One hundred or so years later.
Aurora watched as her friend arranged bits of mashed wood pulp upon another larger piece of mashed wood pulp all the while consulting some sheets of mashed wood pulp. She understood what it was, a crude simulation, very crude by the standards of the creatures who swarmed amongst the stars. She also understood why such things existed, to train and develop an understanding of strategy and tactics. What she did not understand was why they were doing it. Not precisely.
Her friend had said it would be fun.
Aurora was still uncertain about such concepts as 'friend' and 'fun'. Friend was a difficult concept, previously the closest she had ever got was 'someone I have met and not destroyed yet'. Someone who talks to me, helps me become a better person and does things with me were new to her. In the past she had been petitioned, summoned, placated, bound and tortured. Her friend just asked her if she wanted to do things like look at things, or visit part of the material or, play a game. Fun was even more nebulous, it was not unlike when she was satiated by numerous sacrifices or victims, but different. As far as her friend was concerned no-one died when you had fun.
"So, you're all okay with playing France. Just asking because while I think the aggressive play style will suit you it may bring back some bad memories." said her friend as he positioned the little bits of crushed pulp.
That was the one of the strange things her friend did. He worried about her. True, the battle for her sanity had been perilous and was according to him something referred to as an 'ongoing project'. Being formerly mortal meant he had a vested interest in her remaining who she was now, but there was something more that she didn't quite understand. Then there were these things. These 'games'.
"Are you going to set up? I suppose times not really an issue but it does take a while." her friend said, as he examined a bit, placed it, picked it up and then put it back almost exactly where it had been.
Aurora waved her hand and the bits that were hers arranged themselves in neat piles.
"Or you could do it that way I suppose. Perhaps I failed to explain why we are doing this." her friend said.
"I think I understood correctly. This is a test of intellect and skill. One in which I will crush you." said Aurora.
"Yes, there's all that, also, while we play, we've gone over that right? While we play we learn about each other. Chat, share anecdotes, a few friendly taunts, jokes."
"I WILL CRUSH YOU AND TEAR YOUR FEEBLE ALLIANCE APART PUNY MORTAL." roared Aurora. "Like that, you mean?"
Her friend blinked and smiled.
"Puny post-mortal I'll have you know. Still, as a first attempt at trash talk, well done, but needs some work." said her friend.
It all looked to be another typical session with her friend. Aurora reached out to the plastic cubes when a voice cut across the area.
"Mother! What are you doing?" said her daughter.
Aurora turned round, cubes in hand to face both her children.
"Typical. Even in this universe the family turns up." muttered her friend to no one in particular.
Aurora advanced on her 'children'.
"What do you want?" she demanded of them.
Her children looked at one another and linked hands.
"We have become worried." said the Daughter
"The power no longer flows to us." said the Son.
"Of course it does not. It is mine." said Aurora.
"If this continues, you will become too powerful Mother." said the Daughter.
"You cannot be allowed to escape." said the Son.
Aurora drew herself up and gathered her power, the area became suffused with light. She became aware of a small pressure on her shoulders. Her friend.
"Out of my way."
Her friend looked at her.
"No. I will not let you harm them."
Aurora looked down at her friend.
"You know what they did. You would protect them."
Her friend looked back.
"I am protecting you. There are other ways, better ways to act."
"Mother, who is this creature." asked the Son.
"Yes, is it, a pet?" said the Daughter.
Her friend grinned, a dangerous sign. Aurora felt a moment of sympathy for her children.
"Well, I could do the parrot thing again." he said.
"No!"
"Promise not to poop down your back." he said.
"Absolutely not!"
Her friend turned round and faced her children.
"So, there you go. Not, a pet. Least, not an avian one. I could be a cat. Or a dog, but a serious dog, not one of them yappy, silly dogs." he said.
"No!"
Her friend ignored her.
"So I'm not a pet. Not a lover either, let's not go there again. I am, your mother's friend."
"A Friend? Mother, you don't have any friends." said the Daughter.
"Yes, you only have us." said the Son.
Her friend advanced on the children.
"Really? Are you behind on current events. I, am your mother's friend and currently the one thing that is standing between you and a deadly relapse on her part."
"Why should we listen to the likes of you?" said the Son.
Her friend crossed his arms.
"Because I asked nicely?"
The Daughter raised her hand.
"No, begone whatever you are." she said and with a wave of her arm bid the Force to remove the creature.
Nothing happened. The daughter waved her arm. Again nothing changed. With her brother she attempted it again. Still nothing.
"Finished? Good. Now we can talk. First off. How about you tell me your version of events on how you met your mother? First however, introductions. You are the Son and the Daughter, unless of course it's the other way round, I don't judge. As for me, you can call me The Chosen One."
Her friend essayed a little bow and smiled.
"The Chosen One?" said the Son.
"Oh, do we have to go through this again? Yes, I am The Chosen One, took me ages to accept it, but how about you two, who are avatars of the Force, descended from, well, I believe there's a difference of opinion on the matter, but we shall get to that. Anyways, how about we all suspend judgement on what is and isn't possible and just take me at my word and your inability to banish me. Good? Fine. Now, how did you meet Aurora? I believe she had a different name then." said her friend.
"There was a great light and a star descended from the heavens. When we reached the crater we discovered her. We took her in and gave her a home." began the Daughter.
"They lie." interrupted Aurora.
"That may be so, but I am interested in their version of events. Please continue." said her friend.
"She, in turn took care of us. First she was our servant, but in time we came to love her. It was then we called her Mother." said the Daughter.
"And you locked your mum away in the attic like a crazy person, why exactly?" said her friend.
"As time went on, Mother began to age, unlike us, she is mortal. She wanted to be with us forever so she drank from the pools of power. However she drank too deeply and too quickly. Her mortal frame could not handle a stable transformation and instead she became the creature known as Abeloth." said the Daughter.
"She caused untold damage in her ascension and needed to be contained. Hence, the prison. However, she occasionally escapes, or an insane mortal manages to summon her. Then we must venture forth to put her back where she can do no harm." said the Son.
"It's a lie." growled Aurora.
Her friend turned and faced Aurora.
"Now, now. Focus. Remember. What's the big rule?"
"No unmaking everything." she grumbled.
"Good rule, but no."
"Black Holes are not for throwing?"
'Yes, yes. Can't believe we need to have that one, but still, no."
Aurora's voice was hesitant, almost shy, "I am a person?"
"Yes!" Her friend hugged Aurora. "And?"
"People do not eat other people." said Aurora with a sigh.
"Wonderful! I am so proud of you. Now, since we are not eating your children, how about you tell me what happened?" said her friend.
"You already know. I have spoken of this." said Aurora, slightly confused. Her friend was being erratic again.
"Yes, but I feel telling it with them present will bring the truth into focus. It will be therapeutic." said her friend.
Aurora had mixed feelings about 'theraputic'. It often involved pain, regret or recalling things she would rather not. Afterwards, however, she felt stronger, more, Aurora, and less her old self.
"I was travelling between worlds when I felt a pull. There was an irresistible attraction. I followed it and then there was this great light. The next thing I knew was that I was in a material form and I was bound. They cut me open and then drank of my essence made matter. I, I was in such pain." said Aurora trembling.
Her friend took her hand.
"It's okay. I know it hurts to recall this, but please, tell them what happened." he said.
"They know too. They were there." said Aurora.
"Now, now. I believe they have forgotten. They instead believe what they told me because they have been telling it to themselves for a long time." said her friend.
"When they had drained me so much that I was very weak they put me to work. They promised less pain if I did what they asked of me. I, I obeyed. As I did so they started telling me it was this way because it was for my own good. Because they loved me. I began to believe them and loved them in return. They called me Mother. In time though my strength returned and they could not control me. They built the prison and using the knife threatened me, driving me inside." said Aurora.
Her friend looked back towards the Son and Daughter.
"Now that is a radically different account. Care to explain, either of you?" asked her friend.
The Son and Daughter looked at one another.
"We will need Father, and the Dagger." they said before vanishing.
"We should go as well." said Aurora after a moment.
"Okay. Can I be a parrot?" said her friend.
"No!"
"How about..."
"No! I regret ever showing you how to change shape. Come on."
They vanished.
Before reappearing in a blasted landscape. Lightning storms played against the night sky and her friend indicated the large spire atop a peak.
"When you said family, I originally envisaged something else. Something homey like a cottage or maybe Rivendell meets Art Deco. Not Mordor Brutalism." he commented.
"I did not live here. This is where they retreated to." said Aurora as she walked up the steps to the entrance.
"I think the looming fortress aesthetic kinda gives the game away. What's wrong with a villa, patios, some nice windows, low gee bounce mat? For the kids, of course." her friend said.
Aurora regarded her friend.
"Really?"
"Really. I got it for the children and that's the Force honest truth." her friend said.
Aurora rather doubted that.
As they approached they could hear the argument within.
"Absolutely not. It is too dangerous." came the voice of the Father.
Aurora stopped.
"You okay?" said her friend.
"It's Him. Father. My," Aurora began, but paused. This was her captor, tormentor, enslaver and also what she had thought of as her lover.
"Do you want to do this now? We can go, won't judge. We can do this next decade. Still, we are here." her friend said.
"Why are you so unconcerned?"
"Because it's not my past we're confronting today. So the stakes are not there for me. Also, I'm dead."
"You are not afraid? The Father is much more powerful."
"It's you I'm concerned about. We can do this or..."
Aurora came to a decision
"We are doing this. Come."
"Excellent, smash the Patriarchy. Damn, I'll have to hand in my guy badge."
"Your what?"
"Never mind, are we going in?"
Aurora and her friend found the three beings kneeling facing each other at the focal point of a large chamber.
"Father, Mother has recovered her powers." said the Daughter.
"Yes. We need the Dagger. Otherwise she will take revenge." said the Son.
"No, my children. She is here for another purpose." said the Father, he raised his head to regard the visitors. "Isn't that right Mother?"
Aurora pointed at the Father.
"You. You captured me." she said as she advanced, her friend trailing in her wake.
The Son and Daughter rose to block the irate being. With a wave of her arm they were swept to one side, sent tumbling into a wall.
"You tortured me! You fed from me, keeping me weak. You lied to me!" screamed Aurora. There was something restraining her, but she brushed it away.
"Yes, I did all that, but." said the Father.
"But what! What is it you think you can say that will stay your destruction?" roared Aurora. She was aware of someone tugging on her but she did not care. She would have her revenge.
"Know that I never lied to you. Ever." said the Father.
Aurora paused.
"What do you mean?"
The tugging stopped. Her friend ran round in front of her.
"It means we hear him out. Please Aurora. You can always destroy them later if you're still angry."
Aurora paused. She was angry. Enraged. Previously, she had let her destructive impulses run riot. That was before, now. She looked down at the small morsel, no, her friend.
"Very well. Explain yourself Father." she said.
They were sitting around a table now. Aurora and Father separated by length. The Son and Daughter on one side and her friend on the other. Aurora wondered how she had been talked into this. Her friend was strong but barely a flicker besides her power. She could not be bidden, or controlled or swayed by words of power or promises of sacrifices. Yet her friend often convinced her do things. She wondered why. His good opinion of her felt, pleasant? Was that it. Maybe he was a pet.
"I was the head of an order of mystics. We had learned of your existence and were dismayed at the endless cycles of creation and destruction that followed in your wake. For civilisation to truly thrive in the Galaxy it was necessary for you to be contained. So, we made plans to capture and restrain you." said the Father.
"You wanted my power for yourselves." said Aurora.
"Let's hear his story out. Then we can judge." said her friend.
"We laboured long. We concocted and formulated a ritual to summon and contain you. We fashioned a weapon out of Dark Matter to be able to confront you. Finally I and the two most powerful Adepts came to a remote planet lying across your path and we set our trap to capture you. It was, successful. In the struggle to contain you the Adepts were struck down as they lost their minds, but with the Dagger I felled you. All that remained was to transfix you with the Dagger and see to your imprisonment. But that, I found I could not do."
The ancient being paused as if tired.
"I remember little of my former existence. What I do know is that I revered and honoured all creation, all of the universe. We knew you to be terrible, destructive, a force of chaos. What none of our lore mentioned was how beautiful you were. I could not, would not carry out the plan. I came up with another. I resolved we would be your guardians. I drank of your power to be able to do so, using a portion to revive the adepts to aid me. Into them I poured a portion of your essence. They were remade as you see them now. In almost every sense they are our children."
"As if there was any doubt." said the Son.
"We set to containing you in a prison we deemed less harsh than was originally planned. We gave you simple tasks, to keep you occupied. Periodically, we had to cut you further, both to replenish ourselves to keep about our task and to keep you from breaking free. Your screams from this shook the planet. It also pained me deeply. Eventually, I could do it no longer. Because I did love you. That was never a lie."
"What is wrong with everyone in this Galaxy? Why am I not surprised?" said her friend after he had banged his head on the table twice. He got up from the tables. "I knew that crazy legend was suspicious the first time I heard it, but I figured Aurora was just the victim of power drunk Dark Side loonies. Because this damn place has no shortage of those. You, however are something truly special." her friend leaned on the table with both arms.
Aurora was worried. Her friend was seldom angry.
"I wish to understand more." she said.
"What? Did you listen to him? Why he did everything? That!" her friend shouted pointing at the Father. "Is a monster!"
"So was I, remember?"
"Kind of hard to forget."
"So, I want to see if they can be brought back as well, Please, I will need your help."
Her friend turned to her and folded his arms.
"It is underhanded and cheating to use your opponents principles against them." he said.
Aurora smiled.
"I know. I learned that from a friend." she said.
Her friend regarded her.
"I guess you did. Very well. I am going to go outside and calm down. When I get back, we'll all talk." said her friend before walking out.
Aurora returned her attention back to her estranged family.
"So, that's all settled. How have you all been? Especially you Father. We never talk." she said with a smile.