Massacre

No, no… the screams of battle and death reached even to the heart of the Cosmic Egg. Akira wouldn't do this! They were tasked with saving the Goddess of Tokyo, this went directly against that purpose. Was the world so screwed up that even his lover became a traitor?

No… the world was screwed up, yes. That was what the White had been trying to show him all along, that even moderation would fail because the forces at work would keep shrilling their extremes and earning them. Strike down one avatar of the Creator, it didn't matter because He had many others. Even the chaotic beings of hell could turn out to simply be another avatar. That wasn't Akira; that was Nanashi, puppet of yet another god. The flute said so.

The flute told him that Flynn had failed, but he still had another chance.

"What will you do, Godslayer?"

His mind was white. "I… am Kalki."


When you stripped the divinity away from a god, they turned out to be just another demon. When you stripped the divinity away from the last god who held onto it, there was nothing that could stand in your way. Everything was settled.

Every old god was dead. Even Dagda, faded away to the wind running over the plains. There was only the new God. Only one, in a bright new universe full of promise.

He did have two companions, the Mother and his Godslayer. But they would be faithful only to him, no matter what. "You two can call me Akira, but anyone else will only know Nanashi as it is no name," he said.

"As you wish," the Mother said. Their past life didn't matter, only what they were now. They would help populate the new universe.

The Godslayer, though, his past mattered because finally, they could stay together. "You are always Akira to me," Flynn said.

"And you are always Flynn to me," he said, smiling. "Will you finally kiss me?"

"Sure." And he leaned over to kiss hm. Finally…

This wasn't right. It was like kissing a peach to find no sweetness to it. When the brief kiss was given, Akira got hold of his collar so that he stayed close. He looked into Flynn's eyes and saw a doll looking back at him. A pretty face, maybe a hint of a smile, but his eyes showed no soul behind them. He was empty as a lifeless weapon. No, this had to be Flynn. Things were just different; they'd always be together now.

Without warning, Flynn showed some expression. He cringed and fell to his knees. Akira caught him. "Flynn?!"

"Stop the flute," he said in a pained voice, putting his head in Akira's lap. "Please?"

What flute? He looked around at the glowing flowers that now filled is throne room. There was no flute visible, but under the leaves… the Mother walked over obediently and picked up a distinctive instrument. "This is still here," she said, coming over with it.

Krishna's flute. How had that survived? Perhaps because it had been dropped in here. It seemed silent, but some magic still flowed through it. Akira could barely hear its deceitful tones when he took it. "Hmm. Off to hell with it." He flung it away as hard as he could. There wasn't a hell in this universe and there might not be need of one. But he could make sure that flute went as far away from Flynn as possible.

Flynn still wasn't well, so Akira let him rest where he was. There was no threat to them right now. Besides, this could be a good sign. If he had time to recover from Krishna's torment, he might recover himself as well. No, not might, he would. Akira would make it so.

After all, he was the Creator and he could do anything.


"I wish to discuss something with you, Nameless One," the angel said.

Akira was reluctant to give up this reverie right now. The new humanity was so fascinating to watch. Through their own eyes, going down to their lands to be with them, from afar; they were a children who held everything in wonder. They played and poked around, coming up with their own reasons for why things were as they were. Although, they'd never truly know. He loved them as they were.

However, he also had love for his servants. These angels were not disturbing organisms evoking the incomprehensible. They were as devoted as the two at his side, endearing and kind. And this particular angel was one he was very fond of. He'd been created to evoke the beauty of the morning sun, a shining presence for all. Somehow, his name among the other angels had become Lucifer. But as the Mother said, this was his Lucifer. Things didn't have to go the same way.

"What is it, Lucifer?" he asked, looking up to him.

"It's about the humans," he said. "They're wonderful as they are and I love them just as you. But I can't help but feel like they could be something even greater. Knowledge slips through their fingers as soon as they grasp it and every day is as new as the last. They don't have to be that way. If they could retain what they learn and grow from there, they could have unlimited potential."

"They're happy as they are," Akira said. It had been one of his driving forces in creation, that his creations were happy. They didn't need to suffer as those in the past universe did.

Lucifer had apparently been thinking about this for a while, because he wasn't going to give up on it easily. "But what are they actually accomplishing? One of them made this lovely sculpture with flowers that I wanted to leave with them, but it got dismantled while they slept and they forgot about it when they awoke. They could do amazing things, even beyond our expectations. As they are now, they're like dolls that can run around and play, but never grow beyond that because their minds are emptier than they could be."

His eye twitched. Flynn stayed by his side, quiet as always.

Not noticing that, the angel went on with his argument. "They love you, but only because that is what they expect of themselves. If they could grow to understand their world and how wonderful you made it for them, their love would become deep and true."

"Are you calling what they have a false love?!" Akira demanded of him, hitting his throne with his fist.

Lucifer paled, not having anticipated this. "No, but it does ring hollow."

"No it does not!" They were happy; things were peaceful. He shouldn't have spoken up like this.

"But you're the Creator. Are you really happy with shallow praise?"

"You don't understand how wrong you are," he said. They'd grow to be better; Flynn would get better. It would just take time, and keeping things as peaceful and quiet as possible. "Things are fine as they are. And you're the one whose been trying to keep their works around for longer than necessary, aren't you?" He shifted his hand.

Following silent orders, Flynn moved like lightning, drawing his sword and slashing Lucifer across his face. The angel screamed at the unexpected pain, covering his face and falling back. It was unfortunate, he didn't really want to kill this one. But he was doing dangerous things, trying to push humanity along faster than they could handle. At his other side, the Mother hid her face too, troubled by the traitor.

"Leave them alone," Akira ordered. "I understand best how to guide them; I will not allow them to be ruined as your questions have ruined yourself."

For a moment, it seemed Lucifer would back off with that. But a previously unseen resolve shone in his eyes; he thought the issue was too important to let go. "No… you ruin them by keeping them leashed to you so tightly. Let them free to live and grow."

He got off his throne for this, not allowing him to escape now. "Do not question me ever again, Lucifer. I won't allow it. Be gone to hell!"

When the angel was gone, Flynn put his sword away. "Should I hunt him down?"

"Not yet, we'll give him a chance to change his mind," Akira said. "Things will not go the same way."


Lucifer's own light was the only thing illuminating this dreary place. It was unlike anywhere else in Creation, ruined and sickly. Not having seen it before, he wondered if this was where the things made from the Creator's nightmares ended up. And he was down here now, alone and forsaken.

While his wound was healing, he wasn't sure if he could completely erase it. It was a mark of his Creator's anger and hatred. But, why had He flown into a rage like that? Was the idea of humans becoming more than they were really so disturbing? Or was it only because he had questioned His plans? This wasn't fair; it couldn't be right.

After a while, it became clear that just thinking about this was going nowhere. Lucifer took a better look at his immediate surroundings, wondering where to go from here. As he did, his eye fell upon something strange. It resembled the little whistles that the humans sometimes carved from wood to amuse themselves. But it was longer and thinner, bearing some kind of magic. He picked it up and turned it around in his hands, trying to figure it out.

"That is Krishna's flute," a woman's soft voice said.

Lucifer looked up from where he was sitting and saw a woman covered entirely by a black silk veil. "Who are you?"

"I have no name yet," she said. "I was born of the Mother's tears on seeing you fall from grace. I have a little of her knowledge; I have come to accompany you."

"Perhaps they did have some love for me," he said. "I don't know if they do anymore. But this flute, who is Krishna and why is it here?"

"I do not know who that name belongs to. The flute is here because it was thrown out well before you were created. While it is said that God's Sword is unfaltering and invincible, there is one thing that makes him falter: that flute."

"Then it's the one thing that could undo his invulnerability too," Lucifer said. And there was no way to get at the Creator while His Sword was always at His side. He put the flute to his lips and tried blowing across one of the holes. He could only make faint halting notes at first, but quickly learned to make pure piercing ones.