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Final Chapter - Continued Story
🕑 Added 2022-04-07 17:47:26 +0000 UTCThe Rhodos colony was moved into a Lagrange point near the Earth. It will require frequent course corrections since it's several hundred kilometers across, but its gravity should affect neither the Earth nor the Moon too much. Astronomers on Earth will scratch their heads for years to come, but it paves the way for an exchange between the sequestered but advanced new humanity on the station and the medieval and magical people on Earth.
After guiding the massive colony into its place, Exla and the two goddesses of Adanak returned to the Queen Pelomyx core module and reunited with the others. Without a moment's delay, they made their way to the Imagination Engine in hopes of welcoming Chaos and the others back.
However, when they returned to the cube-shaped central section of the Rhodos station remaining near the Sun, they found no way in. Due to its non-conductive surface material, even Tahiri couldn't enter. The only connection to the inside they knew of was the transportation network in the colony, which had been irrevocably detached.
Aurelia suggested using force to open a hole into the structure, but Exla stopped her. If they damaged the Imagination Engine's containment system, Senka's work and the colony's detachment would have been for naught.
Speaking of the doll girl, she didn't respond to any of Kamii's telepathic calls. It was safe to say that she had gone to the other side to aid Chaos and the others in their battle against Mataku as she said she would. They were cut off from the cube's inside with no way to know what was going on.
Ultimately, all they could do was return to Earth and wait.
It has been two months since the battle on the Rhodos station. If Mataku had won, this universe might have already been consumed, so at least they know that Chaos and the others haven't lost. Kerry has traveled to the cube section every day to check on the status of the Imagination Engine but found no changes.
Life on Earth has returned to normalcy since the moonfall was stopped. The rumor that the titanic goddess who caught the Moon and threw it back into space was Exla, the Guardian of the Soil, has now made its rounds across the globe.
"You are certainly more of a Guardian of the Soil than I ever was." Exla comments when Rewera recounts the report from the maids, who picked it up from people talking in the city. Although the cloud girl has been tending to a continent-sized garden for several millennia, she can't call herself a goddess after the divine feats Tokomaha performed.
"I am the God of Growth." Crossing her arms, the little goddess declares with a disdainful sniff. Her powers and actions may qualify her as a guardian of the soil, but she cares more about growing things than protecting them. "I only give growth. They have to guard themselves."
Exla laughs at Tokomaha's obstinacy. She protected the Earth and the Rhodos colony, which puts her firmly in a position of a protector. But even after those feats, she doesn't want any praise or recognition - if it's not from Chaos.
Hestia looks up at the bright sky where the colony module is visible to the naked eye as a sickle, showing the side illuminated by the Sun. The flowers that Tokomaha grew on its surface will likely remain there for eternity, including the giant one that replaced its heat shield. It's a monument to her divinity as much as the new mountain range that formed north of the Dominion from her growing to a titanic size is.
According to some reports, the cult of self-mutilating and cannibalistic kobolds that used to live in the Ogely mountains in the region Tokomaha stood on survived the ordeal. They now worship her in their own strange ways as their chief god.
The fallen Fata furrows her brow at the thought that Chloe's actions aren't spoken about at all. Nobody even noticed the solar storm that threatened to burn the Earth's surface, but without her, the world would have been destroyed. The same goes for their battle against the false gods, the Collective, and Mataku.
There is no doubt in her mind that she will return from the other side. They all know that time in the Outer One's realm works differently, so it could take many summers for them to return and act as if not even a day has passed.
That's the hope they all share as they discuss how to handle Chaos's absence regarding the Dominion. Aurelia jokingly mentioned that she would take over if Chaos didn't return in time, and Rewera expressed her support as a follow-up. But as the days go by without a ruler, that joke is becoming a more and more likely reality.
On the side of the clan leaders, not one would argue that Aurelia isn't fit for ruling the nation. They have witnessed her prowess in battle and politics many times, so she's certainly qualified. Still, the populace doesn't know her and would worry why this largely unknown person took to the throne when their real queen promised them a new golden age under her.
Rolan and his companions have already left the Dominion and returned to the human lands with Sintress. With her help, they will bring the truth to the people. Millennia of Old Human indoctrination will require much work and many trustworthy voices to come undone. Who would be better for the job than the former hero, several Chosen Knights, and a banished goddess herself?
None of this matters to Kamii, who barely listens to the discussion. If Kuroeh doesn't return, nothing keeps her in Arkaim. She has no interest in politics or power, so she would rather journey the lands as her nomadic people are used to. With her right arm now that of a regular dark elf's, she has no trouble living on her own either.
"You can't sit still either, can you?" Tahiri addresses the little dark elf in a warm tone. It's a testament to the Old Humans' genius to create a language anybody can pick up quickly. The God of Storms took no time to learn it since they returned from their voyage through space.
Kamii only nods once in response. The best time she had apart from Kuroeh was on the road, traveling through the Dominion with her companions. Perhaps doing it again could distract her for a while until her beloved finally returns.
"Let us go on a journey then. I will show you where I met her." The God of Storms gives the little dark elf a warm smile. The latter knows that she's from a continent unknown even to her people. Seeing new lands might indeed occupy her for the foreseeable future.
"Back to Armeria?" Korenga asks, her green eyes lighting up with an excited glint. With the Black God's curse removed, they are no longer black and lifeless. Her thoughts and emotions are on full display now, and her simple but warlike mind has been replaced with her original straightforward and bright personality.
"That's a good idea." Tokomaha comments when she overhears them talking. Although home is where she grows her forest - and where Chaos is - the God of Growth does miss the lands and climate of Armeria. Perhaps now is the best time to consider making a trip back to her origins while waiting for Chaos's return.
Everybody seems to share that thought. Not one doubts that Chaos will return, but they won't sit around and wait for her while doing nothing. Even Hestia isn't so dependent that she can't think of a few things of her own to do during her beloved's absence.
Thus, the conversation about Aurelia taking the throne shifts to them going their separate ways for a time. Some would visit their homelands; others would take care of personal matters they neglected over the threat of the end of the world.
Equipped with communications devices Exla got from the Rhodos colony, they would keep in contact across the world. Once Chaos returned, they would all reconvene to welcome her.
Two years have passed since.
Aurelia has settled into her role as the queen of the Dominion and made several trips around the nation to strengthen her position. With the support of Rewera and the Four Great Clans, few dared to voice discontent. But even those came around when they came face to face with her charismatic demeanor and striking appearance.
Afterward, she traveled to the Empire of Terminus to initiate diplomatic relations with her former empire and home. The ministers welcomed the Golden Queen cordially, hoping that there was some truth to the rumor that she was indeed their legendary queen of yore.
The last war saw the deaths of several important imperial household members and the disappearance of their pantheon. The incumbent emperor, a youthful and hedonistic despot, drove the empire and her people to the brink. Perhaps she could save the crumbling nation.
Rolan and his companions had laid the groundwork for Aurelia's success. Sigurd spread the rumors about her legitimacy through the bard network, causing the people to be more receptive to the truth. At the same time, Sintress reluctantly used her status as the Lady of Brilliance to propagate the message through her church.
When the Golden Queen finally visited the empire, Rolan and the others had already moved on and returned to their homeland. Svanhild had a tearful reunion with her family, which thought she had died in the war. She would later join the royal guard and accompany the king of Lares to a meeting with Aurelia in the Dominion a few years later.
Halthor left for his hometown in the north after meeting with the professors of the Royal Academy and thanking them for their guidance. His name would pass into legend when he saved many villages from the leaderless frost giants who had been reduced to banditry and marauding.
Rolan, Runa, Gram, and Sigurd made the journey across the King's Pass to Hovsgaerden, where they rejoined the guild. So far from the wars, nobody knew that he had been the hero of this age. They had started from humble beginnings and returned to a humble life helping the people. Rolan and Runa married in the summer after.
Around that time, Hestia returned to the Fatas Triarchy and revealed her identity and powers to the people. Her father, one of the Triarchs, was relieved of his position when they verified that Hestia was his illegitimate daughter. The Moirael family she belonged to fell from grace in the following months, while the fallen Fata became a rising star to the nation's oppressed.
With Dregana by her side, she took on the nation's leaders in open debate and shadowy intrigue. They declared her an outlaw when they could no longer keep her in check through political maneuvering and assassination attempts, which resulted in a civil war. Leading an uprising of the lower-class citizens, Hestia and Dregana took the nation by storm and dispatched their enemies with ruthless efficiency and overwhelming might.
In a reflection of Pelomyx's takeover of the Dominion, the fallen Fata quickly performed a purge of the old system and instated herself as the new absolute ruler. But whereas she showed no love for her own kind, her reforms quickly changed the nation for the better. The humans and dragonkin, treated as second-class citizens by their Fata overlords, revered her as their savior.
Kamii traveled to Armeria with Tahiri, Tokomaha, and Korenga. They started in Aoranam and the neighboring Ototawa village, where they met all the people that helped Chaos get over her depression after her mother died. The villagers welcomed them warmly, and they stayed with Awhina and her family.
The three gods of Adanak told the story of their adventures since they separated at the capital three years ago. The villagers listened intently, unable to grasp the concepts and scope of the battles they fought but understanding that they saved the world repeatedly. The people held a festival for their saviors and partied for many days.
Soon after, they went their separate ways. The Black God, now relieved of that title, went on a journey to find herself and her ancestral home. The God of Growth returned to the ancient and untouched wilderness that she had missed so dearly. The little dark elf and the God of Storms continued on together, retracing Chaos's footsteps through Adanak.
Their journey took them to Manoa, where life had long since returned to normalcy, although hints of its dark past under Rapania are still visible here and there. They continued on to Uarapo, the town that Roamukao destroyed in his emergence. The people that evacuated back then had rebuilt it, complete with a totem pole depicting the legend of the seven gods that saved this land from the God of Destruction.
Kamii and Tahiri enjoyed the food in Anutawa before they passed the twin mountains of Erua onto the plains leading toward Kairaki. In the capital, Mereana sought them out and invited them to a lavish feast in her manor. Even though she has become a general of the kingdom, she would spare all the time she could to welcome one of her old companions and a friend of Chaos.
Finally, the little dark elf separated from the God of Storms here and continued on her own to explore the rest of Armeria. She decided to journey across the whole planet she had seen from space and return to the Dominion on her own in time.
Tahiri returned to the skies and reunited with her children. They would spend some years together, catching up on what had been denied to them by Mataku's interference. Aratio would sometimes bring up Chaos, and the God of Storms would only reply with a melancholic smile.
Twenty summers came and passed.
Rolan and Runa's two daughters, Chloe and Vigdis, have left their home to go on their own adventures. Following their legendary parents' footsteps would prove difficult, but the two girls were undaunted before this task. The human and half-elf kept in contact with their former companions as best as they could, but time was moving their lives apart.
Gram journeyed to the Dominion on his own when their party broke up after Runa gave birth to her first child. There, he traveled to Ajurai to meet Chandra once more. Ajura and humans can't interbreed, but that didn't stop them from trying. The big man was certainly the envy of many, but he beat back all challengers, including seasoned ajura warriors vying for his position by the clan leader's side.
Sigurd traveled the world on his own, wearing his feathered cap and lute in hand. Even though he's the son of Sintress, he never once revealed that fact to anybody and lived his life as a regular human. He aged gracefully and swooned many women of all races but never settled down as if compelled to stay on the road and spread the tales he had experienced during his time with Chloe and the others.
The Dominion entered a golden age under Aurelia, with cultural and technological advances brought on by exchange with the Rhodos colony. With Kleihn and her clan's help, they made many of the Old Human technology their own to ease everyday life. Trade between the Dominion and the human nations was booming, with the rebuilt Pontis Daemonis established as a gateway city for all races to mingle in.
A few years ago, Exla finally plucked the gigantic imperial palace in Vertex Mundia, the capital of the Empire of Terminus, out of the ground. The people of the empire were on the brink of rebellion, but she eliminated the despotic emperor before a bloody war could ensue. He was the last in a line of rulers tracing their ancestry back to Zenlith himself. The empire soon reformed itself into a republic and distanced itself from its imperialistic past.
Hestia stepped down as an absolute ruler and renamed the Fatas Triarchy into just the Triarchy. The government was reformed under a system of three rulers with a Fata, a human, and a dragonkin representative. Of course, she didn't immediately yield power and took the seat of the Fata representative while Dregana filled that of the dragonkin equivalent. But gradually, she would follow Terminus's example and give more and more power to the people. The road to a peaceful world was long, but she had time while waiting for Chloe to return.
Kamii had visited every continent and came by the Dominion, the Triarchy, Adanaka, and the Kingdom of Lares a few times. The little dark elf would catch up with her former companions and fellow lovers of Kuroeh before moving on once more, seemingly unable to stay in one place for too long. She had no doubts that Kuroeh would return and find her, so she would live life as she pleased until then.
Korenga found no trace of her home village after the many centuries since Mataku had cursed her. She instead moved to the now-abandoned fortress of Pakangaroa and transformed it into a sanctuary for the homeless and shunned. The Black God returned to her roots as a goddess of healing, but rumor has it that she's not beyond responding in kind against those who would disturb the peace of her new home with violence.
Tokomaha disappeared into the depths of the Armeria jungle. Lost travelers would report catching glimpses of her when she guided them back onto the right path, but she became an elusive spirit rather than a tangible god of Adanak. She melded back into the wilderness she had seemingly sprung from one day, returning to the legend that she used to be.
Kerry watched by their unresponsive mother Elaine's bedside as she finally breathed her last in a cottage far from civilization on Earth. They had tried to return her to her senses over the past two decades, but she had rapidly aged when she mentally cut herself off from the Imagination Engine. Now freed of the shackles that bound the little god to this world, they took off into space, never to be seen again.
Two hundred more years would pass.
After a long and fulfilling life, Rolan was laid to rest in the Hovsgaerden cemetery. His children and grandchildren, as well as many friends, attended the small funeral. A lone dark elf watched from a distance, meeting eyes with the aging Runa and merely nodding in silent mutual understanding. This would perhaps be the last time they met, even if the half-elf could surely still see another century come and go within her lifetime.
Gram lived to the ripe age of ninety-nine and died with Chandra watching over him on his deathbed. Although their lifespans were inherently incompatible, she had spent her life with only him until his very end. Some of her people say that the Ajura clan leader never again loved somebody as much as she had loved the big man.
Sigurd gained and broke many hearts in his time, but he never left behind children. In his songs, he spread the tales of his companions, of the war in heaven, of a young girl named Chloe, far and wide. Later, they were compiled by many bards around the world and shaped part of the world's understanding of its history.
Sintress gradually reduced her standing in her own church after revealing the truth about the false gods. Although she could perform divine feats, she first became a saint, then a priestess in a Cathedral of Light, then a mere nun in a small village church. Finally, she decided to return to the life of a wandering healer, as she had been in exile for many centuries.
Around that time, Zenlith was freed from his imprisonment and made his journey across the world to the Empire of Terminus, now renamed the Republic of Terminus. There, his ambitions were crushed, as was his spirit. He met up with Sintress when she finally decided that the world was ready to move on from old humanity and turned herself mortal, but couldn't stand being reminded of his own mortality.
As the Lord of the Sky died alone in a roadside ditch, remembered only as a crazy vagabond, Exla finally released the full knowledge of old humanity to the world. Within a few decades, new humanity and demonkind experienced rapid industrialization. As the last Old Human retaining her powers, she watched over the world's development and made sure they did not repeat the mistakes of her people.
Aurelia abdicated from the Dominion throne soon after, although it was only a formality since the government had transformed into a constitutional monarchy since Exla's revelation. Two centuries under her rule had transformed the demon nation into the most prosperous country in the world. But in a rapidly changing environment, her outdated ruling model was no longer needed. Thus, she disappeared from the Dominion without a trace, nobody knowing where she went.
Hestia had acted as a shadow regent in the Triarchy for nearly two centuries, but she one day decided that it was time to move on when she saw a carefree trio of a human, a Fata, and a dragonkin child play in the streets. That night, she disappeared from her residence without a word to her attendants. The same happened at the Tarragon Manor, where Dregana had been a political advisor for the dragonkin faction. The two left the Triarchy together and went on a new journey.
By now, only the long-lived people remembered that a person named Chaos ever existed. Even then, she had become more legend than history, and the true extent of her deeds would only ever be known to those who witnessed them as her companions.
Said companions converged on the Rhodos colony one day as if on a hidden signal only visible to them. Since Exla released the Old Human technology to the world, the colony's relative isolation was also undone. Now, shuttles would travel between Earth and the busy spaceport regularly.
Among the parked ships was one particularly large vessel with a legendary name. The Queen Pelomyx core module, preserved in a pristine condition by Exla and Kleihn, was moved for the first time in two centuries. It would become the gathering site of people who had not met each other in a long time.
"Now, this is a surprise." Aurelia turns around and comments when she lets her gaze sweep across the people that have convened at the entrance to the Queen Pelomyx. Aside from those gathering at a distance to check out the massive ship taking up several docking ports, a few familiar faces have come within a few steps of her. "What brings you all here?"
The Golden Queen wears a surprisingly simple but nonetheless stylish white dress. However, the biggest surprise is that she has cut her extremely long golden hair. It is now only shoulder-length, giving her a refreshing new appearance.
"Something compelled me." Hestia responds, placing a hand on her chest as if saying that she feels it in her heart. She wears a bodysuit and mechanical wing covers that allow her to move through space by herself. Her appearance is the same as ever, although she now wears glasses regularly.
Dregana stands behind the fallen Fata, also in a spacesuit. Although she can use the Imagination Engine to the same extent as an Old Human by now, she still has some mental inhibitions regarding space travel. After all, it is a dark and hostile place not meant for mortals, no matter how long-lived they may be.
"I came here even though I dislike all this... matter." Tokomaha looks around in disgust. The little goddess is dressed in proper modern clothes, but she seems uncomfortable. If she didn't have to ride a shuttle, she would have come as naked as she had lived in the jungle for the past two centuries. Even her leaf hair is tied back in a long ponytail to keep it out of her way when she needs to interact with terminals and automatic devices.
Kamii only nods wordlessly in a greeting gesture. Her hair has grown out to her waist as if compensating for Aurelia's shorter haircut. Among all of them, she looks like a vagabond in her now outdated but sturdy adventurer outfit. Her wanderlust remained unabated even in the changing world since Zenlith's death.
She visited Korenga's sanctuary a few times, dined with Aurelia in Arkaim castle once every few years, gave advice to Hestia and Dregana in the Triarchy, and even hunted with Tokomaha in the wilderness of Armeria. During all that time, she maintained her old clothes and mended them when necessary, leaving her with a patchwork steeped in history.
"It is no coincidence that we all arrived here around the same time." The Golden Queen surmises with a thoughtful expression.
"That is because I called you." The door to the bridge leading to the Queen Pelomyx opens, and Tahiri emerges. Her appearance hasn't changed, and neither has her easygoing attitude. "Exla's communication devices broke down long ago, so I had to get creative to find you."
"What did you do?" Hestia tilts her head and asks with her arms crossed. She's apprehensive at the thought that Tahiri messed with her mind.
"Just subliminal messages only you would get, sent across the planet's ionosphere." Tahiri explains with a shrug, but that only causes everybody to stare at her in confusion. It would seem that the God of Storm, so complacent about her power over the weather for many centuries, has learned a few new tricks since.
"Don't forget that they haven't been keeping up with the times." Exla approaches from the spaceport, walking on her own two feet. The Guardian of the Soil appears to have grown up into an adult, although her cloud-like hair is still as big and fluffy as ever. She wears a business suit and has a professional air about her, even more so since she's accompanied by an entourage of attendants.
"Explain." Kamii demands to know, causing some of the attendants to narrow their eyes at her. Exla is in the Rhodos colony council and a person of incredible importance to the world at large. Having the shabby-looking little dark elf address a person of her rank so rudely doesn't sit well with them. But before one of them can speak up, the cloud girl responds.
"Rather than explaining how she contacted you, it's better to tell you why she did it." She says with a shrug and points at the ship. "Rewera is already waiting inside, so let's talk there."
With this, she speaks a few words to her attendants, who nod in understanding and depart. Then they board the Queen Pelomyx, a sense of nostalgia washing over them as they see the somewhat outdated and crude interior. Compared to the sleek commercial vehicles and shuttles used around the world now, it maintains Alverost's more industrial design that favored function over form.
It has been two centuries since most of them were last on this ship. Although they only traveled on it for a few weeks, it holds strong memories of the most important time of their lives. But unlike before, it's now empty, missing the Maid Corps that traveled with them. Most of those who were aboard at the time have passed on or retired.
They reach the bridge and find Rewera alone, sitting in a chair next to the commander's seat. The maid leader hasn't changed a bit, still looking prim and proper after two centuries of serving under Aurelia. Even when the latter retired, she continued to maintain the Maid Corps and Arkaim castle, feeling it her duty until she is someday relieved of her post by her true queen.
After a quick exchange of greetings, they each take their old places and turn to look at Exla for her explanation. The cloud girl plops down in the commander's chair and breathes a sigh of relief as her whole posture slackens. Then she opens her collar and sighs again.
"Must be hard on you, putting up a professional front when you're really like this." Tahiri comments with a grin, but Exla only waves off her stinging quip.
"So, what is it?" Hestia asks impatiently.
"Yes, yes, I'm getting there." The Guardian of the Soil is given no time to relax, and she shows her thoughts regarding that. "I'd think two centuries would teach you patience."
"Out with it." But even Aurelia appears unwilling to wait.
"Alright, I get it." Exla raises her hands to stop any more pressure. "We called you here because we believe that something is happening inside the tesseract."
When she had their curiosity before, she now has everybody's full attention. The cloud girl explains that they have been detecting weak fluctuations for a few years already, but it was never enough to be sure that it wasn't merely quantum processes. However, in recent months, those fluctuations have increased in intensity and frequency. It's clear that something's happening to the tear in space, and it's moving toward a definite change very soon.
"Are you saying the Imagination Engine is failing?" Hestia asks with her red eyes narrowed.
"We just don't know." Tahiri responds in place of Exla. "But it could be something else."
"Something is trying to come through from the other side." Kamii mutters, causing everybody to turn to her.
"Yes, that's a very likely explanation." The cloud girl says with an anxious look across the gathered. That tells them all they need to know.
"There is no telling what that something is." Aurelia gives voice to their fears.
"It's Chaos and the others." Tokomaha leans back on her chair and comments in a carefree tone as if ignoring the heavy atmosphere on the bridge.
"We can't be sure." Exla responds while pushing some buttons on the console in front of the command chair. She initiates the decoupling procedures for the Queen Pelomyx to leave the Rhodos colony port with one hand while keeping her eyes on her old comrades. "But we will have to go and check it out."
"When did you stop believing that they would come back?" Suddenly, the little goddess jumps up from her chair and asks into the room.
"Never." Kamii replies with such conviction that Tokomaha stares at her for a moment. Then a warm smile lights up her face, and she sits back down.
"None of us did. Let's take this as a trip to hopefully welcome them back." The cloud girl continues, but her tone doesn't sound as joyful as the topic should make her. "Or make sure that the Imagination Engine doesn't break down."
Everybody remains silent at those words; even those who don't understand technology know what this means. After all, even if Chaos and her kin won against Mataku, it changes nothing about the fact that the Imagination Engine needs to function as long as the tear in space remains. Otherwise, the influence from the other side will seep through, regardless of who is in control there.
"We're on our way." Exla suddenly announces, causing everybody to turn to her. "We should reach the Imagination Engine in less than half a day."
Over the last two centuries, the Guardian of the Soil has worked closely with new human scientists and the Gremlin clan to further Alverost's research. With her vast stores of information and the Mage of the Beginning's countless detailed development notes unearthed from the databanks of the Akashic Records, they have been able to improve on Old Human technology.
In doing so, Exla was reminded time and again how much of a genius Alverost truly was. Even now, they rely on his foundations and merely improve on them as best as they can. It will be a while before new humanity births people capable of completely new research that could match some of the groundbreaking ideas that were essentially the Mage of the Beginning's shower thoughts.
"So, what have you been up to, everyone?" Exla asks as she leans back in her chair and lets the autopilot take over. The way she phrases it sounds like it has only been a few weeks since they last saw each other, but most of them haven't met in over a hundred years.
For some of them, two centuries are but a moment in their long lives. But others consider it the majority of their lifetime. Kamii, Hestia, and Dregana are of the latter type. As members of long-lived races, they're expected to live forever, but they were all near Chaos's age when they met back then.
"Let's begin with you, Tokomaha." The cloud girl points at the person she had absolutely no communication with since they split up.
"Nothing much. I lived surrounded by nature as I did before." With a shrug, the little goddess responds casually. She's technically the oldest person in the room, so perhaps these two centuries were more akin to two weeks in her long life.
"What were you doing... for fun?" Hestia wonders, unable to comprehend such a free-spirited lifestyle. She was busy for most of her time and rarely felt boredom.
"Being one with the world." Tokomaha shrugs again. Nobody can argue against that, but not one could have been prepared for her follow-up. "I could sense Chaos watching."
"Huh?! What do you mean?" The fallen Fata jumps up and demands to know.
"When calm at heart and surrounded by nature, I could faintly feel her gaze." The God of Growth explains.
"I should have done that from the start then!" Hestia cups her face and shakes her head in despair. The others share her sentiment to an extent, but Exla claps her hands.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. She's the only person in this world who could have felt it on her own. But our sensors did indeed pick up on it." The cloud girl explains, drawing everybody's attention. "Long before the fluctuations in the Imagination Engine, our quantum research lab detected somethingoutside our comprehension."
Everybody falls silent after this. They remember the Watcher in the Night, the massive eyes in the sky that seem to observe from outside this universe. It was the Outer One unconsciously watching their surrounding dimensions and having a visible effect on sentient minds. No instruments could pick up that phenomenon until recent advances in quantum technology.
Once again, everybody is reminded of Tokomaha's transcendent mind. She could imagine things at a scale nobody besides the Crawling Chaos family could, even without ever studying science. The only person near her level was Elaine, but she needed millennia of research for that.
"But we understood recently what it implies for this universe." Exla continues in a somber tone. She proceeds to explain using many scientific terms and concepts, causing everybody to shut off their brains and stop listening. But when she reaches her conclusion, their faces light up. "Chaos and her kin should be considered true gods in the complete meaning of the term now. Their mere existence affects reality at a universal scale."
"We knew that already." Aurelia comments with a wry smile. Chaos evolved exponentially in the days leading up to their battle on the Rhodos station. None of them could begin to fathom where it would take her.
"Yes, but we have scientific proof of it now." The Guardian of the Soil remarks with a shrug. "It would be the first step toward understanding what she is."
"She is our Kuroeh." Kamii declares, causing all eyes to rest on her. Then everybody chuckles to themselves; it never mattered what Chaos is to any of them.
As they continue to talk with each other and catch up on their time apart, they quickly approach the looming Rhodos station. The cube-shaped center section, now the only part remaining beside the heat shield measuring a thousand kilometers across, gives off an eerie impression.
"Is there a way in?" Hestia asks, remembering the last time they came here. It has been two centuries, but nothing should have changed about this megastructure.
"I indeed found one in the blueprints. One that doesn't require us to destroy anything." Exla scratches her cheek and explains while her other hand types something into her console. The large screen showing the exterior is replaced with a blueprint of the cube, with one tiny dot blinking on its corner. "We would have never found it ourselves."
Nobody mentions that she should have informed them immediately after discovering this. After all, there would be no point in entering the Imagination Engine when Chaos and the others weren't there. Even Hestia appears to agree despite being the most fervent in expressing her obsessive love for Chaos.
The cloud girl brings the Queen Pelomyx around to the corner of the cube and extends a docking arm. The Imagination Engine's utility access is meant for drones, so it doesn't feature a standard airlock the ship could connect to. They will have to go for a short spacewalk.
Although it's only a small jump from the docking arm to the cube, it feels like a daunting task. As they jump over and land on the non-conductive metal structure, they're greeted with an eerie sight. Although the cube is smaller than the Moon, it has a perfectly flat surface. Only the section illuminated by the Queen Pelomyx's floodlights is visible in the darkness behind the heat shield.
Tokomaha walks over to the edge and peers over. Although gravity affects the surface uniformly, it looks like a drop of a thousand kilometers. It's not something one could ever see in nature, and it causes the little goddess to shudder.
Exla walks up to the corner and points a remote control at it. A two-meter section of the corner splits into three parts and opens up to reveal a square hole. It's completely black inside and doesn't instill much desire in them to enter.
Kamii raises her left hand and creates a sphere of light above her finger before the cloud girl can produce a flashlight from her pocket. Hestia raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment. Even though she knows that everything runs through the Imagination Engine, she hasn't put much time into expanding her abilities in that regard.
Everybody follows the little dark elf into the Imagination Engine while Exla enters last to close the door behind them. Kamii has been to many places around the world, but even after everything, this little excursion in the dark reminds her of their journey under the mountain in Rathgolim so long ago. It's an experience she will never forget.
The service tunnel has many branches, but it doesn't take them long down the main path before they reach what appears to be the maintenance layer of the cube. None of this is part of the Imagination Engine's systems yet, so they could have broken through the surface without worrying about damaging the machine after all.
Exla brings up a three-dimensional holographic model of the cube and zooms in on their location. Wordlessly, she points in the direction they have to go to get inside the cubical space housing the tesseract, and everybody begins walking once more.
The silence permeating the group is filled with anxiety. Although they want to believe that Chaos and the others are the ones knocking on the door to their reality, they can't help but worry. What if it's Mataku, after all? What if Chaos and her kin won but lost their minds and became destroyers of dimensions?
Finally, they reach the gate to the inside of the Imagination Engine. Heavy automatic doors close behind them, and an alarm rings out before a square panel opens at the front. Although they never changed gravitational alignment while walking, they now find themselves on one of the floors of the cube, staring up into the black void housing the tesseract.
"With so many of us, it might be difficult if we all look in different directions." Exla turns to her companions and explains after they step through the gateway. But when she looks up, the wall that should have been only a few steps behind them has disappeared. Instead, the tesseract looms there, in the vast emptiness of the cubical room. "Well, that was quick."
They take the hovering stairs up toward the massive floating cube and enter the Imagination Engine. It looks no different from what it used to be before Shelnir tried to unfold it into their dimension. Senka has faithfully recreated it to become what it used to be since its creation. After all, it never failed in all that time until somebody actively tampered with it.
Once everybody reaches the first room inside the tesseract, and they turn around, the opening to the stairs leading outside has disappeared. But this time, they are prepared for the unreliable time and space within this place.
It doesn't take them long to figure out how to reach the core chamber. It was the site of their final battle, but there are no hints of it anymore after Senka rebuilt it. The force field covering the tear in space looks exactly like the one in the past before Mithra disabled it. It hums steadily, not a hint of the fluctuations Exla mentioned noticeable.
But now, this close to the source, everybody can feel it. There is no need for sensors or visual cues. They can tell that something is on the other side, right at the rift in reality.
"What are they doing?" Aurelia asks with her brow furrowed. This force field shouldn't pose any problem to Chaos, so why hasn't she come through yet?
Nobody wants to answer that question with the most likely theory that comes to mind. The Outer One was unable to come through and relied on a projection of their will, Mithra, to ferry tiny fragments of them over. Did Chaos and her kin meld together and become a new mindless Outer One, scratching at this opening like a beast trying to widen a hole to squeeze through?
"It's Chaos." But Tokomaha declares in an unwavering tone. "Let her in."
Exla stares at the little goddess for a moment, then sighs. The others come to the same conclusion; there's no point hesitating now. Although their senses aren't as attuned as Tokomaha's, they can feel familiarity in this presence on the other side of that rift. The overall atmosphere between Chaos and Mataku was the same, so all they can do is believe that it's her.
"I'm shutting down the force field for a moment. Try not to think too much in that time." The cloud girl walks forward to the console on the generator.
"That shouldn't be too hard for some of us." Tahiri quips with a sideways glance at the God of Growth. The latter sticks out her tongue at her fellow goddess.
Countless golden weapons appear out of thin air and surround Aurelia. She's the pragmatist among them, making sure she's prepared for the chance of a bad outcome. After all, they stand at the edge of reality, in a space that will soon be flooded with raw possibility.
Hestia clasps her hands and kneels in prayer. For her, there is only one true goddess, and she prays to see her again momentarily. Dregana watches over the fallen Fata, a difficult expression on her face. But in the end, Hestia's happiness is the most important thing to her, so she should give her blessing.
Kamii looks at everybody's preparations, then peers down at her right hand. Chaos had such powers over reality that she could remake her arm out of nothing. Not a single fiber of her being doubts that she and her kin prevailed over Mataku. Balling her fist, she looks back up at the force field.
Exla takes their readiness as the signal to finally disengage the force field. With surprising ease, she disables what should be the most well-guarded piece of technology ever created. In an instant, they feel a wave of terror wash over them as the rift in reality pulses noticeably. Before the cloud girl can gather her wits and reactivate the barrier, the tear in space morphs.
Multiple arms obscured by reality itself sprout from the unfathomable shapeless hole in perception, holding onto the immaterial edge as if to force the body through next. Everybody is rooted in place, staring at the phenomenon with varying degrees of horror.
Then, the tear widens, and a vaguely humanoid figure emerges like a malformed chick from its egg. It falls to the floor and turns into a puddle of starlight, where it remains unmoving for a moment. When it begins to shift again, Exla finally regains her senses and motions to switch on the force field. But something stops her, and she senses an immaterial hand grabbing her wrist; it's the will of that being, extending outward beyond its visible physical form.
The puddle rises from the floor against the pull of gravity and forms a humanoid cutout of space itself. Before anybody can decide what to do, the shape splits into five - three smaller figures and two taller ones.
"Took you long enough." Tokomaha remarks with a grin that reveals her sharp canines. As if her voice was a signal, the cutouts in space materialize into physical forms.
"If you hadn't come, I would have gone over there and dragged you back myself." Tahiri asserts with her head tilted back.
"I did not doubt for a moment." Aurelia declares in an unwavering tone while dematerializing the many golden weapons hovering around her.
"Onee-sama." Hestia hastily rises from her kneeling position and runs forward.
"Kuroeh..." Kamii mutters, tears rising in her eyes.
"Kept you waiting, huh?" Chaos steps forward from between Asoko, Uten and Saten, and Flann and looks across her beloved girls with a warm smile. She spreads her arms in an inviting gesture and declares with a satisfied sigh. "I'm back."
Comments
Orakuru
I can feel ninja cutting onions reading this.
