[DREAMWORLD PARADOX CHAPTER 06: THE MARKS OF BROTHERS]
EnriksD8's A/N: What's changed:
01 (2022-05-02 A.D.) – Changed a few errors such as the error of Ragzriz being referred to as a poem in the middle part of the chapter.
02 (2022-05-02 A.D.) – Added descriptions of the Symbols of Order and Chaos.
Crydius looked at Ben, Enrico, and Chris as they stared at him, wanting answers right now and knowing he had no choice but to give them.
"Okay, I think I speak for everyone when I say that there is some magic going around and it AIN'T the usual kind. So... let's start chatting. You go first since you clearly know more than you're letting even your own squad now," Ben said to Crydius, the raven-haired boy huffing in response as he stood up.
"Fine. For as long as I could remember, I've had this symbol on my hand. The Dark Mages of Chaos that raised me said it was an emblem of my magic potential. I believed them... and it turns out they were right. And you, Benny-Boy?" Crydius asked.
"First off, don't call me that. Only my friends can do that and as we are right now, you are NOT my friend." Ben frowned.
"Yeah, what he said!" Chris affirmed.
"And secondly, well, I never really knew my parents. A kind old man raised me until I was old enough to live on my own. It's there I met Enriks and Caw, the two best friends a guy could ask for. Almost like brothers, really." Ben then gained a sad smile. "I never saw that old man again, just a message telling me that 'Destiny Will Come When You Least Expect It."
"For me, my life was fairly normal. Well, save for the fact that I was and still am pretty much a living cartoon character." Chris said.
"I had two loving parents and a little sister, although my dad does have some anger issues and REALLY needs to learn to take a chill pill every now and then."
"Yeesh, that must have sucked," Ben said in sympathy.
"Eh, the worst he's ever done in his rage was yell at me so, can't exactly complain all THAT much," Chris said to ease whatever worries his friends might have. "Anyways, growing up, I was always known as the "weird kid" thanks to including but not limited to my inexplicable ability to spontaneously change my clothes as well as my habit of sometimes talking to people that aren't there, kind of like what Monika has going on with her fourth wall awareness."
Chris then pulled out his Duel Disk and looked at it, a small frown on his face as he continued. "Because of that, I didn't really have a lot of friends. People would tolerate my existence at best and leave as soon as I entered the room at worst."
"I can see why," Crydius said all condescendingly before Chris pointed his Disk at his face.
"You interrupt me like that again and I'll BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Chris yelled, panting as his eyes went bloodshot. He then holstered his Duel Disk as he cleared his throat.
"Anyways, aside from all of... that, I at least found some solace in the form of Yu-Gi-Oh. Seeing all of those monsters duking it out, seeing the various strategies people employed, it brought this feeling that told me that that was where I belonged."
As he said that, a faint glow appeared on the back of his right hand before disappearing.
"Huh, feel like that might be relevant later. Anyways, to prepare for that, I started collecting Yu-Gi-Oh cards and personally constructed the Duel Disk that you see before you on my hip. Had to jury-rig the parts from several official Duel Disks as well as a double-barreled sawed-off hunting shotgun for the shell."
"As for me," Enrico said, being the last of the three to explain his tale. "I'm just a regular dude from South-East Asia."
"Really?" Crydius sarcastically responded. "I never noticed."
"Shut it," Enrico shot back. "My family was decent. Great father, great mother, and great little brother. It was perfect for me. But, of course, life has ways of changing one's views."
"What happened?" Chris asked.
"Oh, nothing too horrible," Enrico reassured them. "It's just that one day while playing around with some friends in my barangay, I heard it. That wonderful rumbling sound."
Enrico had a look of nostalgia on his face, remembering that day. He remembered watching high up to the skies with unadulterated wonder and joy seeing them fly overhead.
"Fighter Jets and Mechs alike, flying in formation. Our country wasn't rich, being a Third World Country compared to you Americans, but we were fortunate enough to afford relatively competitive designs from our neighbors and allies. I'll never forget that sight. My parents noticed my wonder and gave me what was undoubtedly the best moment in my life."
He remembered being taken to a nearby base early in the morning. His father's connections allowed him to get in easily. He remembered running around, watching the jets and mechs with pure joy in his eyes, seeing them all being worked on.
"They took me to a local base my father had some connections to. It was there that I truly began to love the mechs and the jets. That feeling of freedom as one soars through the endless blue skies above."
He sighed, a soft smile on his lips.
"It's what led me to improve myself. Training my body and mind so that I can one day fly alongside them. To truly be free amongst the kingdom of the sky."
He did not see it, but the others sure did. A soft blue glow surrounded his eyes. It was there for a moment before it was gone in a flash.
"At some point, my parents sent me to Wisconsin. My old man knew this guy who'd help me with my passion, and wouldn't you know it? It just happened to be the old man's old commanding officer. Heh… I should've seen that one coming. The guy was a bit of a superstitious person, too."
"Superstitious? You mean he believes in ghosts and whatnot?" Ben asked and Enrico nodded.
"Yeah, he did," Enrico hummed. He remembered the old Colonel telling him of what he grew up believing in and what he had seen during his time as a pilot.
Those were some good times.
"I see..." Crydius hummed as the four boys were all silent, unsure of what to do with the information traded between each other before speaking again. "To be honest, Ben, the reason I've been keeping my eye on you these past few weeks you and your friends have been here is because of your magic signature... it's unreal, something I've never seen before."
"Really? Because whenever I've seen you pull off your black magic mumbo jumbo, I seem to get a tug in the back of my brain that feels familiar even though it's the first time seeing it."
Crydius rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Then I have a feeling there's something connecting us more than I thought before. I feel like this needs further study."
"Double-D may not be big on magic and more on science, but maybe he can find some way to help out," Chris suggested as Ben and Enrico nodded in agreement.
Crydius sighed. "If that's the case, then lead the way, I guess."
After bringing Crydius to their dorm room, Double-D brought everyone to his private lab and drew blood from Ben and Crydius before using inventions of his own design to scan the DNA signatures.
After some searching, Double-D's eyes widened in amazement when he found an anomaly that was shared in both blood samples and that the DNA signatures matched each other near-perfectly. He gathered his research and turned to the others.
"Fellas, I don't know how to say this... but your DNA is not like anything I've seen before! It's human, but there is something... ANCIENT in it."
"Like something from H.P. Lovecraft?" Ed excitedly asked as Double-D rubbed his chin.
"I wouldn't go THAT far... can I see your hands? I think I've seen Crydius's symbol in a book before."
Ben and Crydius looked at each other and nodded as they held up their hands. The symbol on Crydius's palm glowed and Ben's eyes widened in amazement when he saw a symbol forming on his own palm as well.
Now that everyone had gotten a good look, the symbols looked like the Yin and Yang of Chinese culture.
"Wait... I think I've seen that symbol before as well..." Double-D said as he took out a book from the pocket space of his cap and fingered through it before finding what he was looking for. "Here they are!"
Everyone looked as Double-D placed the book on the table and saw the two symbols all marked together on a cave painting of some kind. They were also shown on an ancient stone tablet being held by two hooded figures who bore the same emblems on their hands.
"From what I can gather, these symbols are the Notae Primae Dualitas, that's Latin for 'Marks of Primordial Duality'. They both represent the balance between Order and Chaos and how one cannot properly function without the other needing each other to balance out or else ruin will come."
Ben and Crydius took another look at their symbols. Ben's symbol was the symbol of Order while Crydius was Chaos.
"Damn, now that's something unreal!" Chris said with a whistle.
"Wait, what else is there about the marks?" Rina asked nervously as Double-D read through it, gaining a troubled expression at what he read.
"Apparently, a woman was taken in as a bride for a powerful evil. However, she was rescued by a pair of honorable young mages before the evil could fully claim her. The bride then gave birth to her children, twin brothers who she named in honor of the mages who saved her before dying. To keep the children safe from their evil father, the mages gave the two brothers their marks and put them in stasis to be found by their descendants to be raised to fight against the one who created them and save the realms from eternal suffering."
"Wait... so I'm actually an eons-old baby from medieval times?!" Ben asked.
"Guess one of my theories is true... we ARE brothers. I noticed several similarities between us, but I felt that they were just purely coincidence..." Crydius muttered. "The thing is... who exactly IS this powerful evil we were sired from?"
"I was joking…" Enrico muttered, in complete bewilderment with his head in his hands as he sat down to handle this revelation. "I was joking about the whole separated brother's thing…"
Double-D skimmed through the pages of his book before finding a person of interest. It was only an ancient drawing of him, but it was a terrifying sight of what he looked like all the same. Rolf leaned over the sockheaded boy's shoulder, and his eyes widened when he recognized the drawing.
"The Baba Yaga?!" Rolf asked in shock and horror.
"You know him, Stretch?" Eddy asked worriedly.
"Our dad is Keanu Reeves?" Ben asked as Crydius facepalmed while Chris only snorted.
"Okay, no. That's just a moniker he got in the movies," Enrico said flatly, shaking his head.
"Besides, the Baba Yaga also means Boogieman, right?" Eddy asked. "So, you guys were basically born from the Boogieman."
"Rolf thought he was what Nana made up to make Papa behave...!"
Double-D nervously read more about the person in question. "I regret to report that this fellow was no mere Boogeyman or stealer of children... Rather, he was the feared lord of all malicious spirits."
Double-D showed pictures of the evil force that Ben and Crydius were descended from. What they saw was not pleasing in the least, ranging from people being attacked and their bodies defiled by monsters and demons controlled by the force to the force's own physical body, sitting on a throne surrounded by his minions.
Ed's eyes widened when he recognized one picture. "EVIL TIM?!"
"Wait, you mean that weird dark god you tried invoking with your scam, Ed?" Eddy asked in shock as Ed nodded.
"If that's true then..." Double-D looked at Ed with exasperation. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU COULD HAVE UNLEASHED ON THE CUL-DE-SAC BACK THEN?!"
"I know that guy... Pops told me about him in passing but I looked him up once," Ben said wearily. "His name is... Velhallen Beo."
"Velhallen Beo? What kinda weird name is that?" Rina asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Sounds like something a drug junkie would come up with. Either that or some really goofy death metal band that takes themselves too seriously," Enrico muttered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't you see? This Velhallen Beo is, for all intents and purposes, REAL!" Double-D said worriedly.
"Well, guess that's what Pops' message meant..." Ben said, remembering the kind old man who raised him.
"This explains a lot about the weird quirks Ben has. But let's get one thing straight..." Enrico pointed at the picture of Beo. "That… Thing is not your father, Ben. I dunno about the rest of you, but as far as I'm concerned, that old man who took care of you was your real father and me and Chris are your real brothers. We're family, not that edgy piece of shit."
Ben smiled as Enrico and Chris placed their hands reassuringly on his shoulders, showing that they were still by his side no matter what. Double-D couldn't help but wipe a tear from his eye at the level of camaraderie between the three boys.
"All for One and One for All!" Ed cheered, pumping his fist in the air.
"The ones that raised me were basically wanting me to cause Chaos because Order needs something to balance it out. Besides, being bad is fun," the raven-haired teen chuckled before holding up his hand. "But! Don't expect me to join in this whole 'new family' gig. I've got my own things to do that don't involve any of you."
"Does this mean we're friends now?" Ed asked with a hopeful smile.
"I dunno about 'friends'. I think more along the lines of 'mutual acquaintances' or something." Crydius said as he began taking his leave.
"Shame he couldn't stay for dinner..." Double-D said, a little disappointed.
"Still, this is worrying," Enrico spoke up.
"What do you mean aside from the obvious superdevil from beyond the realm?" Eddy sarcastically asked.
"The old man I trained under mentioned Beo as well but considered him beneath someone else," Enrico said.
"Oh God, there's another?!" Double-D exclaimed to everyone's surprise.
"It was from an old religion, apparently. It was something that he believed he had witnessed in person during his time as a pilot," Enrico said. Then, his voice lowered into a whisper, one that held gravitas and respect for the individual in question.
"Razgriz."
"Razgriz?" Ben and the others were confused at the name. To Ben and Chris, not once have they heard Enrico ever utter that name before. To the others, something about the way Enrico had uttered that name was filled with equal parts respect… and fear.
"A great daemon capable of terrible destruction," Enrico said. Closing his eyes, he began to recite the poem the old man had recited to him, so long ago.
"In aetemis saeculi fluctibus
Ex unda mutationis orietur tempestas
Oculi daemonis de abysso pervideas
Vide Razgriz, alas vaginae nigrae.
Daemon volat per tenebras aetheres
Metus et mors umbram suam deorsum trahentes
Donec adunati sancti machaera ferant
Bestia ultima ratione occiditur.
Sicut daemon dormit, homo volvitur in hominem
Sanguis suus et ira cito terram operiunt
Ex intimis desperationis excitandis Razgriz
Corvus alis ardet sublimi lumine."
Enrico opened his eyes once more, sighing out a breath he had been holding. That poem still stuck to him, even after all these years.
The others were spellbound by the poem, all of them entranced by the way he had recited it.
"Okay, not to sound dickish or anything," Eddy began. "But can we get a translation for that?"
Enrico nodded and headed to the nearby blackboard. Grabbing some chalk, he began writing down the poem in its initial Latin state before writing the English translation. Once more, he recited it, this time in English.
"Amidst the eternal waves of time
From a ripple of change shall the storm rise
Out of the abyss peer the eyes of a demon
Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black sheath.
The demon soars through dark skies
Fear and death trail its shadow beneath
Until men united wield a hallowed sabre
In final reckoning, the beast is slain.
As the demon sleeps, man turns on man
His own blood and madness soon cover the earth
From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz
Its raven wings ablaze in majestic light."
He stoppped, looking at what he had written.
"So… This Razgriz guy… He's worse than Velhallen Beo?" Eddy asked.
"I'm not sure," Enrico answered. "As you can see, the poem states that it first appears as a dark demon, capable of great destruction not unlike the Beasts of the Apocalypse. But the poem seems to cut off from here."
"Cut off? You mean there's more to this tale?" Double-D asked and Enrico nodded.
"The old man said he witnessed something like Razgriz doing exactly what the poem had spoken. He said he witnessed a pilot rain death upon his foes, razing entire cities to the ground for opposing him. It took the three superpowers to take him down, but nobody ever saw the body nor was the kill confirmed."
"And the old man never saw the Razgriz come back in majestic light?" Ben asked.
Enrico shook his head in a negative answer. It was rather strange, that the Razgriz never resurfaced after its supposed defeat. He had asked the old man about it and his response stuck with him years later.
"The Razgriz doesn't die that easily, Ennio," the Old Colonel told him many years ago, his words echoing in his mind now. "The Razgriz will return. Not as a destroyer, but as a hero. When that day comes, Ennio… Be ready for the coming of a new age…"
He smiled at that.
"Perhaps the Razgriz is waiting," he spoke softly. "When the time is right, he will return."
"You think he'd show up if Velhallen Beo shows up?" Ben asked.
"Perhaps," Enrico spoke, looking out the window and seeing the setting sun. Its majestic, blood-red light gave a strange sense of calmness to him. "We may never know for sure, though. For now, it'll be business as usual. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we should get some sleep. Aye?"
"AYE!" Everyone excitedly raised their hands in agreement, prompting laughter all around.
*Meanwhile*
Clawed fingers tapped against the armrests of a stone throne. A tall figure covered in shadows loomed over a dark and bleak-looking domain, demons prowling around, some dragging screaming people in chains and rags to do God knows what to them.
The shadowy figure chuckled as he held out a clawed hand and produced a ball of red spectral energy, peering inside it to see Ben and Crydius on its reflective surface.
"My baby boys... after so long, you FINALLY come back to Daddy..."
A grin filled with knife-like teeth stretched across the shadowy figure's face before bursting out into a mad cackle. What would come next was certainly going to be FUN! He began to cackle, in synch to the depravity occurring within his realm. With his mirth, the realm shifted and changed, becoming more chaotic and orderly with every passing second.
What fun times lie ahead for him and his sons! Oh, how he can't wait to welcome them home!
*Elsewhere*
It saw darkness. As always, it was surrounded by the one constant of reality and the multiverse. When one is faster than light, darkness is all it shall see. It was a lonely but peaceful existence. Far away from the blinding lights and the hypocrisy behind the actions of everyone, it can rest.
Then it felt a shift.
Its attention was pulled back to one place.
The one place it had had… Fun.
How long ago was that? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Centuries? Millenia? Eons? Time has no meaning in this prison of darkness. This abode that it had known all its life.
But where its attention had been grabbed was its home away from home.
It saw him. Another ideal host.
The previous one had been a destroyer. Now it was time for it to play the hero.
Standing from its resting place, the midnight black wings stretch out and ready themselves for flight.
The Razgriz returns to the realm of the living once more.
Devil Dragon Stand Knight A/N:
Sorry this chapter wasn't very exciting but the next one will be a fun one involving Sunset, Twilight, and their shared boyfriend, Flash Sentry because someone needs to throw that poor boy a bone!
Enriks-Da-Writer's A/N:
Yeah, this was more of an exposition chapter than an exciting chapter, but I believe that is for the best because if we showed nothing but action and excitement, it would ironically end up becoming boring. As such, some breaks here and there help things relax and make those action-packed moments even more enjoyable overall.
Oh, and in case some of you recognize it: Yes! The Razgriz is in fact a reference to the primary mythological figure in Ace Combat's lore! I've always loved that little aspect of Ace Combat 5's narrative and I wanted to incorporate it into a story somehow.
With Dreamworld Paradox essentially being a massive multi-crossover, this is perfect for me to include the Razgriz as an important narrative element. Would this mean that Enrico will eventually pilot a pitch-black aircraft soon? You'll have to wait and see.
And now, I shall pass the mic to Caw. Take it away, dude!
Caw-zrs6 A/N:
Thanks, Enrico. And yeah, as you can see, much like in the original, Ben and Crydius are long-lost siblings, however this time it's just Ben and Crydius who are related by blood. Oh, and I'm sure you probably noticed a glow coming from Chris and Enrico as they explained their respective backstories. Well, just like what Chris said about his glow, these will both be relevant later down the line, so stay tuned for that. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and we will see you all in the next one. Peace out, homies.