As was often the case, Perpetua was deep in thought. They stood still and silent, gazing into the Void, the origin and end of all things, imagining. And as each new possibility spawned within Their mind, somewhere it became reality, one of countless others They had dreamt up. They had always been prone to dissociating a bit in those moments, so when company arrived, They had to be alerted.
"Your Immensity?" a voice called, deferential but unwavering. They didn't answer, so he tried again: "Eternal One, there are several Lawmakers here to call on You. A great many, in fact."
"Ah," They said in a soft voice that pervaded every sense. "So there are. Thank you."
"Your Reverence," the fairy messenger replied with a deep bow. He led Perpetua back to the palatial reception hall, where his long-time partner remained watching their visitors warily. Coilin was accurate in his estimation; the vast room was nearly filled with prim and disciplined Lawmakers, a particular class of Perpetua's many children.
"Welcome back," they said warmly. "What a delight to see you all."
Almost in unison, the visitors bowed their heads and acknowledge, "Your Immensity."
"To what do We owe the pleasure of this meeting?" They asked. "It is unlike you to arrive unannounced." To answer Their question, one of the visitors stepped forward.
"We have a grievance to discuss." His name was Charlemagne, and he had always been one for taking initiative when it was required. Glancing with distaste at Coilin and Finessa, he added, "We ask that they be dismissed." As Coilin began to fret at the idea of being sent away, Finessa answered without falter.
"Request denied," she said firmly. "Our place is at Perpetua's side." Many of the Lawmakers cringed to hear Them addressed so casually, but They seemed unbothered.
"Tell Us of your grievance," They said evenly. "That we might resolve it."
A pause as Charlemagne gathered his thoughts. "You created us to bring order where there is chaos," he said. "And we have proudly served You to that end. Yet for each plane we organize, a thousand others are driven to ruin by their inhabitants."
"Their inhabitants?"
"Organic life. It is unruly, unpredictable, and utterly oblivious to the damage it causes," he said, the others nodded or voiced their agreement. "If we are to fulfill our purpose, something must be done."
"What would you have Them do?" Coilin asked, offended by the demanding nature of that statement. "Wipe organic life from the cosmos?"
"Of course not," the speaker answered. "We wouldn't ask You to destroy Your creations. But…."
"But you would prefer more control over them," Perpetua suggested. "Yes?"
"Only to the point that follow that laws that You bade us make. Laws are made to be obeyed," he said. "Yet at every turn, free life finds a way to break or avoid them. Why? Simply to press beyond its bounds."
"Keep in mind that these are thinking, feeling creatures you're talking about," Finessa reminded him. "Not a pest or a disobedient child. You can't expect every one of them to subscribe to your ideals."
"Why not? Our ideals are Their ideals!" He pointed to Perpetua before quickly drawing his hand back in embarrassment. As he recovered, a second Lawmaker stepped forward to his side.
"Order is safety," she said, always concise, a woman called Durandal. "To escape it is dangerous. We would protect them."
"And what of the ones who enjoy the danger?" Perpetua asked. "The ones who believe it gives value to their lives?"
"…safety is better," she answered after a moment of tense thought.
"That isn't your judgment to make," Coilin pointed out. "Why give them free will only to impose ours upon them?"
"Why indeed," Charlemagne muttered. "You won't grant our request, then?"
"We cannot put definitive boundaries on life," They said. "To do so would be Our own very antithesis. Some laws they will follow, and others they may surpass. So it has always been."
"That isn't an answer to my question," he said tersely, earning a wary glance from Coilin and Finessa. Such impudence!
"If your request requires Us to place explicit limits," Perpetua answered, cool but calm. "Then no, We will not."
This time when he spoke, Charlemagne turned to address his fellows. "Is this not what we expected? For one who embodies the Infinite, our Creator can be rather predictable," he said. Coilin subtly held Finessa back from immediately punishing his disrespect, but Perpetua remained silent. "Are we not living? Do we not have our own will?"
"What are you suggesting, child of Ours, creation of Our hands?" They asked. Their tone was gentle but held a certain air of promise—or perhaps a warning.
There was a moment of hesitant silence. But only a moment. "That you are preventing us from fulfilling our intended purpose," the leader said. "And we can't go on like this for eternity." He climbed the steps to come before Perpetua on the landing where They stood. "For a final time, for Your own safety, I ask that You submit."
"Why you worthless, ungrateful—!" Finessa wrenched free of her partner's grasp and rushed the Lawmaker.
"Finessa, wait!" Coilin called after her but too late. As soon as her first blow landed, knocking Charlemagne backward, the other Lawmakers sprang to action, and the room dissolved into chaos. Coilin quickly realized that Perpetua was under attack and did his best to defend Them; despite all the power They had, the Lawmakers had been created with reality-altering willpower, as well. In short, they were fierce, and this many of them working together was a serious threat.
"Look at yourselves!" Perpetua barked as They fended off one attacker after another. "Is this your purpose? Is this order?"
"Traitors! Ingrates!" Finessa growled, more rage than reason.
It took several of them to restrain her, but they managed it even as she thrashed and fought. Coilin tried to come to her aid, but they were simply outnumbered, and he was captured as well. "That's enough," Charlemagne called, and the other Lawmakers quickly retreated from Perpetua. "Give up. Your guards are bound, and You are exhausted. If You yield, we'll go. If not…" Durandal stepped forward and grasped Coilin's throat tightly, drawing a choked gasp from his lips.
"Don't touch him!" Finessa snapped, struggling harder. One of the others held her back and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Please," Perpetua said, eyes to the floor. "Stop." As the others watched, They raised all four hands to their chest and, with some effort, drew out what appeared to be a crystal, heavy and so multifaceted it hurt to see. The Heart of the Infinite. "This is what you want. Yes?"
"Yes," Charlemagne agreed, keeping his eyes locked on the Heart. Possessing it would give them that which they valued above all: Control. Control over all that was and would ever be, enough to place and enforce whatever limits they desired.
"Release them," Perpetua breathed, visibly struggling to stand. "And you shall have it."
"…fine." He nodded to his followers, who shoved the guards down at Perpetua's feet. After quickly checking to be sure neither of them was hurt, they stood to protect Them. "Well?"
Perpetua nodded and offered the Heart with two hands. Although he was wary of a trap, the lead Lawmaker stepped forward to take it. However, as soon as he touched the crystal's surface, it shattered into countless fragments, which separated and flew from the room.
"Tsk!" He sneered at Perpetua and ordered the others: "Find the shards before they're lost!" In moments, they had all disappeared from the room to give chase. All but one, a rather small thing compared to his siblings. They knew him as Disarufino (sometimes Dizzy).
"We don't want to hurt you," he said, lingering by the doorway. He almost sounded regretful. "Please don't make us." And he was gone with the rest. Coilin immediately turned a critical glare on his partner.
"What were you thinking? If you hadn't attacked them, we might have reached a compromise!"
"They weren't here to compromise. There's no point trying to reason with someone who's already decided he's right."
Their argument was punctuated by Perpetua collapsing to the stone floor.
"Your Worship," Coilin said as they both knelt at Their side. "Why surrender Your Heart for us? Without it, You…."
"We are weak, child, but not lost," They breathed, shakily held up by three hands while the fourth clenched at Their chest. "You…both of you must retrieve the shards before they do."
"We can't leave you alone," Finessa said. "What if they come back?"
"They've no need to. We no longer have anything that they want," They said with a slow shake of Their head. "They would not waste the effort."
"…where should we go?" Coilin asked softly. "There's no telling where they've gone."
"Seek life. Seek potential. Our Heart will be attracted to that, as ever. Find help if you must. Do not let them fence in Our realities."