Chapter 6: The Star and the Void

Greta was right. The Outsider looked so much happier in the cold bathtub. His eyes were still closed, but he looked content. Emily tried very hard not to think how naked he was.

"Naked except for those shackles of light," whispered some part of her mind, giggling with glee.

A lazy smile crossed the Outsider's face, and his black eyes opened oh so slightly. "What a thought indeed," he murmured, his voice somewhat husky.

Emily felt heat flood her face, and she wanted nothing more than to shove him like they were children in a playground. Instead she focused on Greta, who seemed to be doing a weird dance routine.

The Outsider sat forward, the water sloshing gently as he moved. "What on earth is the Zealot doing?" he asked, sounding more amused than curious.

"Trying to summon the spirit she said could help answer our questions," Emily replied, watching Greta out in her bedroom flip, one, twice, then land hard on the ground with a thud. Emily winced.

"I'm ok!" she called out, raising her right hand up in a thumbs up. Greta immediately picked herself up, and walked into the bathroom, looking put out.

"No luck?" Emily probed gently.

"I don't understand," Greta said. "Maybe I'm doing it wrong…" She walked over to the sink, picked up a piece of paper, and handed it to Emily. "Can you hold this up please?"

Emily took it and held it up so Greta could easily read it. She could practically feel the smug amusement radiating off the Outsider, making her want to dunk his head underwater.

Greta took a step back, peering at the paper. As she read the lines aloud, she moved.

"Left, Right, Left, Right

Around the World, Side to Side

Cross your wrists, move around

Then you go upside down."

Greta ended by sticking her right hand into the air, a frustrated look on her face. Just as she did that, her hand and eyes began to glow bright yellow. A bright light bloomed above her hand, growing to the size of a person. Finally the light died down, and the glow left Greta's hand and eyes. The person drifted down, appearing like a thin woman with the skin of baked clay, hair of glowing yellow, and eyes of pure white. She wore a long skirt and short top, and had a winning smile.

"I have been caaaaalled," she sang, opening her arms wide like an opera singer. The Outsider winced, and Emily did do, just a bit.

"Emily, Outsider, this is Elanor," Greta introduced, looking rather sheepish. "Elanor has given us the ability to see what our sisters see, and to block magic."

"Goodness!" said Elanor, peering at the Outsider. She seemed to stretch out until her face came mere inches from his. "So, this is the deity of the Void. Is your cock really crooked?"

A look of anger took over the Outsider's face and he lunged forward, looking ready to strangle her.

Elanor yelped and snapped back. Emily grabbed the Outsider from behind, and was nearly pulled into the tub as he pushed forward.

"How is he so damn strong?!" she thought.

"Have you seen his muscles?" retorted another thought.

Emily yanked him back, her embarrassment fueling her. The Outsider sank back down, his face dark with anger. She noted she was soaked from the effort of pacifying him, and was thankful she still wore her waterproof coat.

"That was very rude Elanor!" Greta snapped. "Apologize!"

Elanor bowed at the waist, a contrite look about her. "Deity of the Void known as the Outsider, I would like to offer my apology for the way I greeted you. I did not intend to cause offense, and I am truly sorry."

All eyes turned to the Outsider, who glared at the glowing women. "Tell me what you did to the Void, and maybe I will consider accepting your apology."

Elanor looked truly confused. "I will help where I can, but I assure you, my power should have no effect on the Void. "

"Then why does it feel like everything is burning?" he sneered.

Elanor turned to Greta. "What happened?"

"Emily and I made a corrupted rune to defeat the witch Delilah by trapping her in her painted world," Greta answered. "Only, it seems that something has gone wrong."

Elanor went from lost to serious. "Where is the rune?"

"Up in the throne-" Emily started to say, but she flashed and was gone. In another flash, Elanor returned, holding the rune in her hand.

"I think I understand what happened," Elanor said carefully. "What this rune did was turn the pocket dimension into a supernova, or an exploding star."

The Outsider looked flatly at Elanor. "An exploding star?" he drawled

"Yes, an exploding star!" Elanor snapped. "Look mister void god, there might be only one of you but there are many of us!"

His black eyes stared blankly at her. Elanor huffed. "Stars! I'm a star; I am one of the keepers of time, and a singer of the Ancient Music! You could say I'm an equally powerful opposite of you."

Emily crossed her arms. "If that is true, how come no one has ever heard of you before?"

"We do not have any reason to tamper with human life. We exist, we keep time, and we sing," Elanor answered with a sniff. "Unlike the Void, we don't receive the dead."

"Nor do you seem to inspire magic," the Outsider commented, a shrewd look on his face.

Elanor bit her lip, and looked at Greta. Greta shrugged.

"You have the answers Elanor."

Elanor looked uneasy as she spoke. "Our magic is to largely combat the Void. Sometimes, when our elders die, they collapse upon themselves in such a way that they break into the void. They suck everything into them, and nothing can escape their grasp once caught. We can form barriers and prevent some from getting bigger, but not much else."

"The Void is infinite. All came from it, and all shall return to it," uttered the Outsider dryly.

"That's what makes it so curious that you're in pain all over," Greta interjected, her red brows furrowed. "So, this is only a small section of the Void that exploded? Why isn't only a small part of you hurting?"

The Outsider grit his teeth at the reminder. "I do not know. All I know is everything burns."

Emily saw Elanor become very still, and very pale. She raised her hand slightly, all her focus on the Outsider

"Can you describe how the pocket dimension exploded?" she asked, her voice very quiet.

The Outsider lifted his hands out of the water, the glowing shackles pulsating with light.

"First, it got very small," he started, putting his hands together to make a pinhole. "The Void felt tight as it did so, like it was pulling it in. Then," he yanked his hands apart. "it was like being covered by a wave of fire."

Elanor looked very serious and not the least bit fearful. "We need to get those shackles off you, right now. Greta, grab one and stretch it. Emily, pull his hand out when it gets wide enough."

Greta darted forward and seized the left shackle, gritting her teeth and groaning as she pulled it slowly wide. Emily held his arm steady as it jerked and trembled, each touch of his made it smaller.

"Come on you stupid thing!" screamed Greta, fighting it just wide enough. Emily yanked it through and the Outsider screamed in pain. Patterns appeared on the pale skin of his arm, wrapping up his shoulder and down his chest. Emily moved to the right arm, and held it tight.

"You can do this," she murmured to the Outsider. "It will be over before you know it."

He gave her a small nod, before his face contorted one more in pain as Greta stretched the right shackle. This time Emily had to fight the interference of the left arm trying to stop Greta.

"Can you help out here?" Emily gritted out to Elanor as she leaned across the bathtub, trying to grab the left wrist, which seemed to develop a mind of its own.

"I literally cannot touch him or we will both die," replied Elanor, a pained look on her face. "Me telling you what to do is the most I can do."

"Now!" cried Greta, and Emily yanked his right hand out. The Outsider screamed like it had been cut off, and pulled it to his chest. Another series of patterns bloomed from his wrist, up his shoulders, and down his chest. He was breathing heavily, his black eyes half lidded.

"Two down, two more to go!" Greta chirped with false cheer. She reached down and with surprising zeal yanked his left ankle up, pulling his head underwater. Emily immediately grabbed his calf and ankle, and seconds later yanked his foot free. Like clockwork they immediately grabbed his right, and pulled the final shackle off him. Each dispersed into fragments of light.

"YES!" screamed Greta, jumping up and offering her hand up for a high five. Emily gave it, feeling tired but gleeful.

"Someone should pull him uuuuup," sung Elanor nervously, looking into the bath.

"Oh shit," Emily cursed, and pulled him up from under his shoulders. His eyes were closed, and he was still. Too still.

"He can't have drowned, could he?" asked Greta, worried.

"Maybe he's just passed out from the pain," Elanor suggested.

Emily arranged his head to lie on the rim of the tub, and brushed aside his bangs. He looked less tortured, more peaceful. After a moment she turned to Elanor.

"What were those shackles, and why were they so important to remove?"

Elanor folded her hands, and looked grim. "Those shackles are meant to tie him to that void, to embody that void rather than the Void proper. What makes those is a magic far beyond my ken. What was so dangerous about them is that what happened in his void was not a supernova. It was a big bang."

There was silence as Emily tried to process the information. Greta seemed to get a handle faster than her.

"A big bang? What is that?" she asked, eyes alight with curiosity.

"It is when a void ceases to be a void, rather it is filled with energy and matter," Elanor said. "If he was to remain tied to that place, it would have killed him."

"So…" said Emily, her brain hurting as tried to understand. "The Void is no more?"

"His void is no more, the void he once embodied," Elanor replied gently. "He still has his powers, he still has his immortality, for the Void is infinite. But right now, a whole new universe is being born in his void, and it will take a while for the Void proper to get back to its rightful place. All he can do now is sit tight and wait for its return."