1 The Gathering

From the darkness, there was nothing.

Then a female.

In a white bodysuit she came; she had red hair and tan eyes. She was beautiful. Her name was Yuzhu.

And in her brain was Takonmi. Another beautiful woman. Yuzhu was peaceful, kind, loving, and strong in heart, mind and body. Takonmi, on the other hand, had a fiery temper and an analytical, intelligent, and cynical mind.

They made a powerful and strong team; Takonmi using Yuzhu's body for strength. Yuzhu using Takonmi's brain for her intellect. Takonmi using Yuzhu's intuition. Yuzhu using Takonmi's fiery intimidation.

Together, they were a versatile force capable of defeating any opponent.

Takonmi was using Yuzhu's body because of injuries as a result of the war; she was crippled and confined in a wheelchair.

Yuzhu was a highly gifted gymnast at the level of world class and beyond.

Together they were chasing a mad fugitive known as Daemian through a portal. A terrorist and a master criminal. The mad fugitive was accused of treason of the heinous sort and inciting war. War has torn up their world because of this man and it will never recover. It has been destroyed. Daemian must be brought to justice.

Yuzhu and Takonmi were relaying this information in their 'thought box', a place where Yuzhu and Takonmi can talk to each other. Since they shared one body, it has become a sort of forum. That is when they heard chittering in the darkness.

"Show yourself in the name of the law."

"I can't show myself until we play my game."

"I won't play with a madman"

Takonmi: This madman won't reveal himself! Otherwise, let's play his game for a while.

Yuzhu: But how will we know? He'll come

out.

Takonmi: We don't. For now we will play and stall for time, hoping he'll make a mistake.

"What's the game?"

"The game called God."

"What are your rules."

Grass starts growing on earth that materialized seemingly out of nowhere.

"The fun part is we make the rules."

"God saves, madman"

"Then I'll be the devil. And my rule is you can't be angry when I infuriate you."

"And my rule is I create the world; you influence it."

"Agreed."

Water trickles out of the grass until streams come out. The rivers flow, as the grass expands and grows until they become trees. Then the earth expands and shrinks upon itself to create mountains. Lakes start appearing, and the first creatures crawl on land from the oceans.

—

Floating. She landed and created the first earth. Wherever she stepped, trees and flowers sprouted from the ground.

Tired, she exhaled strong breaths. And from her breath came Air.

Eventually she grew cold, so she made warmth from parts from trees, creating the first Fire. However, it got out of control, burning the earth into nothingness.

From the ash came a male child called Evil. They became friends. Mostly because of Evil's charm and Good's grace. They decided to dance out of boredom when talking was pointless. As they danced they created the earth. They danced until they created patches of lands, to continents to the whole world. When they bored of dancing.

They created a woman, a beautiful woman, out of earth and precious stones. Ruby breasts, emerald eyes and sapphire fingernails. The rest was made of clay. By saying a few magic words she was born. And today to this day she still supports the earth.

When they got bored with that they also felt a strange feeling a stirring in the lungs.

They were thirsty and so created water with a few drops of blood, tears, and sweat into the Earth, creating the oceans.

From the murky brine was born Water. Water's skin was smooth as water and had luscious green seaweed for hair.

After creating water they became tired and weary. So they rested on Earth's body. As they slept they dreamed of the different worlds they were going to create. As they slept they created the Realm of Dreams, a plane of existence that affects the material plane, in the most unusual but obvious ways. People attuned to it would be the most dubious,enigmatic and also most successful of prophets.

Waking up, they soon came to the realization: what is up? Air knew, for he was always adventurous. He led them to the skies. And as they came up to the clouds, they decided to build a home there, creating the heavens. Good and Evil eventually decided to create the animals and creatures for them to watch below from the skies.

From the Earth, they created clay figurines and from Fire they hardened them. They used air to breathe life into them and water to make them movable. They also created the first humans in their likeness.

What Good didn't know was that Evil was making monsters secretly right under her notice. They terrorized the early humans and nearly drove the plants and animals into extinction. The only ones who knew what was going on was Fire and Water. Water eventually told Good out of a guilty heart.

When Good found out Evil's malicious mischief, there was a battle between him and her, as well as their creations. The very heavens rumbled when the gods fought. For Evil's treachery, Good locked him deep into Earth's body along with Fire.

Good was heartbroken, her one friend was gone forever. The only thing to do was to watch the creatures still alive. Letting them grow and reproduce. Eventually she created worlds by herself, occasionally releasing Fire when needed. She knew that eventually she would have to pass the torch to the next successor of creating worlds; in the center of the multi universe she created a portal to the next inky void of which will be the new multi verse. She knew that eventually her strength will give up and the world would collapse apart. Thus the portal to the next multi verse.

She eventually grew fatigued and retired to the far corners of the cosmos and passed on, her body creating the Spirit realms. Evil too passed on, however when he died his body corrupted the three realms, Heaven, Dream and Spirit. Some areas are stagnated and inhabited by evil creatures as a result. The greatest of these creatures were the creatures known as the Devil.

The four elements supported the three planar realms as well as the material world. And they stayed to watch over Good and Evil's creations, never interfering in mortal affairs until it's finally needed.

There were many different 'takes' on what created the world; the above description does not necessarily show how the world was created, but rather a take from the denizens of heaven. The Creatures of dreams and the Beings of the Spirit realm have their take as well.

Before the multiverse as we know it today, there was chaos. A primordial soup. But eventually from within were born beings of alien power. They constructed the earth that would not be what we see today. They created the first people and the first creatures. Erecting nightmarish cities and fortresses. And ruled with what we would consider a bizarre misshapen fist, worshiped by the very creatures they created. For whatever reason they erected other worlds similar to what we would consider today as more in line with reality. After that the alien powers eventually destroyed what they created in a war for dominance with each other.Then their powers exhausted they hid themselves and passed on into deep slumber. Some followers fled to the far corners of the cosmos for years while others simply lived out their days in ruined cities. Until even they forgot who they were waiting for. The beasts evolved ,the monsters fled and the elements took over. The Ancients were gone. Supposedly.

Before the multiverse there was nothingness. And from nothingness sprang forth a gate and from that gate came through spirits. Creator spirits who created whole new worlds. And from the spirits came the first creatures and humans. However there was evil kami who wanted to undo good kami's work so they created evil creature's. Eventually there was a conflict between the creations and the spirits got involved. Eventually the very earth shook as spirit clashed against spirit until the strongest of all good kami and the strongest of all bad kami made a pact. That all kami will vanish from the earth. Leaving the creations leaderless. The kami will come back when good and evil will be needed once again because without evil there is no good and without good no evil.

-

Rayn was falling, the descent seemingly endless. There were no walls to break the fall, it was almost like she was falling down a canyon with no bottom. Her eyes closed, waiting for the moment when she finally transforms into an explosion of shrapnel of bone, blood, and bits of organs.

Moments later she opens them. And she is floating inches off the ground in air. An eerie wind blows on a ancient checkered floor of black and white. Somehow she lands on the floor either because she wills it or because a presence lifted her down. Probably a combination of both.

And as she floats down she turns around and looks straight at a book on a stone pedestal. The book is made out of leather some sort of darkened leather. And bound in a kind of string made apparently of physical shadow. There is nothing written on the front of the book.

On the pedestal there are words inscribed.

"Only those who are curious may read this time".

Curious, Rayne cracks open the book. It creaks open with an eerie thud. It reverberates within the space. Echoing. On the first page there appears to be a contract. Written in some sort of language in cursive, Rayne can't understand but she was curious so she turns the page but cuts her hand. She recoils in shock and pain for the page is sharp despite being an old looking book. And as she flings blood over the pages it lands on the place where the signature should be and magically her name becomes written in crimson red.

Wild winds rush through her hair and the second page is flipped. A fresco of a cloaked stranger being pinned and crushed to the ground by a skeletal hand. His mouth wide open as a black fog enters his mouth, as well as rats and insects and other creatures associated with death and pestilence. Among other things there was a group of riders one with no head but is holding a pumpkin and is also riding on an flaming skeletal horse. Another is a knight welding a spiked chain and is shrouded in flies. And another is holding a axe dripping with ichor. The final one is riding a rhime frosted bloodied horse holding a giant lance aloft.

They are confronting an army of humans Rayne couldn't seem to recognize. In the center of them is a skeletal figure wielding a giant scythe. His robes on and in fire. He is fighting the army as well. Up above the carnage is a person hunched over playing the piano. Corpses from below him are on the ground but rising as if they were sleeping but now awoken. There are animals and other creatures with weapons fighting both sides. The whole battlefield scene is painted with red rain droplets drenching the three armies in crimson. The skies are filled with dragons, birds, angels, demons, and other creatures fighting each other.

The second page turns and there is another mural a giant pile of corpses burning in a lake of fire with a figure of indeterminate light hovering over it its hands outstretched. There seems to be what appears to be a gate behind it.

The third page turns and there is a portrait a figure in red and in his shadow a shadowy form of a demonic dragon like bat behind him. He is dancing with the figure of light. There are flowers in the background. The dark and light figures are dancing. Dancing on grey space.

The fourth page turns and there is the figure creating worlds from a black nothingness. The people on the worlds cheering at the figure ,laughing out of joy. Some are solemn and serious. Animals are seen walking on two legs in the choir of people.

On the fifth page there is the figure in red is slitting his hand and looming over his blood and from the blood monsters are bursting forth in cascades. In the background there are men and women doing various acts of sin. A being or figure of fire is seen in the jubilant throng he is seen in acts of wrath, anger and destruction with sparks of fire emitting from his body, igniting nearby people. A bloody sword is in his hand. The animal men are running in fear, some are running and praying to a giant wolf. The wolf is seen hunched towering over a human, it is either nurturing the human or attempting to devour it. Rayne was never to sure as the images terrified her. Humanoid figures with spotted half domes and various other anthropomorphic fungi are prostrating themselves before a hazy figure with a staff and robes. People with what appears to be leafs and petals on their heads are embracing a female figure in a storm of cherry blossoms. She appears to be in a silk robe and a iron sword she holds forth in one hand. A whip of thorns and nettles is in the other.

On the sixth page there are warriors in various regalia holding aloft various weapons in the air. Suspended above them there are various floating animals and monsters. Noticeably where their legs and feet should be there's a tail. Must be an interpretation of spiritual creatures, Rayne thought.The spirits are seemingly connected to the weapons. There are warriors taking on the shape of beasts, in various degrees of severity. They are fighting what looks like creatures wearing clay masks and pieces of paper covering the forehead with indecipherable singular characters on them.

On the seventh page, there are noble looking knights taking on what looks to be suits of armor. Armor with glowing red eyes and weapons with thick edges. The knights are wielding weapons that are releasing various forms of energy. Magic as what Rayne can only describe. The warriors on the previous page are similar to the ones here on this page. They must be part of the same army, Rayne thought.

On the eighth page there are a gathering of warriors each wearing blood stained armor. They coalesce and form into the beast seen several times throughout the previous pages. The beast in turn is splitting into even more beasts, their angry red eyes glaring.

On the final ninth page that is filled, there is a scene where the figure in light confronts the beast of madness, who is seen being ridden on by the figure of flame. And who in turn is being commanded by the figure in red. The ground beneath the red figure is cracked and is swallowing the figure. Fire can be seen jutting out of the cracks. And above the epic scene there is a gate of white light.

Then the book slams shut. And appearing from out of the blackness and shadow a creature of bone, sinew and muscle appears. Its humanoid in shape with no skin. Just red muscle and bone white claws. In its left hand it grips a boney greatsword. In the other it holds a ebon greataxe. It utters forth a bone chilling ultimatum.

"Answer my questions and you will be found truly worthy, fail and you will die like so many others before you."

"What is your query?"

"Do you fear the power of Good and the power of Evil?

"No, I see both as outdated concepts, that people fight over for nothing more than temporary gain"

"Who would you kill if you were so inclined, the abusive husband or the helpless wife"

"Both are deserving of death for different reason, but that is everyone else as well. Everyone deserves rest. It all happens eventually."

"Yes, you do seem to have a strong sense of justice as well as a merciful soul, let us continue. There is a girl that fell in a open well but looking at the nearby ground there's a necklace she dropped but nearby you hear the sound of battle and it's getting closer, you have only time for one thing to do before she drowns what would you do?"

"I would not save her, what was she doing near a well? Near a scene of war? I wouldn't pick up the necklace either, it is not mine nor will I rush foolishly into a battle I have no business in to be in."

"You are neutral in alignment it seems as well, a fair but unfair judge, a witness of tragedy, an observer of fate. However you must learn to take up arms yourself as you wield the scythe Shi,the Pale Horse. You cannot sit idly all the time as the Pale Rider. At times there are people that must be brought into the afterlife, both good and evil, the sick and the healthy, the cold hearted and the kindly. For you must be the great equalizer. The one who will take both the good and the bad and embrace them to send them to their justly deserved reward. Whether they wish it or not"

The creature then puts his two weapons together and they merge to create a wicked scythe. In which he hands it to Rayne.

"This will be your weapon, but in order to activate most of its powers for your own you must defeat me as the rite dictates. In single combat", it laughs at the joke in a raspy voice. "You have no chance of surviving my onslaught even when I have no weapons but my claws, I will use your skin as clothes when I head back to my lair among all my other trophies I've collected, over the millennia of thousands that I have been inside this prison."

With that, the creature attacks in a howl of unholy and beastly fury.