When Azrael created the Multiverse, it's suns, moons, worlds, life, a dark shadow loomed over all of them. There was a balance in play, of the energies of 'Positive', natural energies formed at the birth of all life, and 'Negative', one that formed from the remains of that which gave life.
With each world and lifeform he created, Negative energy was made, with no shape, no form in itself, it simply latched onto Azrael, with no direction or objectives, it simply was. When Azrael chose to make the deities, having thought of what shape their bodies would be, what would come after them, the first one that came into being, was from all that built up, powerful force that had waited on him…with her creation, the Negative force had a reason to be. To be a mirror, of what Azrael had made.
The Negative Multiverse, along with Ronni, came into being.
Azrael, the great owl, as he was, was shocked at Ronni's power. She was a mirror of him, her power was that of him, but yet, different…a humanoid, her blue, voluptuous body naked, her deep blue sea medium length hair quickly forming on her head, her black wings opened up fully as she woke from her birth, knowing what she was, what power she was made from…and even the creation of this other Multiverse.
Azrael rapidly fell for her. Knowing the shape of the being was perfect, as he had thought in his mind. It was that unique energy she emitted as she watched that attracted him so. Eventually, after mankind was made, and all of his deities but her left to begin their mission of watching these new beings, he made himself a human shaped body, to get closer to his first deity.
Together, they watched over what was going on in the Multiverse. She helped Azrael summon the figure of Death, to have him watch over the beings, and grant them an afterlife named the Farplanes. Death accepted the job, with that act of that he has done all this before, something that threw Ronni off about them actually making him. She felt they just called him to their side to hire him. He already existed before.
She soon shrugged that feeling off, when something else occupied her mind. Azrael felt he required a child…
He wanted to mate with her, to make a true child, not just one crafted simply from his hands. She accepted his offer, and felt honored, as they bonded and a new life was made within her womb.
The life that would eventually become Ingrid.
During her time within the garden, where she was made to stay and to be protected by her two guardians, every night Ronni would visit her in the form of a woman made of pure diamonds. When touched, she was not cold or rough, but soft, and warm. As Azrael refused himself and her to allow Ingrid to see their actual forms, She had to take this appearance so her child could never fully figure out who she was. Every night she would sing to her softly, stroking her hair, making sure she was warm and had pleasant dreams every night, scaring away her nightmares and fears, if only for several hours.
Azrael was not pleased with this, but allowed it nonetheless, to keep his spouse happy.
Eventually, she informed him that she could feel something else call her, another place…which turned out to be the Negative Multiverse, which had nothing watching over it as the energy simply did it's own job, creating humanity, copies of those in existence and life alike. She soon begun shifting between the Negative Multiverse, which came to be called in most beings eyes as 'Chaotic Space' and the Positive Multiverse. One, she was just an deity and lover to Azrael…the other, she became its god, controlling and organizing it, slowly making it different from the Positive realm.
But there would always be a link to both multiverses. The Lifestreams of both were connected like a chain. The purple fiery energy of a negative planet, weaved in and out of the peaceful soothing teal energy of a positive world. When a person dies in the positive realm, their body returns to the planet as both energies.
In percentage, 95% would be of the positive lifestream energy, and a meager, but required 5% was of the negative. The negative part of the energy eventually by the link, returns to the negative lifestream. In return the exact opposite occurred in the negative realm. When a person died there, 5% of the energy would be positive, and thus returned to the lifestream of the positive world.
It was a fragile balance, a chain that could be effected badly if there was more of one or the other, and as she learned, if one of the planets, say, Mobius of the positive realm was destroyed, it's lifestream would disperse destroying the chain it had connected to the negative version of the planet…the negative realm's version of Mobius would rapidly become unstable, and within a matter of days, weeks, or even rarely, months, it would break apart, all life lost.
She had to watch over this balance whilst working out her multiverse and it's position in all this, but every time she knew it was night on Beyondard in universe 1, in the positive multiverse during this cycle, she would leave her duties to watch over her child.
A few years on from the birth of Ingrid, they had made love again, and without it being planned, she had another child on the way.
But this child was not like the first, Ronni could sense that. There was a feeling that a powerful soul had latched onto it.
And so could Azrael.
He wanted the child gone. Removed before it was born, but Ronni refused. It was fortunate for them to be blessed with a second child, and perhaps even if this one has an extra soul with it, it might still be able to keep in line, to stay under the idea Azrael has for complete order of things.
But he refused to trust her, trust the child. He had his reasons for it, but he refused to say them to Ronni.
She asked for time, she wanted to show the child could be raised right. Many of the other deities under Azrael agreed once her plea was noticed by them.
Azrael reluctantly agreed, if only to avoid many of his deities becoming restless. The first child was still contained...he could watch this one in the meantime.
He allowed Ronni to give it a name this time. She named it Andromeda.
Ronni during the years, avoided as much as possible in containing her second child. She allowed her to roam free in the multiverse. She grew with life around her, with deities who merely gave her advice and tips, though many of those were worthless, as they were mostly from one deity that came from the Negative Multiverse, Sheogorath.
Soon the mortals came to favor her, especially in Universe 4 as she always helped resolve any disputes the people had trouble with. She was loved by all those that lived in it, and remained as a sign of hope and safety of the future to them.
But then, close to the time Chaos turned his back to Azrael, something happened to Andromeda.
She fell in love.
A man named Shennong, a humble traveller who came to one of Azrael's temple and prayed to the god for guidance, bumped into Andromeda as he turned to leave. As they introduced one another, she noticed the green and white rags he called clothes on him, his fair white long hair, bright green pupils, and the strangely expensive looking gold rimmed monocle he was wearing. She began asking him more personal questions, about where he was from, his reason for visiting the temple and such.
He had fled his wealth and fortune, tossed it aside to find 'Azrael' and confirm that he did exist, as he had been questioning his faith lately, especially over his family's wealth and the state of some worlds, the poverty that existed on them. His family refused to help anyone, and their greed made him sick. He wanted Azrael to help him, to make his family see that they have to do some good in these times.
Andromeda told him that she was the child of Azrael. She can help him make things right. She returned with him to his homeworld, and confronted his family. They refused to believe the existence of any god, only accepting her will after she had altered the world, forcing a draught, then famine and diseases to spread, and finally disasters to ruin what land they had.
Shennong was concerned with the way she handled the matter. Whenever her name was mentioned now, not only would his family tremble with fear, but everyone on that planet would do so. She had brought unneeded terror to the people, and he chose to confront her over it. She admitted she had gone over the line, but was certain this was the only way to convince them to listen and share what remained of their wealth.
As months passed, Shennong found himself being visited by her now and again, often wishing to hear his suggestion on matters. She wanted to take in his counseling. A mortal ally who would be her adviser. Thankfully his advice was often sound, as he did his research on many topics, and at times finding himself being transported to whenever the problem was with Andromeda to understand it more-so before giving any advice.
Soon, she felt the feeling of wanting to be with him, to have him by her side. Her visits became rapidly frequent and Shennong caught onto what she wanted from him, and at first returned the feelings. But it soon became an obsession from her. Every day she would appear to him, want his attention, help him with anything he had to do.
He tried to hint to her that he wanted to be alone a little, to have time to himself. But she wanted him to be with her, to embrace her, to mate with her, to be with her forever more. Ronni did not mind her obsession, all it did was remind her of her days with Azrael, how she always wanted to be around him.
Shennong had one day decided to return to Azrael's temple where he first met Andromeda, and called out for his god, demanding him to stop his child, to teach her to allow space for others, to understand his feelings.
He got a response.
"…You want me to leave you alone?"
"Andromeda…"
Within the temple of Azrael's, the worshippers had been praying to their god, gathered in their droves at the seats, while Shennong had walked past them all, and walked up to the golden statue of the owl. The people hadn't dared to step in, letting the man vent his anger out, confused when he mentioned the child.
They were even more alarmed when Andromeda appeared in the middle of the temple, now a woman, wearing pure white decorative robes, her hair now flowing down her back, a circlet made of silver, and around her neck, a small bright blue stone, that always glowed. A gift from her mother. A very small fragment of Ronni's essence, to always remind her that her mom is with her no matter what.
"Andromeda, you need to understand. You're being too strong. I need time to convince my family, to understand what I'm getting into. You're the daughter of our goddess."
She was angry, teal tears were starting to form. "I don't want to step away. Another might come to you Shennong, my beloved! I don't want a mortal whore to touch you!"
"I'm not going to fall to temptation Andromeda. I need time." He was being as calm and collected with her as much as possible.
"We can have that, infinite time! Once we're together you'll never be short of that!"
"I will not bind myself to you without being completely sure myself. Your beauty is beyond measure, but I'm not ready."
He might as well told her she was a bitch and he was finished with her, with the way her face showed despair now, the tears flowing freely. "Shennong! Please be mine! I need you!"
He sighed. "I am, my love. Just not in the way you want me to be."
She turned away from him, from the majority of the worshippers, putting her hands over her face for, what felt like minutes, continuing to cry, before she slowly lowered her hands away…and those people at the back saw, she was angry. "…I see. The way I want you to be."
"Over time I will be…"
She shook her head slowly, before she turned around, letting him see her face now, that was, for a moment, angry at him, before she started to smile. "No. No Shennong. I'll forge you into what I want. You'll be mine. Mine and mine alone. Now, and for all time."
Something in her snapped. There was a chorus of screaming from those within the temple, it had alarmed those outside it, and no one could enter, as the doors were sealed, the glass windows seemed to suddenly be unbreakable.
Eventually Ronni and Azrael arrived, appearing outside the temple, and Ronni forcing the doors open, allowing herself and her lover to walk in.
The temple was littered with the bodies of the people, their red blood sprayed over the paintings of Azrael's, their guts and limbs littered the benches, and their heads were all assembled around the statue of him.
As Andromeda was there, facing them, her clothing covered in blood, on her knees at the bottom of the statue, with Shennong laying there before her…his chest, ribs and stomach ripped entirely open, his organs were neatly piled to one side of Andromeda, and she was gently holding his heart in her blood covered hands, kissing it, letting the blood smear her lips…and despite it being torn completely out, it was still beating, blood was still dripping out of it…and Shennong was showing he was still alive, his mouth and eyes wide in sheer terror, trying to breathe or even move anything else then his head, his body twitching.
She had forced him to remain alive, bound his soul to forever stay trapped in the body to experience everything she was doing.
For Andromeda, it was the first time something within her had showed itself. A desire to have something and taking it by force, she felt the spirit that had latched onto her own, and she whispered it's name. "...Ancalagon..."
Ronni managed to get Andromeda away from her lover, and found that he was pretty much an undead by this point. She took him away to be patched up, at the very least. She was horrified with her daughter, but didn't want her to lose the very thing that caused this. Maybe it won't happen again if he still lives.
Azrael had stared at his child, knowing what she had done. He wanted to give her another chance, one more.
Though soon after, Andromeda began to kill openly.
The mortals believed she was killing those that tried to ruin the order that Azrael had made. The two parent gods knew better. At first the second someone said anything that was even slightly against what she wanted, they were dead. Then it became if they were suggesting anything, then just killing them regardless. Killing for the sake of killing.
Azrael had to end this. One a world now void of life thanks to his child, he appeared to her in his human form, anger clearly on his face. "Andromeda. Enough."
Andromeda was once again bathed in blood as she looked to her father. "No...no this isn't enough. I need to hurt more. I need to kill more. Don't try to stop me. Mother won't let you."
Azrael aimed his feathered fan towards her, and without warning, fired a green bright energy beam, striking and piecing through her shoulder causing her to stumble back, placing her hand over the wound in shock.
"I am not afraid of the woman I have created. You've gone down a dangerous path. One I pray Ingrid will not foolishly follow. Perhaps your death will make sure that does not happen." Azrael pointed his fan to her again.
But then he heard Ronni. "Do not attack her. I shall deal with her myself."
She was standing to the side of them, having just appeared, looking to her husband.
"I had waited for you to do so, but you have not. We should have contained her like Ingrid at first." Azrael focused on his lover.
"She deserves freedom." Ronni argued.
"She needs to die for what she is becoming."
"…I cannot allow that."
Azrael felt it. Around Ronni, appeared a deep purple aura and behind her, out of her back formed black angel like wings, made of pure energy.
"Azrael. I will not let you take our child away from us. Our child born from our love. Killing her like an animal. I can't accept it. I won't accept it."
Azrael suddenly had flaring up around him, a white holy like aura, his human eyes turning golden, the entire clothing he wore turned white and even the hair, beard and moustache he had, changed to white as well, his hair grew three times as long, his powerful god aura being felt across the entire planet. He looked at Ronni, calm as ever, as Andromeda slowly backed away from them. "Ronni. Do not betray me. I will not forgive you, nor look at you again after this."
"…That, is fine."
With that, they both found themselves creating powerful energy beams, hers of a dark, black nature, his, a white, holy one. The beams fired left, right and center, as the land was torn asunder by their power, both of them soon enough, flying up into the sky, launching their attacks. Ronni and Azrael were not on equal power. Azrael was slightly more powerful between them, being her creator, but she is on a level that she could wound him if he wasn't careful.
Soon enough, Azrael had to quickly dodged several lance shaped black energy shots, fired from Ronnis hands, and all of them hitting the ground, blasting apart creating a massive crater which began to fill with molten lava. Azrael countered by raising his hands to the sky, and rapidly above, a black cloud formed over them both, and raining down on him and Ronni, were hundreds upon hundreds of small energy beams, pouring down like rain, in numerous colors and elements.
Andromeda had quickly formed a dark purple shield around herself to avoid the beams, whilst Ronni folded her wings around her, the energy created from them stopped any beams hitting her. Azrael, seeing this as a chance quickly begun charging up in his hands a white sphere of powerful energy, ready to toss it towards Ronni. The goddess was too busy focusing on holding off the energy beams to notice, and soon suddenly felt the powerful ball of energy strike her, engulfing her, causing her to scream out in pain, as she was sent spiraling downwards towards the ground, her wings were unable to block that attack, and as she was exposed the small energy beams kept continually striking her as she fell.
The rain of energy stopped as she got close to the ground, and expected herself to hit it…when she felt someone catch her in their arms. She noticed she was 3 feet off the floor, the being that had her was standing on the ground… a man who had pale skin, neatly gelled black hair, a black moustache covering his top lip. he always wore a black tuxedo suit, black sunglasses and often kept a cigarette in his mouth, which emitted a blue glow as he smoked it, proving it wasn't actually the real deal, just for show to give him the image he wants to express to others. This was Dean Domino, one of her deities, from the negative multiverse. "Huh, talk about catching a falling angel, eh Mother?"
The moment Ronni released her power, he felt it, in the negative multiverse. He felt her anger, and knew something was going down big time. Right now she slightly frowned at him, not that amused, but indeed, thankful for stopping the hard landing she would've got.
Soon enough, Azrael had flown down, landing a good thirty feet away. "Dean Domino. One of her deities. If you stand by her still, I will destroy you too."
Dean gently put his mother down, making sure she was on her feet, before stepping in front of her, shielding her from Azrael as she mentioned Andromeda to come over, which she did by teleporting herself. "Yyyaah. You see Azrael, that's a lit-tle problem for you because, if you kill me, there's 12 other deities to take my place. And not one of us are a bit too happy with you right now…"
Appearing close to him, was a woman who had stood right by Ronni the moment she was created, almost as if she was a bodyguard.
Jenova. Her skin a fair white, her hair, long and silver, iris of her eyes, a dull grey, lips pale, on her head she wore a simple, thin, gold made tiara. her clothing was of a shoulder bare and sleeveless grey Qipao, wrist cloths, and grey leather, long legged boots, which went all the way up close to her hip. Her body was beautiful, voluptuous, alluring, firm large breasts, curved rear, long legs, smooth skin, she was personally crafted by Ronni.
Then next to her was Sheogorath. A rather aged man, grey hair, straight back with a full beard, wrinkles near his eyes, his eyes that were mostly black, with yellow iris's, and were more in the appearance of demonic then human. his clothes were a purple a gold lined jacket, with golden buttons, dark green trousers and shirt, again, lined all over with gold cloth, he wore on one hand, a golden armguard, and on the other, a dark purple fingerless glove, with a brown armguard.
The next one was a man that appeared in his late 20's, tall, strong build, medium length blond hair, a face of beauty and kindness, fair skin, brown eyes, and wore a complete white suit, from his feet, to his hands, and to his neck, that was covered in golden lacing and allowed him to attach a deep blue, silky cape, that he wore everywhere he went.
This was Shinn, the actual lover of Jenova. They came close since their first encounter. Although Jenova places her mother and her duty above everything, Shinn has a special place in her heart, and she always tries to make a little time for them to get together. Shinn is dedicated to Jenova, proclaiming to others often about his love and desire for her, and his determination to protect her.
Soon others joined their ranks, becoming a blockade between Ronni and Azrael.
Azrael remained calm, looking at them all. But he was not alone for long, as he felt the arrival of one of his own deities, a man wearing a white shirt, with a black jacket, black trousers, shoes and black tinted glasses. Agent Smith had arrived, slowly walking up besides Azrael. "Father. I see there's an issue here. I felt your power and came to see what is the matter."
Agent Smith is pretty much the second deity created after Ronni. Loyal to Azrael, he cares for nothing else then for the goals of Azrael to be completed.
Jenova got her fists ready. She and him did not get along at all. "Bad move Smith. We're here to take out Azrael in place of Ronni. We can sense what she wants, we know what we have to do! If you stand in our path, you're dead!"
Smith simply chuckled a little. "Unfortunately, miss…Jenova, was it? I can't let you harm Father…and although I may not have the backing of my brethren at this time…"
He clicked his fingers. And behind him and Azrael 20 men appeared, all in black suits, with black sunglasses, all looking almost the same as eachother, just silently waiting for his command. Smith turned towards Azrael. "Father, please move back a little. I can dispose of this rabble."
These were humans that were granted the powers of deities by Smith, an elite guard formed by him to use when needed.
Azrael nodded, and simply took several steps backwards, the human deities stepping aside for their lord, and as he went back they all stepped forward, slowly towards the group of negative deities as Smith stood and watched, a smirk slightly forming on his face.
Ronni was concerned now. She didn't want to risk losing any of her deities, and right now her main concern was her child, who was still clearly wounded on the shoulder. She spoke to her deities "My Children, we must get out of here. We can't stand up to them."
Dean agreed. Now hearing Ronni wanted to leave changed his tune when it comes to this conflict."That's sounds like a great idea, how about it gang?"
Jenova glared at him, then looked to her Mother behind. "Mother…We won't run. Today we will stand up to him. Stand up to the being who looked down upon you and your child!"
Sheogorath had his staff at the ready. "But we can't let Ronni nor Andromeda be in danger lass. Maybe we ought to get them out of here before the bloodshed starts up."
Jenova had to agree with that part. "Sheogorath, Dean! Get them away from here and back to our multiverse!"
"No Jenova. You won't succeed. Please, we must all go!" Ronni pleaded. But it fell on deaf ears. She saw Dean and Sheogorath get close to her and Andromeda, with Sheogorath using his staff to open a vortex to their Multiverse.
Ronni looked at Dean. "Please, tell her!", she then looked to Sheogorath. "Please, tell her-"
Sheogorath, for once in his many, many years, turned serious. "Your what's important to us Ronni…and we gotta carry out your mission, but without you being in danger."
"My mission? I want to protect my children, my own blood as well as you all-"
"I know lass. But the only way we will fully protect them, is by removing him. Jenova can handle it…we need to go."
Ronni had little choice…Dean and Sheogorath escorted her and Andromeda through the vortex closing it afterwards, just as the human deities and the negative deities clashed in a wave of fists, weapons and energy attacks suddenly.
Each and every attack both sides threw was to kill. Gashes and heavy wounds kept appearing on every living body from powerful attacks, quickly healed before the next moves, the blood from the wounds joining the ever growing lake beneath them all. The determination of the negative deities, and the heartless, cold puppet like actions of the human deities collided, and slowly, the battle turned to the humans favor.
One part was thanks to Agent Smith on how he brought these twenty together. He melded their minds into one combined conscious along with his own, making him able to see the battle in their eyes, and control them thusly to keep a tight rein on it all. It devoids them of any emotion in return, and he changed their appearance to avoid any individuality.
The other part was thanks to one negative deity. Shinn.
As he decapitated a human with his hands, creating energy around them and using them as daggers, keeping them flat and straight, slicing the person to bits, he felt unsure. He didn't want this, he knew they were on the losing side, which was only confirmed more so to him after spotting two of the negative deities fall, their heads twisted backwards, and massive holes blown right through their chests and backs. He had to do something. He didn't want his lover to die, to suffer like this.
As two of the humans moved towards him, Raiden, one of the negative deities stood close to him. "Shinn, we'll attack together! I'll stun them with a wave of electronic energy while you-"
He found the purple energy covered hand of Shinn stabbed into his neck. His blood oozed out, his eyes widened at the sudden betrayal…and Shinn ended his life, by raising his other hand high up, and bringing it down, quickly pulling out his hand from Raiden's neck, as his other hand flew down slicing Raiden right down the middle vertically and not completely to the back, cutting only the front side of the angel…he stood for a second, before his guts, and flesh just gushed out from his body as he fell to the ground.
Smith knew a defector when he saw one, and made sure to let the humans know to pass by Shinn, moving in on the other negative deities, and Shinn joined in with them with the intent to end this quickly.
Jenova had yet to notice him. She was surrounded by four of the humans, and easily managing to hold them back, having just grabbed one by the arm as he tried to attack her and smashed his elbow inwards by punching it, with a sickening cracking sound then blasted him at point blank with a massive light green energy beam blasting his upper half of his body into bits and his lower half flying back and smacking into the ground.
The other three quickly moved in on her, and she decided enough was enough. "W-LASER!" she spun round, while holding her hands out, and two deep blue laser beams, one from each palm of her hands, flew out to no more than ten feet, acting like brief momentarily swords…and slicing all three of the humans down as she turned into three parts each, head torso and legs, blood spraying out of them as they fall apart.
She didn't look to her allies afterwards. Instead, she looked ahead, and saw Azrael…and between her and that target, Agent Smith. She rushed forward, charging towards him. The moment she got close Smith quickly raised his hands and with perfect timing, grabbed both of Jenova clenched fists as she swung them around to punch him in the face and gut. He had to admit, he had a little trouble holding her in place as his arms and hers were shaking, as she was pushing against him.
Smith smirked a little. "You can't defeat me. I am the one made by Azrael to handle all of his enemies. What chance do you possibility have?"
He got his answer. She was starting to push his arms back. He tried to stop it, but even with his focus, it wasn't working. She was angered, deeply, by him being here, and by god, she was going to show it. She suddenly pulled her arms back, yanking him forward as he held his grip on her hands, and violently head butted him making him let go, and stumble back for a moment.
He quickly looked at where she was and noticed she had vanished, seemingly before he looked up and spotted her high up in the air, light red energy forming in her hands, as she yelled "RED LIGHT!" With that she clapped her hands together once, and the energy blasted out dispersing everywhere, making everything seemingly turn a red colour for a moment and eventually go white, blinding them in everyone's vision, before the energy particles formed back together, while the light was being emitted, around Smith, who made himself teleport away, for as soon as the blinding light faded, the energy exploded, taking out a chunk of the land Smith had been standing on.
Smith reappeared close behind Jenova charging his own black energy beam to blast right through her body…only for her to teleport and him to find himself suddenly having two hands on his shoulders, as Jenova had appeared above him, upside down, looking right at him, her body in the opposite direction of his. She then went downwards behind him, bending her knees as she went, so when she collided with his back, her knees smashed into it, cracking sounds emitting from his spine as she did.
"BLUE FLAME!" she now shouted out, as she held him in place, him trying to get himself to move from that counter attack, before he found himself suddenly engulfed by light, neon blue flames, covering him and Jenova head to foot. The flames hardly effecting her, as she forced her and him, with her power, to begin a rapid dive downwards towards the ground, with Smith as her landing pad pretty much.
It was like a fiery blue comet coming down, and slammed with the same eruption the moment her and Smith made impact with the ground. Smith felt it all, first the fire consuming his clothing, and then burning away his flesh and skin as the ground smashed into his chest face and legs, being pushed down into it by this deity that's taken him on.
The moment of the flames dying off, the second of calm came and went as Jenova lifted her head to sky and screamed "NEGATIVE ULTIMA!"
Her entire body was then swallowed up by a dark purple energy aura which emitted also from her eyes and mouth, her hair flowing like it was blowing in the wind as she held Smith tightly in place in the ground. The Energy soon formed into a gigantic explosion dome shaped and the same colour as it was formed with, the light from it turning the whole sky above a deep purple, as the dome expanded the intense energy flowing out from within. The light and explosion caught the attention of Shinn, the remaining 10 human deities and the 2 negative deities that stood against them.
Azrael was the one who stood the closest to the energy blast, feeling the energy coming out of it, as the dome JUST stopped expanding an inch away from him.
And Smith was gone.
Jenova was panting afterwards, as the energy slowly died off, and looked to the body beneath her knees, and soon feet, as she stood up. Smith's fine clothing was in tatters, his skin shredded, his flesh charred, bleeding all over…she got off him and moved away, allowing herself a moment to regain her composure. That attack took a lot of strength out of her.
"Jenova, That's enough. The battle is over."
She knew the voice, quickly looking over to where the other negative deities were…to see Shinn standing there, with the 10 human deities, all now looking confused as to where they were, whilst around them the other deities of the negative multiverse, were dead. Dead but Shinn. She just stood there, deeply horrified by what she knew he did. "S-Shinn. W, Why are you…?"
"It's over Jenova. Please. We don't have to fight anymore." Shinn pleaded softly to her. To him it was over. Ronni had left, the other negative beings were slaughtered, and only him and his lover remained of them. He knew if he could convince her now to stop, Azrael would no doubt allow them to leave.
But Jenova face showed how she felt now. "How…how could you! Mother was kind to you! I love you! But to do this to us both! I cannot accept it!"
"Jenova listen to me! You must stop! You proved your strength to Azrael, to those before you! We don't have to continue this!" Shinn was trying to make her see sense, see that she was alone now if she continued this fight.
Azrael looked to the body of Smith, sensing his soul slowly escaping the shell that was his body. "So I will have to control them from here. A shame Smith. I had alot of high hopes for you."
Jenova glared darkly at Shinn, and got into a battle stance, ready to fight on, regardless of using so much energy at once just now. Shinn was worried at her action, as he noticed Azrael nod to the human deities who had seemingly snapped back to attention, gathering together and walk slowly towards Jenova. "Jenova! Please! I don't want to lose you! If you don't surrender, these, Azrael will-"
Jenova silenced him, as few tears flowed down her face, her heart arching slightly, mostly over Shinn's cowardly choice. "Let, them, come traitor!"
Shinn and Azrael watched, as the humans moved in for the kill suddenly charging at Jenova., all ten of them still connected together thanks to being commanded by Azrael…
But she pushed on. Determination drove her. She used several of her energy attacks to knock them away, before they came at her again, and soon made her keep to close combat, punching her, kicking her, twisting her limbs and even stabbing her with their fingers, creating energy on them to piece her skin.
But she fought them. She first managed to decapitate one, removing their head with a powerful kick, then eventually shoved her fist right through the chest of another. The third one to perish stabbed his hands into her stomach, and she attacked back by grabbing the sides of his head, and crushing it violently.
Her fist soon found itself through the face of another, and one of her last able energy blasts taking out the upper portion of one. One of the humans managed to stab his fingers into her back…and she simply formed an energy aura to make his fingers not only come out, but incinerated his hands, as she spun round, and smashed the back of her hand into the side of his head, with such a force it crushed in the skull in, his eyes and tongue bulging out as he fell.
The last four converged on her, two of them grabbing her arms, and the third and fourth moving in, in front and behind her. She quickly, as the front one got close, used him as a stepping stone, kicking him away while using him to spin herself around, and getting out of the grip of the two that held her, and as the one behind her had been dangerously close, her feet smacked into the back of his head as she came down, and embedded themselves into his now smashed skull, as he hit the floor.
The two that had once had her, tried to kick and punch, but she easily dodged the fist of one and shrugged off the kick of the other as she grabbed the one that tried to punch her by his head, and with just one hand, crushed his head and brains in, blood spurting out everywhere, then quickly throwing his body to the second attacker, knocking him away.
The one who had received the kick from her earlier was now back up, and as she turned towards him, he socked her several times in the stomach, before punching her across the face, knocking her down to the ground. He moved in to try and keep the attack going, but she had quickly turned herself over from being momentarily face first in the ground, and with one powerful swing of a kick, smacked him right in the groin. He stumbled back for a moment letting her get back up ready to fight again.
She rushed at hi, and aimed one of her fists low, bending down a tad, and with sheer force, in an uppercut motion, as he was about to punch her right in the head, her hand tore through his clothing, to his stomach and ploughed straight through it, upwards through his entire body, tearing flesh and bone as it went, untill her hand reappeared, ripping out of his neck, his guts and flesh pouring out of the massive gash right down the middle, falling down to the ground on his back, leaving one more.
The final human she heard running towards her, and simply turned to his direction, as he got close, she grabbed his head, and twisted it violently one way, making a cracking sound, before twisting it the other way, letting go, making the head go at a 160 degree angle from it's original position, with a huge snapping sound, before the body hit the floor, leaving her wounded, hurt and exhausted…but standing.
She slowly turned her focus to Shinn. "…Will you fight me?"
"Je,Jenova…"
"Will you fight me?" She barked at him.
Shinn slowly shook her head. "Jenova…I can't. I, I can't hurt you. Please stop this."
Jenova ignored him, turning towards her final target…Azrael.
But he was suddenly gone.
Without her knowing, something else was going on elsewhere. Azrael had sensed it in Universe 1. One of the guardians of his first child had gone rogue.
She didn't even hesitate going after him. She sensed for his whereabouts, and without even looking back to the one who let their allies die, she vanished.
She cared not for Chaos when she reached Beyondard, she didn't even notice the state of the world, of the garden that once protected the other child, all she saw was Azrael in his human form, and made a dive for him, giving Chaos time to flee.
Azrael was as calm as ever still, waving his fan slightly as he faced Jenova, the rain that was pouring down across the world of Beyondard unaffecting him. "You're wounded, exhausted. Your power is at it's lowest. I suggest you stand down. If you prepare yourself to fight, I will accept that you wish to end the suffering you're going through."
She simply got into her battle stance once more. "Fight, me. I will win."
Azrael closed his eyes for a moment. "…Very well. But I will make this quick. I will not hold back at all. Goodbye."
Jenova rushed forward, clenching her fists. This was it, her one chance…for herself, for Ronni, for Ronni's child, she was going to strike Azrael down…she did not care for his spare hand being raised in front of him, his palm aimed in her direction, as she got close.
A small white ball of energy fired from his palm, hitting Jenova. The moment it hit, she was suddenly engulfed and trapped in the white ball, as it had increased in size the moment it connected, trapping her inside. Slowly, Azrael made the ball of energy with it's victim slowly rise to the air, Jenova trying to move, to get out of the trap, but unable to, paralyzed completely.
The ball soon was high in the sky, between the ground and the clouds above that formed slowly, in a swirling motion. Azrael raised his fan up, eyes open, looking at the ball of energy, before bringing the fan down…and two massive pillars of light blue energy shot out. One from the clouds above the ball, and one beneath the ball, from the ground. Both powerful energy forces colliding in the middle, at where Jenova was, engulfing her and the trap in it's blinding light.
Azrael called this 'The One.'. His power at it's most, an attack that was able to wound the most powerful of his deities, or simply wipe out anything less.
Despite the attack, despite the damage, after all of this powerful energy constantly burning her and damaging her, it all faded and she fell from the sky, smacking the ground with a powerful thud. Azrael looked down at her, waiting…and lo and behold, her arms moved, as she slowly placed her hands on the ground, and with great effort, lifting her head, looking at him, lifting herself up ever so slightly, her arms shaking madly from trying to hold her. "A…Azrael…I'll…never let, you…I, am, the deity, of…my, my mother….mother…"
But despite her determination, it was done. She felt herself give in to the wounds, her body submitting to the pain...fading away, as her soul was set free from the ruined shell, but now trapped in the positive multiverse.
Andromeda, once healed by her mother, had been punished on her arrival in the negative multiverse. Ronni knew something had to be done with her urge to kill.
The child was forced to only step on those worlds that were void of highly sentient life. The remaining negative deities and Ronni were keeping an active sense on her, the moment she tried to go on a world with sentient life, Ronni would jump into action, and send her daughter elsewhere. Andromeda eventually chose to settle down and create a temple for herself, with the only other sentient being for company there, Shennong, as he was active again…although he was no longer human.
He was pretty much a zombie, with deity powers granted to him by Ronni to defend himself, and his chest and stomach was made of malachite, forged to look like his own before Andromeda destroyed it, embedded into the once empty cavity that she left behind.
What was keeping him, his soul here in his body was his heart which was still beating, though no blood flowed. It had been taken by Andromeda and kept safe and sound, as she wanted him to stay with her forever.
Shennong hadn't forgiven Andromeda for what she did to him, for the pain he went through and her decisions, but he could no longer feel any real emotion. He could fake them, but never feel it. He chose to remain by her side now. There was nothing else for him other than this. Andromeda had gone back and killed his family during her time when she was free, and he owed Ronni for easing the pain he was once trapped with.
The punishment was hard to maintain, but it was upheld.…to the point it had lasted until cycle 7.
Then Ronni wanted answers.
The negative multiverse was under attack, by the species known as Ing.
Violent, dark and evil. They were in small numbers at the beginning of the cycle attacking a few worlds in each universe. But eventually it got worse. They soon had planets of their own in each universe, and created orbs out of negative Lifestreams, out of negative energy itself called 'Sigil Stones.".
Using these orbs, they created the chaotic cloud as it was named by the other beings. A purple, thunderous cloud, it covered patches, and eventually a whole world, bringing a toxic wave of dust particles that nothing but the Ing and also in time the Unversed could breathe safely, and the dust, made from the orbs power would grant them additional strength. For everything else, the dust would fill their lungs and choke them to death.
One of the species that existed in the negative multiverse that failed to thrive in the positive, the race known as the Luminoth, had created powerful crystals to try and counter this poison. They worked, but were dangerously fragile, easily toppled by the Ing over time if not protected.
The Ing invaded many worlds, creating new hives and colonies for themselves, creating the 'cloud' with Sigil Stones, spawning ever more forces and driving the life of those planets to either escape, or suffer total annihilation.
Ronni's deities could not stop the rampage, nor could the Luminoth. Eventually a multiverse war had been declared after each universe had managed to get in contact with one another, and admitting they were all under attack by, not only the Ing, but by a force that helped direct the Ing, to help the pitch black creatures to get through weaknesses in defenses and such.
Unversed. Their numbers had increased by the sheer amount of deaths and power fusions across the positive realm, and only for the last hundred and so years to the present cycle, has Ronni lost contact with the once shepherd of them, the Symphony Master. Without such a vital being at the helm of the Unversed who talked to her, she lost all communication with what they were doing and were they were going.
Humanity, Oni, all races of the negative multiverse were facing a true crisis. It all seemed to have started in the last cycle, when the great fall, as Azrael named it, happened.
When Universe 5 collapsed.
It's believed the very fabric of that Universe was torn asunder by an event triggered by an evil entity of great destructive force. Having been victorious over those that tried to defeat it there, it had managed to gain access to the Azrael Core that the god hid in that universe and use it to destroy everything around it, taking itself out as well.
The negative version of this universe rapidly died off soon after, all of their links to their positive counterparts having been severed in one fell blow.
This was when the first sign of the Ing came about. There were signs of them on dozens of worlds in the negative multiverse, causing more and more chaos and carnage before the end of the cycle.
Now with them running rampart, and the strange issue of Sigil stones and shards being in the positive multiverse, Ronni found a trail of where all this might be coming from.
She had come to the world her daughter had stayed on.
A world that had been distorted, covered by a toxic cloud. The same type that was killing off worlds no less.
Here though, it was much, much more potent. Because this world was now deemed as the Ing homeworld. As Ronni looked, all around the temple, blackened and crumbling, there were Ing hives, molded from flesh, black as the void, with numerous of the creatures going around, crawling at the ground, looking for locations to lay more eggs.
They dared not approach Ronni. There was a feeling around her they knew of, the same one that was inside the building they were avoiding.
Ronni went inside the temple of her daughter.
It was in ruins.
There was once paintings here of Ronni, a statue of her as the center piece, blue carpets, silver decorations, glass stained windows…all destroyed and left to rot away.
Andromeda was sitting on the several steps that led up to where the statue was once intact. She had her eyes shut, and was quietly humming to herself, seemingly in her own little world.
As Ronni started to approach, she sensed the arrival of another behind her, his dull voice made her know who it obviously was. "Lady Ronni. Andromeda is focused elsewhere at the moment."
Ronni stopped and turned towards Shennong, his face trying to force a smile, as always to any visitor he meets to hide his problem. "Well, with you being here it confirms the Ing seem to have no desire to attack you both. Why is that? Why are they on this world in the first place?"
"I don't know Ronni. Forgive me. I have noticed the aliens, but I've been focused on my duty." Shennong looked idly over to Andromeda, who had opened her eyes now, and stood up.
"Mother. It's been a few cycles. I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me." She sounded bitter on seeing Ronni again. Their relationship has become very strained since her punishment…that and her bond with the leviathan has become much more stronger, making her instinctively angry towards all gods now.
"I want to know something. These Ing. Are they your creation?" Ronni wasn't in the most happiest moods herself. She didn't want to talk to Andromeda much these days either…her focus on her multiverse's struggle for survival has been her main push in life, and Andromeda is a secondary thought now.
"I take responsibility for none of them mother. A strange shaped meteor hit my world, and they came out of it. I allowed them to grow and spread as long as they leave my home alone. Their leader asked nicely to go to the other worlds I owned, so I sent groups of them to this planet in other universes."
"Where is this leader of yours?"
Andromeda shrugged, folding her arms. "I do not know, and nor do I care."
Ronni wasn't pleased with that answer. "You never do anymore. These Ing have been a major problem. They have been attacking populated worlds, and our people are begging for a way to end them."
Andromeda looked away, turning her head in disgust. "'Our' people, is it mother? I'm not allowed to speak to them remember, to help them. If you must know I've been enjoying visits to the tribes of primitive Krogan who don't seem to count. I taught them to bang rocks together."
Ronni decided to now move on to her next point of being here. "I need you to move to another world anyway, my child. I plan to destroy these worlds. I've checked the positive multiverse, and these worlds are void of life there, perfect for us to get rid of them and the Ing."
"Destroy this world?" That got Andromeda's attention.
"Yes. The Ing are too dangerous. If I don't deal with them at the source, they will expand even more and bring disorder to our multiverse. Something that you should not allow to happen, correct?" The goddess turned away, and started walking off. "The planet destroyers will launch systematically in three days. I hope to see you again soon my child."
"…Planet destroyer…World destroyer…" Andromeda looked back to the past memories of the leviathan bound to her, her words not reaching Ronni's ears, as she soon vanished after passing by Shennong.
He approached his lover. "Andromeda. She is going to endanger our children."
Yep, they had kids. Two of them, both lovely healthy girls…who have been twisted and mutated by the hands of Andromeda, who more or less created them from a bit of her flesh, and of Shennongs. Her leviathan soul demanded them to be powerful beings, who can control and destroy like those of the first cycle.
The eldest, who Andromeda had named fondly Zeruiah, had been twisted from her humble humanoid beginnings into the giant Ing which will soon be known to the negative multiverse as the Emperor Ing.
The younger child had been made into an actual leviathan like being, appearing to be made of pure flames and stone, crafted into a hellish demon that now runs wild and causes slaughters wherever it roams. She's known to the mortals as Diablo. Her actual name her mother gave her was Lorita.
Andromeda wasn't going to let the Ing, the species she had tamed herself from universe 5 in the previous cycle get destroyed. "I want them to grow further, I want them to conquer, to kill. I will wait for the machines to come…then I will break the vow I had made to mother. I will get rid of them for good."
"The vow. If you break that, Ronni will know right away that it was you who done it. To open numerous pathways to the positive multiverse. Those deities of hers cannot do such a feat." Shennong warned her in his dull way.
"I'll enjoy her little furious moment. It'll get her to focus on me again for a while. I missed her hounding attention from before." Andromeda gave a little chuckle, then turned towards the broken statue. "You hear that mother? I'm going to ruin your little multiverse piece by piece along with that bastard you called your lover. You both deserve it."
Soon, sent from clusters of Luminoth created space stations in each Universe simultaneously, their prized projects, titled 'Unicron', begun their long journey towards the main homeworlds of the Ing. As they went, they fed on planets that were heavily infested with Ing, beyond any redemption. It fuelled them, helped them continue on to their main objective, hard wired into their programming. Terminate the Ing, terminate the ones that were corrupted.
Sadly, not one of them ever reached their destination. Sudden distortions appeared before them all, numerous powerful tears in space, the light within blinding their systems and throwing their scanners off, unable to respond and try to evade it.
They ventured through them, and the tears quickly healed up afterwards.
Each Unicron found itself in a new Universe, trying to get a reading on its location, it's energy resources having been drained heavily.
For Azrael, this was one hell of a headache, especially as he already had Unicrons of his own, created by the Chozo. Two planet eaters were too much for each Universe, so he had to divert much of his power into combining them into one so they could fit around his plans, something he informed Ronni about, warning her once again if she did not keep those under her in line, there would be consequences.
Andromeda expected anger, expected fury from her mother…but Ronni did not show. She did not become angry with the child. She simply moved on seemingly, despite now knowing what was behind all these issues after sensing the tears into the positive multiverse.
It appeared Azrael turning his attention back to her after so many cycles drew all of her attention back to him.
Meanwhile, as the months after that incident passed on, in her ruined temple Andromeda had walked into its back rooms, heading to one single area, one room that she had locked herself, protected by a powerful energy barrier formed by her that she easily dismissed, showing a silver double door, which opened up.
Inside, were hearts.
They were hanging on the three silver painted walls, tied by golden strings…all beating, dried blood covering the floor where they had run out a long time ago, but still continue to move, continue to live…because Shennong was only the first one. There was a reason for Andromeda to allow the Ing to grow.
She wanted slaves. People to be her eyes and ears on other worlds, to obey her and listen to her commands, as Shennong had done so. Her leviathan side liked this control, this bending of the will, enjoying having to pull out their hearts, to see them desperately squirm as she bent her minds and souls to her command.
Unlike Shennong though, they had nothing to put in the hole afterwards. Andromeda wouldn't even patch it up. They had to live with the wound, a sign of their fate.
There was several dozen hearts here. All them beating in unison, something Andromeda loved hearing…and now with the Ing no longer under any serious threats, she can get more to add to her collection. Her daughter was the leader of the Ing, with a click of Andromedas fingers, she would bring her mother fresh victims.
Fate though, would grant her even better opportunities.
She begun to feel a sensation whenever she tried to sense for her mother. A feeling of weakness. Her powers were waning, Andromeda was sure of it.
All Andromeda had to do now then, was keep pushing the Ing onwards. They could expand with little difficulty, besides the other races, who after a time were proving to be quick to adapt and fight back. The completion of multiversal gateways between them helped their resolve in holding back the Ing.
Andromeda watched, and waited. She decided to take time decorating her little home, taking objects from ruined temples belonging to Ronni, and putting them in hers, making into almost like a trophy collection.
But two years after the machines incident, someone arrived into her domain…Someone from the positive multiverse. Not only that…
They came from cycle 6.
It was while Shennong had Andromeda lay on her ruined king sized bed, with torn purple sheets and rotting pillows, laying on her stomach naked, receiving a massage from her lover, that he felt the arrival of a group of warrior Ing, entering their main room. "My lady. We have guests."
"Ignore them." She moaned. "We're busy. If they search for us, destroy them the moment they enter."
Shennong let go of Andromeda's shoulders, getting off the bed. "They do not enter our without good reason. I shall see what they want." With that, he walked away from her, leaving their bedroom.
Andromeda cursed him, as she moved herself, starting to put her robes back on that she flung on the dusty floor. He held his own will, and more and more over time, his taking some of these matters into his own hands instead of blatantly obeying.
Once she was prepared, she walked into the main room, the once place for prayer, now the walls covered with an assortment of paintings, several small statues of silver showing Ronni placed around, the old benches she once had long since removed, and her old own damaged paintings were gone.
She found the Ing standing around, and once they saw her, they quickly begun to move back, eventually turning into their goo like forms, silently flowing away, out of the front door, in fear of any assault. She was not one to thank them, and had no quarrel destroying them.
What they had left behind, was in Shennongs arms, as he turned around to face her.
A human, male. Wearing a uniform that had blackened steel armor on the torso and shoulder pads, but in other places was woven with blood red silk, with a short red and black cape attached to the back. It looked like he was supposed to be a lord or of royalty. On the ground nearby, was a shattered sword…if placed back together, Andromeda could picture it to be a katana of somekind.
"His been rendered unconscious by the toxins from the clouds. He'll be dead within a day if not treated. Shall I prepare him to be turned? They must feel he is going to be useful to you."
Andromeda nodded. But as Shennong begun to pass her to take the man to the room filled with the hearts, she placed her hand on her lovers shoulder. "Wait."
She looked to the man in his arms. "There is something…off with him. I don't think he belongs here."
She turned towards him, and then moved her hand from Shennongs shoulder, and placed it on the man's head, closing her eyes, diving into his thoughts, his mind. She saw his life, his experiences...
"Yeul, the future you saw…You say I found a way beyond this cycle, we both do?"
"Boris, the Seeress cannot be wrong. We have a way. I will not lose to this 'end' we are about to face. These orbs will be mine, and I'll find a way myself if I must."
"…And thus he comes to me." She opened her eyes, and moved her hand away. " Coming by the Nexus within the positive multiverse, throwing himself into the next cycle to find an answer from me….why is that?"
She soon focused back to Shennong. "Use your power to purify his lungs. Create a breathable space around him, and let him rest on my bed. I must seek out the answer."
"Who will you speak to? Ronni?"
"No. I saw an image in his mind of a certain deity. One I know well enough. Sheogorath."
Finding him was never hard. He rarely tried to hide his power, and was often in a lavished mansion, surrounded by women, drink, drugs…and slaughter. This time she found him in a hot tub, on one of the said mansion rooftop balconies, this one being extended well above and away from the place, on the side that was right close to a cliff face, showing beneath the spot he was enjoying himself on, was a dangerously steep drop. Sheogorath always built his luxury on the strangest of locations, this one being perilously close to the edge of a very, very high plateau. Thankfully he had metal fences built around his little party spot to avoid anyone falling off the side. With him were several very beautiful women of different species in tiny bikinis, while he himself was down in his half purple, half red trunks. He was having a laugh and a good time under the stars, with techno music blaring out of his home, with a glass of red wine in his hand.
Andromeda appeared in a flash before him, looking down at him and the others in the hot tub. Her appearance quickly made him stop his laughter and enjoyment, and led him to frown a little. "Well now, if it isn't the little party pooper of the Multiverse. I thought your mother told you to keep away from our populated worlds missy. I don't recall her saying you were invited to my parties."
Andromeda looked at the females with disgust. "I have no desire to come and join in, deity. I'm here because I just got someone who you may know of. A mortal."
"I know lots of those things dear. Seventeen thousand Toms, twenty two thousand Dicks, and forty nine thousand Harrys…wait, scratch that, it's forty nine thousand and ONE, the last guys skull I drank out of was called Harry!"
"This one's name is Harkon. From cycle 6."
Sheogorath was surprised at that. "Harkon you say? I know of several of those…One I do recall quite well at the end of that cycle. Emperor of Nirn in the positive multiverse. Universe 1. Held a position in the court of the Wheelworld. Always was a determined chap. Demanded to know a way to escape Azzies little erasure plan. I told him I had no given answers for him and told him to go see the Nexus. I expected him to either refuse due to it's too dangerous or he'll dare and die from it. I assumed the latter is what happened…you know I miss Nirn. I was seen as a god there. Easy place to hide in on my visits to the positive multiverse. Azrael hardly watched it…might have to do that again."
"Did anyone manage to escape the Erasure?" Andromeda then asked.
Sheogorath stood up in the hot tub, the ladies looking confused at the conversation going on. "Well, now that you mention it, before the Erasure struck our multiverse, as it always does when the positive is wiped clean, I sensed little pockets. Little bubbles of life evading it. Some were obvious, like us deities. Others…They felt like the same power that comes from those damn orbs the Ing have begun to recently make that's producing the killer air."
"The Sigil Orbs."
"Sigil stones my dear. That's what everyone else calls them. Focused negative energy, compressed into a dangerous state. The power from them and those little pockets felt deadly similar. Probably because those orbs can produce a barrier if harnessed correctly...fatally, as some of my people had to learn when they got their hands on one. It creates the poison for a reason."
Andromeda understood now. "I see...just so happens they're the same...appearing in a cycle they have yet to exist in...Tell me, how I do send someone back to their cycle if they don't belong here?"
Sheogorath looked amused. "You're asking me that? Come now missy, you have more power than even us deities." With that, suddenly, the hot tub's flooring opened up, leading to all the water...and the girls inside, plummeting down the cliff, screaming in sheer terror, as Sheogorath floated from where he was, to eventually landing in front of Andromeda, listening for their impacts on the ground, which came to pass, their voices silent, before he continued on. "You can't go back in time to before the Erasure...at least in this multiverse, with a certain object, you can't. But that certain object, it's power is somewhat terrifying to the other multiverse, it can do things that even I don't quite understand. Madness beyond madness...and trust me, I've seen some weird shit in my time." He laughed after saying that, and walked by her.
Andromeda was about to leave, when she heard him stop moving, and talk, in a dark, serious tone. "But let me warn you, lass. If you go into that multiverse, Azrael will certainly notice...and others will detect your presence."
She disappeared, leaving Sheogorath alone on the balcony, when a Klingon male came out from the mansion. "Lord Sheogorath, where are those fine women you once had? I was hoping to come and join them!"
The angel chuckled. "Well, we all had a little bit of a...falling out."
Andromeda returned to her temple, to find Shennong waiting for her. "I had awoken our guest straight after I purified his lungs. He had quickly learned of the requirement of the barrier around to keep him alive, as he attempted to step out beyond it. He is waiting for you."
"Good. Call our for eldest. Tell her I require a Sigil Orb to be brought to me." With that, she left her lover alone, heading to the bedroom, finding that this man, Harkon, was sitting on the edge of her bed, hand together, seemingly waiting patiently. Around him and around the bed was a faint, white barrier, formed to stop the toxins in the air from reaching him. He looked to her, and stood up.
"You don't belong here. You don't belong in, what you call 'Chaotic Space'."
Harkon nodded. "I admit. I expected it to be a hell that no one can quite imagine or even survive in...I was close to being completely right when I first arrived. We call it Chaotic Space because should anyone find a way here, no one comes back, consumed into a state of eternal limbo...Am I wrong?"
"I cannot say. I rarely get guests from the positive multiverse...especially from a cycle that's already been destroyed."
The man seemed shocked at that, sitting back down. "Then...then there is no hope. I have been sent here, too late..."
"Not entirely so." Andromeda walked over to him, stepping through the barrier. "I may have a way for you to go back. Even a way to avert the crisis you face, at least for you and some of your friends, if they are who you want to save."
Harkon looked up to her, hopeful. "Avert the crisis? How?"
"An item we in the negative Multiverse, chaotic space, have that you don't. That you don't even have during that cycle of our Multiverse. It will soon be here, and I can show it to you."
Eventually, Shennong came and joined them, informing them that the Ing had brought what she asked for. Andromeda used her power to increase the size of the barrier to cover her entire temple, leading the time traveller from her bedroom to the main area...which had, on the ground, a black orb the size of a human head, that any light on it seemed to reflect a dark purple...there was Ing around it at first, but they fled the moment the barrier grew, as its power greatly weakened them and could kill them if they remained too long.
Andromeda walked over to the object, while Shennong and Harkon waited, and as she put her hand on it, it started to shrink, smaller and smaller, until it could easily fit into the palm of her hand. She lifted it up, and turned towards the other two...and could admit now, she understood the potential this thing had.
She felt it's power course through her as it got smaller, it's unnatural energy, the way the world around it seemed...so easy to twist and turn...It made her leviathan side excited at the thought of such controlling force being hers...her Ing made them.
Giving one up wouldn't hurt any...but this power should cost Harkon something.
And an idea arose in her mind, a way to keep her presence in the positive multiverse without the obvious mark of a heart removal. "Here it is Harkon, the key element to your survival."
Harkon walked over, looking at the orb in wonder. "Such a strange item. I can sense a foreboding force emanating from it. To defy the will of god himself..."
He reached out for it, but the goddess quickly moved it away from him. " Such a gift does not come free...tell me, who will you use this for?"
The man looked at her, tried to figure out her game, before answering. "I will use it for my family and my servants. I doubt it will be easy to share with my companions from other worlds."
Andromeda begun slowly walking around him, a dark smile formed on her lips, as she looked at the Sigil Orb. "If you have this, you could easily return here and claim a few others...I could guide you to them through you. But I will need a direct connection to you."
"State your proposal then, and I will consider it."
"Tell me, you know of Sheogorath, correct?" She stopped behind him.
"Yes, I do."
"Do you know of Molag Bal?"
He had returned home, to the 6th cycle. As soon as he had done so, she could see his fate be revealed to her. She led him and others to two more Sigil Stones, to allow them a chance...perhaps more slaves, as time goes on. But Harkon never got the chance to force them into his will. The great Erasure struck, and he had escaped into the next Nirn of Universe 1 with only those close to him with Molag's guidance on how to use the Sigil Stone.
Millions of years passed by. Though it seems like this means there was nothing uneventful, it was quite the opposite.
The war with the Ing was now all over the Multiverse. Many of the populated worlds with highly intelligent species were now under constant and seemingly never ending assault. But they managed to hold out. While there were worlds under attack, there were others which seemed like they hadn't even noticed what was going on. Life was continuing at its pace despite the Ing's attempts at disrupting that.
But then something changed it all drastically.
The Great Awakening.
In each universe, there was a Beyondard, which were chosen to be the central transportation points for going between Universes, becoming gigantic metropolises across the entirety of each version of it.
3 out of the 4 Beyondards were suddenly shaken by unnatural and highly volatile earthquakes, the ground ripping itself up, causing eruptions across the planets, lava spewing up, the sea flooding into the cities...then, from the cracked earth, came wave upon wave of a new breed of Ing.
The normal known Ing had red orb like eyes...these ones carried a glistening purple, along with a much more aggressive and hate filled intentions, mutilating and possessing any that survived the strange sudden, seemingly natural disaster. They flooded all the ships they could find one ach world, all communications to the Beyondards were silenced, and they launched themselves to other populated worlds, that were seemingly safe from the Ing attacks.
The only Beyondard to avoid this fate, was that of Universe 2, which noticed the sudden silence, and tried to raise the alarm for the others in each Universe.
It was too late by then.
The mortal races that stood together, naming themselves the COR, Coalition Of Races, was now facing massacres on planets in almost every direction. It led to their now more sorry state, where there was only a few worlds across the Multiverse that were entirely safe...many of them were in Universe 2.
The new breed of Ing, meanwhile, had met their more known cousins..and they merged into one force, intermixing. This combined type of Ing, from the power of corruption, were greater than before. Their destructiveness in conquering planets, their seemingly superior strength, proved them a now lethal foe to what remained of the COR...or they would be, if they hadn't change their goals.
Andromeda had noticed a change in behavior to the Ing. She noticed that the Sigil Stones were a calling to them. They were determined to protect them, to feed of their energy, and in effect, lessened their expansion, so long as they had enough energy being given to their numbers, they seemed uncaring about killing what remained. She noticed the change in her daughter as well. Zeruiah was less in a mood for taking orders from her mother.
Lorita soon followed suit, as she increasingly stayed around her elder sister. Both were now choosing to ignore their mother, which angered Andromeda somewhat, but she chose to let the Ing continue the way they were. Time was on her side.
As it was not on Ronni's.
Years after the Great Awakening, the Negative Goddess had begun to weaken, her energy slowly but surely, fading away.
Ronni soon held a meeting with Andromeda, and told her that she was now facing mortality. Death, had come to visit, and showed her the hourglasses of hers, and Azraels. The sand within them, never moved. It was always still, never dropping down due to the fact they could not die...or so they thought.
The sands of their time now though, was moving. In comparison, Ronni's was flowing slower then Azraels, but the fact they were now flowing down, trickling away, was the greatest shock to her.
The reign of the first gods was coming to an end.