nothing on it, so I'll get a research team on this immediately. Your contribution shall not be forgotten; great work, captain."
"Thank you, sir!" with that, the captain turned and left, leaving Seti alone; he stayed a bit longer to watch the creature before turning and leaving himself. All while being oblivious to the lid of the container slowly turning open.
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Fallout
"Stupid Seti, always bossing me around like I'm a nobody. Well, I'm not a nobody, god damn it! I am the second in command! And I deserve just as much respect as he does." Jack spouted to no one.
"Who does he think he is, bossing me around like that? I-"
"huuuuu'.
Jack was stopped as he heard someone groaning.
He turned his head in curiosity. "Hello?" he called out.
No response
That pissed him off. As he was about to rage, someone stepped out of the bathroom to his right.
"There you are bastard! You think you can ignore me!"
Another groan.
If the hallway was a little brighter, then Jack might have seen the blood; if the hallway wasn't so dim, then Jack might have noticed the shaded pale eyes; if the hallway had been just a little bit brighter, then Jack would have lived... but it wasn't.
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Seti was sitting there filling out paperwork when the screams started. At first, he thought it was them celebrating the successful mission, but he turned out to be very wrong, as what was once just a few screams quickly became hundreds; he soon found out that they were not shots of joy but of fear. He jolted up and rushed to the door to see what was happening, but before he could, something started banging on his door... and he responded.
If only he hadn't opened the door, he might have lived.
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We cut back to the storage room, filled to the top with boxes and supplies of many kinds, yet here, right now, the only thing that mattered was the flying emerald; it danced in the air with glee as the container it was previously in lay open on the ground. Eventually, it flew over to the wall and phased through it, not leaving a trace of it ever being there.
This action had consequences, but not to it; to the world. The energy used by the emerald butterfly overloaded the electrical system that the facility used, subsequently opening all doors in the process.
It flew off into the distance, leaving chaos and death behind. I wonder where it's heading. Maybe a flower field, or perhaps a forest, no?
Hmmmm, OK... how about... a tree house?
