Here's some interesting trivia about the word "Ether": a lot of series use that term as the name of their universe's primary power source, such as Xenoblade or Fairy Tail/Edens Zero. The Gameverse's primary power is termed "chi." Magic is one of the common abilities in this series, and magic originates from Planet Emera, on which it is known as "Ether." Of course, this Ether is merely a composite form of multiple chis. However, the Xenoblade crossovers of this series won't use that term for their power, or else it'll be confusing. ^^;

Chapter 14: Sy's Desire

Somewhere in Eporue

Dimentia and Leic Descended onto a vast field, covered in darkness with not a single sign of life. "I can feel a ton of movement underground. She's definitely here. Get ready, Leic."

"Whoa… I didn't think I'd ever be back here again."

"Huh? You know this place?"

"This place is the Tree of Ending. I kind of wandered here one time when a lot of crazy stuff was happening. …But the only reason Stylistic would come here… would be if she remembers."

"Heads up." Plex warned. The earth rumbled beneath them and suddenly erupted open: a skeletal titan with four arms, cloaked on a ghostly white robe, gazed down at them with soulless white eyes. "She's being rather straightforward lately. I appreciate that."

The chest of the titan opened, exposing Sylistys within. "Hmm…so, is it only you two?"

"Who else were you expecting?!" Dimentia shouted.

"I'm rather thankful, actually. I get to determine once and for all if I'm worthy enough to face you. If I can defeat you."

Dimentia narrowed her eyes. "Sylistys… what did the Daemonis tell you, anyway? How did they get ahold of you?"

"When I first found myself awakening, they told me that my soul was lost and forsaken. This body was specially crafted in order to maintain my soul, complete with Bone Chi that I was meant to adapt with. I was told a few basic things about this dimension before they sent me here. Initially, my role was to act as a 'spy,' to both search for potential people to bargain with, and to study the heroes of this universe. At some point, they also planned to pit me against you as well. Unfortunately, I suffered from excruciating pain in this universe, and so I was forced to dine on the chi and souls of benders to stop that pain."

"You know, I think I understand." Plex said. "She does not feel like a soul-turned-Daemonis like how you became an Inviere. Her body feels purely artificial, albeit realistic."

"So, she's kind of like a Gigai?"

"In a way… However, given your circumstances, I can only surmise that Aitnemid would have wound up in this universe's Limbo."

"Limbo?"

"It's a sub-dimension where souls are banished in the event there are bizarre circumstances behind their death. In your case, the universe doesn't recognize 'Invieres,' ergo it wasn't sure what to do with your Negative's departed soul, so she would've wound up in Limbo. In fact, I heard the same fate became of Nerehc due to Cheren's God Tier."

"Are you mumbling to yourself?" Sylistys asked. "Perhaps you could provide more detail on my origins. If we are a 'Positive' and 'Negative,' then tell me who I was."

"I really don't know, honestly." Dimentia replied. "I never bothered to meet my Negative or ask about her… but I have to admit, I am a little curious. Given the unusual lives my brother and I lived, I could only wonder…"

"Then maybe I can explain." Leic said, approaching the titan. "If your name's really Aitnemid… then you should know your daughter's name, Aluben."

"Aluben? You mentioned that name before…"

"Aluben told me you were an awful mother. You destroyed her emotions and forced her to enslave kids all around the universe. She only got her emotions back after the soul extraction in the Underworld, but she was in a ton of pain. She was so mad about it that she decided to kill you. Don't you remember any of that?"

Sylistys put a finger to her chin. For a moment, it seemed like something was sparking inside her. "…No. Those things don't mean anything to me."

"Oh, man." Leic moped. "Maybe it'll jog your memory if we take you to meet her. Or you can stand on your head! I heard that trick works sometimes."

"Leic, I'm not sure that's what she means." Dimentia replied. "I feel like… she really doesn't care to remember that at all."

"You're right." Sy said. "I don't remember having children… and I don't really care. It just seems like irrelevant information. The only thing that sparks relevance… is the word 'End.' And with it, I feel a desire… to end everything. To destroy everything. I learned that each planet had what's known as a 'Heart of the World,' and I believed if I were strong enough, I would be able to consume such a Heart and destroy a planet. Beneath this ground is the Heart of Earth. If I can defeat you and consume your God Chi, it may give me the burst I need to accomplish this."

"If ending the world is all you care about, then I have no sympathy for you. You're no different than the monsters you serve." Dimentia readied her bow and Leic his sword.

"It makes no difference to me. And also…" The titan's chest sealed Sylistys inside, the head of the colossus booming, "I despise children."

"Hah! You really are my Negative~" (Play "How It Started" from Sonic Secret Rings!)

Boss fight: Sylistys

The titan's four arms conjured a scythe, axe, spear, and chain made of bones. Sylistys began by jabbing the spear toward Dimentia, the Inviere evading as she dodged her way closer. Underhands emerged from the ground and grabbed Dimentia's ankles and arms, holding her in place as Sylistys readied to impale the spear again. However, Dimentia willed open a portal, catching the spear as it would pierce the titan's chest via another portal. Leic butter-fied the Underhands and freed Dimentia, who quickly flew up to the punctured chest, but the titan's chain quickly enveloped and squeezed the Inviere. Dimentia quickly minimized herself to escape the chain, but the titan's chest resealed.

As Dimentia resized, she evaded the titan's scythe and circled the beast, shooting arrows downward as she made a circle of them on the ground. Sylistys was able to land an attack with her axe from above, using the flat side to successfully slam Dimentia to the ground. She followed up with a spear stab, but Dimentia quickly activated the Nega-Zone and morphed her dimensions in a shape to dodge the spear. With the entire titan caught in the zone, Dimentia began to twist its dimension and give Sy a severe cramp. Grunting in agony, Sylistys made bone fists emerge from the base of the beast and pummel Dimentia. Dimentia distorted some of their dimensions, but managing such a huge target became tasking, so she dropped the zone.

Dimentia flew away from Sylistys, whom was unsuspecting as Leic had covered her middle-back in butterflies. The titan's spine became soft and fragile as its upper-half fell over backwards. Dimentia used an Arrow Warp to warp herself to the titan's stomach, then quickly sliced it open with her swords. She slipped inside and ran up the interior, Sylistys using the severed spine to attempt to puncture her. Dimentia evaded the butter-ended spine and located the culprit within the chest. Dimentia slashed against Sylistys, who clawed Dimentia's face and summoned bones from behind to stab her back. Sylistys then seized Dimentia in a giant bone hand to yank her out of the titan.

The spine reattached as the titan rose to full height. Sylistys began to slam her axe along the ground, leaving long strips of cleaved ground from the impacts. Even as Dimentia tried to fly over them, Underhands stretched up to pull her back down, so Leic zipped by to slice those hands. A furious Sylistys tried to slash him with the scythe, but Dimentia channeled chi onto the scythe and increased its gravity. Sylistys was unable to raise it back up, so she whipped the chain at Dimentia, who used her swords to slice off its segments with each swing. The chain's arm suddenly stretched out and snatched Dimentia, growing spikes from the palm to puncture her. She conjured Starbursts to form around and bombard the arm from all sides, eventually cracking it as it fell apart.

Freeing herself, Dimentia jumped into a portal and fell from above the titan, shooting an arrow into its head. Dimentia jumped into another portal and shot one into the left "ear," then the right hip, the left ear, rampantly warping to multiple sides and confusing Sylistys. Lining some arrows up along the bottom, Dimentia had formed an enclosed space along the titan's body and used a Nega-Zone to warp the enclosed space away. A huge front chunk of the skeletal structure vanished, so Dimentia quickly warped up to land more slashes against the Negative. Sylistys bent up a spine whip to whack Dimentia's weapons out of her hands, but with a swift motion, Dimentia conjured a spear of Space Chi and stabbed Sy's stomach.

Sylistys thrusted two large bones to blast Dimentia away with supreme force, then she bent the severed front piece back to reattach to the titan. Sylistys began to actively move the titan along the ground and chase Dimentia. When Sy jabbed the spear, Dimentia blocked it with a large Space Shield, but Sy swung the axe from above to chop through the shield. When the shield dispersed, Sy dealt the next spear stab, but when Dimentia dodged, Sy brought the scythe down for a blow. Dimentia was impaled against the ground, and the axe was coming down to behead her. Leic jumped in the way and held the sword above Dimentia's head, butter-fying that part of the axe just as it came down. He then ran to butter-fy the scythe, allowing Dimentia to roll free, smiling at Leic with thanks.

Sylistys raised the axe and chopped down again, but Dimentia conjured a Space Axe of equal size to clash against it. The scythe slashed along the ground, but Dimentia intercepted it with a Space Scythe. "Come to think of it, why don't I do it, too?" And so, Dimentia conjured a titan of Space Chi, armed with Sy's very weapons. Leic flapped onto the shoulder of the giant, assuming the best seat in the house as the twin titans slammed their weapons with a force that shook the country. Sy's chain wrapped around Dimentia's neck and choked, but Leic flew along the chain and butter-fied its segments. Dimentia's chain then grabbed that arm as she moved circles around the Negative, yanking that boney arm off as she bashed Sy with it.

Dimentia bashed the giant skull until it shattered, then she tossed the Space Spear up to pierce down into the neck hole, forcing Sylistys to the bottom of her beast. Dimentia moved closer and dispersed the spear, jumping out of her titan as she dove inside Sy's. Bones were launched up from below, Dimentia miniaturizing to better dodge them. She landed along one of the bones to run down it, then jumped to another, and once she was almost there, she poofed back to normal and landed on the bonebender. She grabbed Sy's neck and started punching her with the other fist, the creation impaling with spikes from the sides.

Sylistys then clawed Dimentia's neck and made her release, afterwards banishing her from the structure. However, Dimentia had stuck Sylistys with an arrow, and she used another to warp Sy out of the titan. Sylistys was startled by this, but had no time to react as Dimentia willed her titan to start pounding on the puny target with all four fists. An angered Sylistys endured the pounding and controlled her own titan to pound against Dimentia, and it became a test of endurance for both parties. "AGH!" Sylistys made her titan yank out its spine and whip Dimentia's titan away. The spine wrapped around and squeezed to crush and disperse its chi, but the pink giant's arms turned into spears and rapidly stabbed the bone giant.

Dimentia imbued her titan with one final burst of power to stab Sy's with all four spears. At the same time, Sy's titan entrapped Dimentia's completely in the spine and squeezed. The space dispersed into particles and the bones crumbled into dust. "You are a most excellent 'other.'" Sylistys said. "And you will be a nutritious meal all the same." Above her, a cloud of butterflies were amassing under Leic's command. "Truth be told, I could care less for my masters' grander intentions. So long as I have the freedom to destroy, I will do so." The butterflies were forming a humanoid shape. "There was no better feeling than that of those souls disappearing down my throat, the flavor of their chi. For whatever reason, seeing things end gives me great joy. I want to watch all worlds meet their-"

"Look, Dimentia! I made a titan of my own!" Leic cheered, presenting the Butter Titan shaped like his carefree, smiling self.

"What?" Sylistys faced up… but rather than feel threatened, she could only gaze with disbelief.

"Impressive, Leic! I guess it's a good thing I let you butter-fy some of my chi!" And with a wave of her arm, the butterflies poofed back into Space Chi: the pink titan of Leic's likeness shot down and smashed Sy beneath its feet. She willed it to jump up and down joyfully, smash-smash-smashing Sylistys into the ground. Once enough damage was done, the titan jumped off, smiling at the tiny Leic and giving a high-five to him. With that, Dimentia dispersed the titan as Leic rejoined his friend. They approached the footprint crater and looked over the flattened Sylistys. (End song.)

"Ahh…so, this is my fate. In the end, I am the inferior other. Ah…how shameful."

"I should say so." Dimentia agreed. "Even despite your memory loss… if you had an ounce of love for your children, that love wouldn't have gone away. You should be watching your children, thankful that they're still alive and paving the way to the future. But all you care about is destroying the world they built. You truly are inferior, in more ways than you think."

"Again, you speak of irrelevant things. My existence was never dedicated to 'children'… it's dedicated to my masters, nothing less. I can only return to them in shame. I can only be punished. But mark my words, I will be stronger next time. I will fulfill my role as their valuable weapon. One day, I will destroy you, just as I will destroy every soul in this-"

"You realize I just warped us to the Underworld, right?"

Indeed, they appear to have landed in the middle of a dark-purple field of death. "What?"

"Grab her, Magellan."

"AAAAHH!" Sylistys was immediately snatched in the mouth of a purple snake of toxic waste.

"So, this is the one?" asked Magellan, the giant bat-winged demon from which the snake originated.

"Yep. Let's strap her in."

"What is this?!" Sylistys shouted, squirming desperately. Magellan dragged the creation to a building near Underworld Prison. Inside was a small chamber with a chair and tube.

Magellan released Sy as a pair of Fatblin guards grabbed her by the arms and shoved her onto the chair. She was strapped down as the tube was forced into her mouth. "MMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNN!" Excruciating pain overcame her as dozens of souls were vacuumed out of her being.

"This was Leic's idea." Dimentia smiled. "Soul extraction. We're saving all the souls you attacked. If we're lucky, some of their bodies may still be alive and they'll be able to return. This is the end of your reign of terror, Sy. We're sucking every soul out of that body."

"Mmmmm! Mmmmmmnnnn!" The creation squirmed desperately and aggressively, but was helpless to the osculation.

"For now, we'll let your own soul remain bound to that body. Without it, you might probably end up in Limbo again. Regardless, I'm not letting the Daemonis take you back, Aitnemid. They're going to learn once and for all that they're not above the rules. They're going to learn that they can't just take whatever they want. You should be thankful, Aitnemid… You should be thankful we're returning you to where you belong."

"Nuuuuuuuuuu…!"

Dimentia took Leic's hand and walked him out of the building, Sy's screams fading into silence. "Sigh…that's one problem taken care of."

"Good." Leic nodded. "…Hey, Dimentia… I feel weird for not asking sooner, but what are the Daemonis and 'Phoenios,' anyway? Like, I get they're from another dimension, but like… I just feel weird for not knowing this stuff. Just how long have they been around?"

Dimentia giggled. "It's not weird at all that you don't know them. They aren't natives of this universe and they weren't really meant to be. The Phoenios are gods from another multiverse who maintain order and stability in that multiverse. They're the heroes of that world, because where they're from, they have no mortal heroes. And as you could suspect, the Daemonis serve the role of villains."

"But how come they're here?"

"The Phoenios possess the ability to freely travel between multiple universes, even ones outside their control. They aren't the only beings who can do this, but unfortunately, the Daemonis have this ability, too. They believe they are above mortals' ability to handle. That's why the Daemonis attack worlds like these, because they believe they can't be stopped. The Phoenios therefore work to stop them, so they're believed to be the guardians of the omniverse… but in the grand scheme of things, they're no different from the gods of this world or any other universe. And that's why, outside their own borders, they can hardly do anything."

"So… they don't have any power here?"

"That's where it gets complicated. You see, if the KND or even the gods tried to invade the Phoenios or Daemonis in their own domain, the KND would be soundly defeated. On the other hand, if those two decided to invade our universe, fight the KND on their own turf, then the KND would be the victors. It's an inter-dimensional rule that encompasses a lot of worlds and ensures a peaceful balance. It decrees that no universe or multiverse is inherently superior to any other. That said, the Phoenios understand and acknowledge this rule, so it's unlikely you'll catch them invading. Even Lord English was hindered by this rule. He was born within this universe system and was thus able to do serious damage, but he couldn't assert his rule across the multiverse unless his minions forced them to submit. By that time, he already amassed so many followers from different worlds that he became the most dangerous threat ever known."

"So, like, can anyone from this universe just fight them off then?"

"That's not entirely true either. What Varcrutis did the first time she attacked was use the element of surprise. The KND didn't know who she was or what her power was, so it gave her the upper hand. In some cases, people need the right ability, the knowledge, and the right strategy, but after that, it certainly isn't impossible. My daughter's friend, Cheren challenged Varcrutis, and she couldn't beat him. You've seen other examples yourself, Leic, when Suika fought back against Sylistys or when that robot girl attacked Var."

"Man, this stuff really is complicated." The young angel scratched his head.

"Hm hm hm! I know it is, but once you understand this rule, you won't need to fear. But on some level, I think the Daemonis understand this rule, too. Usually, they only attack worlds with no mortal heroes, worlds that exist within their multiverse, but they're also attracted to universes like these, universes that combine ideas from countless others into one. Even so, their power is hindered here. That's why Varcrutis had to bargain with Eggman, to receive his permission to wreak havoc, to secure a place in this universe. But permission or not, she still has no respect for us. She still thinks she's superior to everyone. She's so in tune with her reality-bending that she's married to it. But this reality is not hers to command."

"Dimentia, do you feel it?" Plex asked.

Dimentia touched her head. "…She's shown up at last. Etheria, huh? It's time, Leic. Let's go tell Team Rex to get ready. I'll warp us this time, too."

"You aren't worried about using power?"

"Not anymore. Before, I was only worried about attracting more Daemonis, but that doesn't matter, anymore. I won't be using much power, anyway." Dimentia took Leic's hand. "Today is the day Varcrutis learns to respect us. She will learn to respect both mortals and gods!" And so, they warped to their destination.

Etheria (Play Eggman's Theme from Sonic Unleashed.)

Etheria was a magical planet that existed in the Nicklodia Galaxy. It was the furthest from the sun, but all of its light was generated by twelve moons that orbited the world. The planet's surface possessed beautiful colors and had unique architecture, and some of its societies relied on magitech.

"You see, Varcrutis, Etheria is a world that seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the year of 2031." Eggman explained. "And yet, somehow, there was already a Kids Next Door on the planet. I sent robots to collect data on the planet and determined something fascinating. The primary sacred relics of Etheria are five gems known as Runestones. These stones empower the elemental chi born to the respective princesses, and those princesses are seen as the protectors of the world."

"And you want me to crush the princesses?" Var asked.

"I want you to help me seize them. I discovered that there is a system of magitech that connects these Runestones to the Heart of Etheria. Etheria itself is a weapon of mass destruction! And the primary key to this weapon is the one known as 'She-Ra,' the only warrior who can channel and utilize all of the planet's chi once the magitech directs it into her. I'm given to understand that the planet was somehow 'hidden' in order to stop the weapon from falling into enemy hands, but Etheria was freed from its prison when the current She-Ra used the weapon herself. We must seize the five princesses who can harness the Runestones, as well as She-Ra herself, so that it may become ours to command."

"Color me intrigued, Eggy. But if snatching princesses is what you want, I'm the perfect gal for the job. I'm just worried about the Phoenios butting in."

"Then you'd best assume a careful approach. Leave the first phase of the invasion to me. I'd hate to lose my new associate to outside interference. In fact, I want to give you the most important and difficult part of all: seizing She-Ra."

Varcrutis was currently submerged near the shore of a great lake. This lake separated the town of Bright Moon from the Whispering Woods. The golden castle of Bright Moon stood proudly on a cliff, a bridge connecting it to a pillar in the center of the lake. The Moonstone levitated above this pillar, visible for all to see as the kingdom's primary landmark. A magical barrier was projected around the town as Eggman's ships tried to breach it, but some robots had managed to infiltrate the town and were in battle with local guards and KND operatives. The same was true of other Runestone kingdoms, but not only was this kingdom the capital, it was She-Ra's home. Var's sights were set on the Moonstone, which She-Ra and her friends would no doubt try to protect.

"Look, Grounder! There she is!" Var heard a familiar voice and rose up, seeing Scratch and Grounder on the beach.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Dr. Robotnik wanted us to check on you. We found you with this energy-signature thingy." Scratch held up a small TV device.

"We just wanna protect you in case any KND brats find you by accident." Grounder said.

"Kind of counterintuitive since you'll give me away, anyway. Besides, I don't need protection. If any nuisances wander their way over here, I'll knock them out in one hit."

"I'm a little scared of She-Ra though. What if she decides to use the weapon against us?"

"She couldn't just use it whenever she wants to, Dumbbot!" Scratch retorted. "That's why we're trying to capture all the other princesses! Besides, She-Ra won't stand a chance when Robotnik finishes his new robot."

"By the time Robotnik gets here," Var replied, "I'll already have She-Ra laying in a puddle of her own blood. And that's even IF I have to get serious with her. No amount of power she can muster can compare to-"

"ROBOTS?! Away with you, foul villains!"

A purple-haired man with a mustache, blue jacket, and brown boots came charging up the beach. With stylish bravery and exaggerated technique, he landed a mighty punch to Scratch's beak and kicked Grounder in the chest, the robots crying as they tumbled over.

"Wow, you guys really are low-budget." Var remarked.

"Never fear, my darling civilian!" the man proclaimed with a marvelous air. "No villain can hide from Sea Hawk on his afternoon jog! Say, come to think of it, you smell like a Fishwoman." He slid over to put an arm around Var. "You must have heard of me. I happen to be special 'friends' with Princess Mermista, after all."

"Did you know that whales are good at volleyball?" Var asked.

"That's quite an interesting fact. Why, it's almost as interesting as-"

Varcrutis reached up, seemed to grab one of the moons in the sky, and slammed it over Sea Hawk's head. Blood spurted from his face as he plopped into the water, the miniaturized moon floating around him. "Case and point, dumbbots. She-Ra won't even know what hit her when I'm through. …Huh? What's this energy I'm sensing? Are they already here?!"

A great vortex seemed to open in the sky above Bright Moon: the townspeople were agape as a phoenix seemed to descend from the heavens. "Cuckoo! It's the Space Phoenix!" Scratch cried. "It's come for revenge!"

"Hold on… that isn't her." Var glared. Indeed, this alleged phoenix possessed a metallic body, and though its silver wings shimmered pink, it was merely transferring the Space Chi around its body.

"OH HO HO HO! Behold, my latest and greatest creation! Born from the feather of a Space Phoenix, I have created the Egg Phoenix! This will be the symbol of Bright Moon's destruction! So, come at me, She-Ra! Face me if you dare! GYEEEEH HEH HEH heh heh!"

"He managed to snag one of her feathers?!" Var gasped. "And whipped up a robot that quickly?! This guy's good. But no way am I gonna let him upstage me. She-Ra's bound to show up any second. Time to make for the Moonstone." She dove into the lake and swam for the central pillar.

"W-W-W-Wait for us!" Scratch crowed as he and Grounder scurried across the beach.

"…" A blackish-blue, staticky aura sparked around the moon in the water before it disappeared and reappeared in the sky. "Ahhhgg…" Sea Hawk helped himself up, rubbing the blood off his nose. "I take that to mean you aren't interested."

Etheria comes from She-Ra. Going back to the first note, it's a magical planet, is named after Ether, and it uses gems for power sources!