Opening File: Azarath
Azarath is the parallel world and birthplace of Raven. Her mother, Arella, was brought here from Gotham City (under her birth-name, Angela Roth) to hide from Trigon's evil and to shield her only daughter as best she could. It was a peaceful dimension where its residents were taught pacifism, led by their leader Azar, who led the order that originally sealed Trigon into his prison. Raven invokes the name of Azarath in her chants to summon and focus her dark powers and abilities (Azarath Metrion Zinthos). Over 900 years ago, the followers of the first Azar; a spiritual leader of mystical pacifists, fled the violence of Earth with her followers to establish a society of peace and prosperity in a realm between dimensions.
These men and women established the Temple of Azarath and formed a mystical society. Ages ago, they decided to purge their bodies of all evil. Using mystical incantations, they exorcised the darker passions from their souls and cast it out into the Limbo between realms. These discarded emotions did not dissipate into the ether, however, and eventually merged to form the demon Trigon.
Decades later, on Earth, a woman named Angela Roth had become impregnated with Trigon's seed as part of his plan to invade the Earthly realm. Wishing to ensure that Angela would survive until his child was born; Trigon manipulated the priests of Azarath to journey to Earth and take the woman under their protection, where they renamed her "Arella". When Arella gave birth to her daughter, Raven, the realm became corrupted with Trigon's taint; with its emerald skies turning black and the smell of Gossamer becoming the odor of Brimstone. The realm shook and rumbled as peace turned to fear.
The Magistrate, Juris, felt that the child's existence threatened all life on Azarath and, to safeguard his people, he snatched Raven from her nursemaid and attempted to hurl her into the realm separating Azarath from other dimensional worlds and planets. He was, however, destroyed by a watchful Trigon before he could carry out his plan. The current Azar took it upon herself to personally raise Raven. Aware that Raven possessed the power and ability to freely control and manipulate emotions, she realized that the only way to safeguard the child was to deny her the power and ability to feel any emotion. She mentored Raven for ten years before she passed away due to old age.
On her deathbed, Azar gave Arella the duty of continuing Raven's education. Over the next several years, Raven felt her father's influence growing inside of her. When she was fifteen-years-old, she entered the Temple of Azarath and peered into the limbo between dimensions; encountering her father for the very first time. Realizing the danger that Trigon represented, Raven fled Azarath in an attempt to preserve her home and came to Earth to seek help.
Raven visits Azarath to seek help from her mother, Arella. It is protected with a mystical seal warding away all intruders, including Trigon, but Raven used her powers to penetrate it and the chakra jewel on her forehead begins to glow red. However, the temple-city is deserted and is later revealed to be an illusion left behind by her mother Arella, after Trigon supposedly destroyed it. With Azarath having fallen to Trigon's rule and Azar and her ancient order no more, Earth is left nearly defenseless against an open invasion by Trigon.
After Trigon is destroyed by Raven Azarath is restored to its former glory.
Close File
Xxx
"Our world is filled with all kinds of people. People that work, people who don't need to work, people who fight and the kind that don't like to fight. Pacifists would prefer to bring the word of peace to the world, stopping wars and encourage people to come together despite all their differences. It's a good message and maybe even the right message." TOM said as the file closed. "Humans should make peace not war. Question is how far would you ideal of peace go? Would you refuse to fight even if it meant saving yourself, saving a loved one or just about anyone? Or are you willing to risk your life and the lives of others to avoid breaking your vow of non-violence. No matter what you say or do you have to have great strength to stand by your convictions otherwise you might not believe in peace as much as you might think."
Xxx
"The kind of balance you seek is one many on Azarath spend their entire lives trying to find."
Raven was listening even though she was temporarily caught up in the nostalgia of being in the temple of Azarath again.
"When you were here you were taught to control and suppress your emotions to prevent your powers from spiraling out of control and to block Trigon's influence. Have you noticed that since Trigon's defeat you've been able to better control your emotions and powers?" Azar asked, stopping in the main hall of the temple.
"I actually have noticed." Raven admitted. "Everything became…so much brighter when I realized even if I couldn't stop him from coming to Earth that didn't mean he was unstoppable."
"Indeed." Azar turned around, showing a proud look on her face. "You realized that the prophecy only spoke of his coming, not his domination of the universe."
"Still, I don't understand what all this has to do with what I'm trying to do." Raven admitted.
"What prompted you to begin this?" Azar questioned.
"…When I saw Scotty in the sparring arena, facing down an opponent who could…I guess for back of a better word transform to become stronger. Then I saw Scotty gain a level of power and balance that I never thought possible…At least for someone like him." Raven explained, looking a little embarrassed now.
"You mean being loud, short tempered and one who is never afraid to answer a problem with his fists?" Azar questioned with an amused expression now.
"Pretty much…That kind of discipline was something I never saw coming and it allowed him to tap into a level power I never thought a normal human could ever access." Raven replied, remembering what she had sensed from Scotty's own battle. "This Aura power they have, it felt so similar to my own that I thought-"
"That you could learn to do the same, gain the balance you have spent a lifetime trying to attain and of course become powerful enough for what lies ahead." Azar finished, her amusement fading away. "Though you would eventually find this balance on your own I understand why you sought to try learning this method."
"You do?"
Azar nodded. "There will be tough and dark times ahead for you, Raven. The conflict on this world reaches deeper and with a wider range than ever thought possible. If something is not done it can and will spread over into other worlds."
"Is this about Van Kleiss? I learned what he was doing." Raven stated.
"Not just Van Kleiss. There are others like him, just as dangerous and some even more powerful on the move. You may end up facing them in your path both here to find what you seek and out there." Azar stated. "All the more reason to get started. As they say on Earth: no time like the present."
Xxx
Nyx than reached out her hand to June, offering it as a sign of new friendship and alliance, while the Te Xuan Ze stared in silent shock with her hand rising before she even knew it…
"JUNIPER!"
Both girls turned to the door, seeing Jasmine Lee standing there with a shocked look on her face that turned into a glare at Nyx. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Nyx smirked at a glaring Jasmine who got into a fighting stance. "Well, well, well what do we have here Pericles?"
Pericles was smirking evilly at Jasmine. "It looks like an old discarded pawn who wasted her life."
Jasmine charged at Nyx who disappeared, dodging a punch and appeared behind the elder woman.
"Let's take this outside." Nyx said before she and Jasmine disappeared in a flash of purple light.
Eyes widening June ran for the door.
Xxx
Nyx reappeared with Jasmine in the woods near the Lee residence and jumped back as Jasmine lashed out with a kick. Pericles flew up into the air, watching as Jasmine went on the attack. Despite being an elder woman Jasmine was surprisingly quick and skilled as she unleashed a flurry of punches on the Lady of Chaos who managed to dodge them all and retaliated with a blast of purple colored lightning. Jasmine hastily dodged with the lightning flying past her and scorching a nearby tree.
Jasmine spun around to attack only for Nyx to whip her hair that wrapped around her fist and pulled her off the ground. Jasmine grunted as she was spun in a circle before Nyx finally released her and sent her flying. Luckily Jasmine grabbed onto a nearby branch, using the momentum to fling herself back at Nyx who disappeared into smoke, leaving a crater to form from a single punch.
"The great Jasmine Lee, grandmother and mentor of the current Te Xuan Ze." Nyx shook her head in disbelief as both her and Pericles looked at Jasmine Lee retaining the smirks on their faces as the woman was panting and glaring at them. "How can you be so stubborn and refuse to see that you were used? I mean really years of loyalty and sacrifice to those magical old coots, and for what!? Nothing to show for it but years of struggle, sacrifice, and pain, and a shiny statue!"
"Our true reward was keeping scum like you from harming world." Jasmine retorted as she stood up.
"Oh yes such a grand reward really makes being a tool and slave as the Te Xuan Ze worth it!"
Jasmine attempted to attack Nyx again only to end up blasted back against a wall or tree. She fell to the ground and when Jasmine looked up from the ground as she suddenly found herself encircled by six Nyx's. As six Pericles reassume their perch's on their respective Nyx shoulder all the Nyx's shook their heads with dark laughter wearing looks of amusement on their faces but their eyes showed anger.
"Have you really become that blind you poor old discarded pawn?" All the Pericles were speaking as one. "The only thing we did was offer your granddaughter a choice." The Pericles duplicates all sighed in disgust. "Another case of brains skipping a generation I see."
The Nyx's smirking at their respective Pericles while once more speaking in at once. "Don't forget guts because unlike this stubborn old fool." All Nyx's gestured to Jasmine. "Who refuses to accept the reality she was used, and wasted her life. June is actually brave enough to defy those idiotic magical coots and fight for the freedom that should have always been hers!"
They began to circle Jasmine like a pack of hungry wolves and started to speak one at a time.
1st Nyx passed in front of Jasmine. "I believe it's time for the record straight here, you can hate and blame me as much as you want."
The 2nd Nyx appeared next. "But all we have done is offer June friendship and help, the ones who really manipulated and used June were the Magical Elders and you!
3rd Nyx was next. "You who didn't tell her about the price that comes with the so called honor being Te Xuan Ze till you had no choice but too!
4th Nyx. "You who without any guilt or remorse let your granddaughter who was still just little girl at that, become a slave so you could be free!"
5th Nyx. "You who repeatedly abandoned June to struggle and suffer alone!"
6th and final Nyx. "You who would time and time again choose loyalty and duty to undeserving masters and the so called balance over your own granddaughter's happiness!"
All the Nyx spoke together again while glaring at Jasmine and wearing cocky smirks on their faces. "You who must face the reality that only one person here has manipulated and hurt June, and that's," All the Nyx's point toward Jasmine accusingly and again spoke as one. "YOU!"
Jasmine refused to listen and finally snapped. "SHUT UP!"
She grabbed her staff and jumped into the air attacking the first Nyx and Pericles in front of her only the staff to go through them confirming that they aren't the real Nyx and Pericles.
"Come on you're going to have to do better than that!" All the Nyx illusions said.
The other five Pericles also in tandem with dark enjoyment in their ones as he let the Nyx and Pericles Jasmine attacked fade from existence. "We'll even give you a sporting chance to figure out which one of us are the real ones by not attacking."
Jasmine pulled out an amulet and starts letting loose magical blasts from it at the other five duplicates, but each attack went through them as well with Pericles letting each illusion fade after Jasmine attacked them.
BLAST!
Four left. "So sorry Miss Lee but wrong again."
BLAST!
The remaining three Nyx's laughed. "Close but no cigar!"
BLAST!
The remaining two Pericles hummed thoughtfully as they arch their brows at a furious Jasmine. "Hmm perhaps you should look into getting glasses? "
BLAST!
The last standing Nyx covered her mouth while yawning. "Are you finished yet? Because this is going from funny to just plain sad. "
BLAST!
Jasmine attacked the last Nyx and Pericles only for once again her attack to go through revealing them as illusions as well, and like the others fading from existence.
Jasmine roared in anger. "SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARDS!"
Nyx's voice came out of seemingly nowhere right in front of her. "As you wish."
Than Jasmine suddenly found herself getting zapped by purple lightning as Nyx with Pericles still perched on her shoulder seemingly faded into existence right in front of her, and the lightning revealed to be coming from Nyx's hands.
"I do apologize my dear lady but this so called conflict ended in our favor the moment you fell under my Semblances power." Pericles said sinisterly.
Nyx stopped her attack letting Jasmine fall to the ground beaten, exhausted, and panting.
Nyx bent down to the ground as Jasmine glared up at her. "I could kill you right now you know, but out of respect to June I won't."
"You will never convince her to join you." Jasmine growled.
"Why don't we let her decide?" Nyx looked up, spotting June as she ran towards them.
"Ah-Mah!" June called out, stopping near her grandmother. "Are you okay?"
"Juniper, quick! Cast a banishment spell on her!" Jasmine pointed at Nyx. "We have to stop her here and now!"
"And what did I do to warrant that?" Nyx gestured to herself. "You both attacked me first when I haven't done anything."
"You're a Chaos being. People like you always disrupt the balance." Jasmine retorted as she stood up.
"And what balance is that? What have I done to disrupt it? I was just here on a stroll, nothing more. Ask me to leave and I shall." Nyx stated.
"June, cast the banishment spell!" Jasmine shouted.
Juniper stared between her grandmother and Nyx… "No."
Jasmine's eyes widened. "June-"
"Ah-Mah, Nyx hadn't done anything to deserve banishment. You call her a Chaos demon but she hasn't done anything. My bracelet isn't even flashing." Juniper held out her bracelet. "When do I banish someone just for being born as a so-called threat?"
"Juniper, she's a threat and you-"
"I'm what? The Te Xuan Ze?" Juniper scoffed, slowly growing angry. "The one who protects the balance? Who enforces the laws of magic? An honor I never wanted and didn't have a choice but to accept? To forever be trapped in this city until my own kid is unlucky enough to be chosen next?"
"June-"
"I can't even tell my friends why I'm so late. I have to be mediocre at sports just because my magically enhanced speed and strength make me a literally overkill for any game. I can never call on help from anyone else out there is magic, other heroes or even Huntsman who have years of experience ahead of me but you all expect me: a twelve year old girl to be the one to handle it all. Like some crazy adventure manga!" Juniper was now shouting. "My friends didn't freak out when we stopped Auntie Roon but you and the elders told me they would have to forget it all because you were afraid there would be war! Did the looks of relieved smiles, admiration and excitement look like a prelude to war?!"
"Juniper, you can't trust that not all mortals would have acted the same!" Jasmine exclaimed.
"Well at least we would have friends!" Juniper retorted. "Who expects a kid to be a guardian and a warrior for two worlds?! Our ancestors forced this on us with no regard to how we'd feel about it! And even after you promised to help me you kept me in the dark about this King of all Grimm and the Elders let me out of town so I could deal with one big threat, only to drag me back here when there is another that was stopped by others! This whole deal with the Elders is messed up and they don't care about us!"
"Juniper they're only using you! Please you must listen!" Jasmine pleaded desperately, only to be interrupted by June exploding on her.
"NO YOU LISTEN JASMINE LEE! I AM DONE! I AM DONE BEING A SLAVE! I AM DONE WITH THE MAGICAL ELDERS! I AM DONE HAVING NO CONTROL OR CHOICE IN MY LIFE! AND MOST OF ALL," Suddenly out of nowhere June sucker punched Jasmine knocking her down to the ground and glared down at her. "I am done with you! If my freedom or the freedom of my future children comes at the price of me being considered a disgrace to the family and Te Xuan Ze legacy, or being a villain than that's fine by me!"
"June!" Monroe shouted, running towards the pair.
June ripped off her bracelet. "I quit."
Jasmine held up an amulet. "June!"
She fired a blast that hit June, knocking her unconscious. Nyx quickly caught her and vanished in a flash of light.
"NO!" Jasmine screamed, seeing her granddaughter vanish before her very eyes.
Xxx
Nyx was carrying June in her arms bridal style, as June groaned awake. "Nyx?"
Nyx smirked down at June. "Why do you look so surprised? Didn't I tell you before that I've got your back?"
"Where are we?" June looked around, seeing they were in some kind of void.
"A little pocket space between dimensions. Don't worry. The Elders and your grandmother won't find us here." Nyx chuckled. "People can say what they want about me, or even call me a villain which they're probably right too, but I always look after my own."
"So what now? I may have quit but what about Bill?" June asked as Nyx set her down. "I don't want him hurting my family or my friends."
"We'll deal with that in time in our own way." Nyx answered. "First we need to track down a lizard dressed as a lawyer."
June raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me; he's not as deadly as you might think." Nyx chuckled. "He's much, much worse. Almost hates magic as you do."
June stared at Nyx. "You know, you may have promised to help but you haven't said how you plan to help."
"True." Nyx conceded. "Simply put as a Lady of Chaos my time as a mortal is over. I have completely severed any links to my past and I'm fine with that. My only existence now is bringing forth chaos to the mortal plane but those Elders of yours plan on ruining that."
"So you're using me to stick it to the Elders." June narrowed her eyes.
"Wrong!" Nyx held up a finger. "If I wanted to do that I would have probably killed your grandmother when I had the chance but I didn't. I know that despite how angry you are with her you still love her and wouldn't her death on your conscious. No, I think we both can be friends but first off we need to find this lizard I spoke of."
"Why? And tell me everything." June held up a finger, pointing directly at Nyx. "If you ask for trust you tell me your whole plan right here, right now."
"Fair." Nyx shrugged. "The lizard's name is Toffee and right now he's scheming to overthrow the kingdom of a magical dimension known as Mewni. Ambitious but he's got what it takes to pull it off. In fact he would be as dangerous as Bill, Klarion or even Sammael. His plan is to destroy the source of Mewni's magic."
"The source of magic?" June questioned.
"Well, one of many sources of magic. You know as well as I do that magic is a source of energy that permeate throughout the universe but there are multiple dimensions and plains of existence that channel this energy. Toffee is only concerned with destroying one because he believes that destroying one is all it takes." Nyx explained.
"But you have something bigger in mind?" June asked.
"You got it." Nyx chuckled. "If Toffee can destroy one source of magic let's say if I can connect with that magic and lead it to another…Think of drawing a line from point A to point B. That way when one source of magic goes down the other comes immediately after."
Juniper was silent as she considered this. "And you think this will end the Elders?"
"The Elders are a channel for magic. Corrupt that magic they channel and it's all gone. The magical barrier, the veil and even the powers of the Te Xuan Ze." Nyx brought her hand up to June's. "No one needs to die or get hurt over this."
"And you think you can trust this guy?"
"Oh GOLB no!" Nyx chuckled. "I'm a being of magic and he hates magic along with the rest of his kind. I'm just taking advantage of his plan. What he does after is no problem of mine."
"And what about you?" June crossed her arms. "If you lose your source of magic won't you go too? Or do you plan on just the Elders losing their magic? What about Bill Cipher, your boss or even Sammael and the Grimm? Would they lose their powers too?"
"Sadly no." Nyx shook her head. "Sammael draws on a source of power for his magic that is too great and powerful to be destroyed. In fact he was exposed to this source of power over fifty thousand years ago which led to him becoming what he is today."
"What?" June questioned.
"The original source of power for the people of this world was the power of life itself. The comet that created the Grimm merely caused small ripples exposing this source to the Earth. The Realm of Magic and the other realms were the next to follow." Nyx explained. "Because of his exposure to this source Sammael gained access to unlimited amounts of magic, hence why he is so powerful. Not even the mightiest Te Xuan Ze was enough to stop him."
"Ah-Mah mentioned that." June remembered. "What was this power? Some form of super magic?"
"Nope. It was life itself and self generating source of power. It had a hand in shaping the world, giving the power the power needed to fight the Grimm and as a source of magic. Of course those same ripples I mentioned before have either been destroyed or hidden. I'm sure Sammael keeps one close to him even if he would not need it to power himself." Nyx explained.
June was silent as she took this all in. A way to destroy or corrupt the magic controlling her life without harming sound almost too good to be true.
In fact it probably was.
"Are there any possible downsides to this plan?" She finally asked.
"Just one. We'd be in danger of committing genocide."
Nyx's answer along with how nonchalant she sounded about it made June's eyes go wide as dinner plates. "WHAT?!"
"There are beings out there who exist only because of the source energy that we use as magic." Nyx stated calmly. "Without it they would fade away."
"Including every magical being here on Earth?" June asked, remembering her dog Monroe and a few other magical friends.
"No, they wouldn't fade away. At best they would lose their powers. Some magical animals might just become normal animals or if their life spans and special traits were natural they would survive. The destruction of the magic we're both aiming for is the specifically the spell casting type that allow for one to completely rewrite the laws of physics." Nyx explained calmly. "Those with a magical source of their own would survive."
"But it's still genocide." June pointed out.
"Yes, many races that need magic to live would die." Nyx conceded. "There's no escaping that. Perhaps if they are given a separate, albeit weaker source of magic they would survive but there's no telling."
"Then why ask me to help? I want control of my own life back but I won't murder entire races to do it." June argued.
"Not even if they deserve it?" Nyx asked.
"Not even that."
Nyx chuckled. "You still are a goodie two shoes but don't worry. If everything goes right no one has to die."
"How is that?" June asked skeptically.
"Because to ease your troubled mind I'll make the pledge on my life and magic as a Lady of Chaos that I won't cause the genocide of countless magical beings. Energy is energy so it can't be destroyed; only channeled." Nyx grabbed June's hand as she made this vow. "If you suspect me of breaking this pledge you can use it to destroy me."
June let go of Nyx's hand and stared at her. "You really are serious about this?"
"I am." Nyx nodded.
"Why? Why are you doing all of this then?"
Nyx frowned. "You know one of my greatest fears as a human and even swore to do my best to never do to was become like Klarion. But later I realized if it means the happiness and safety of those I loved, than I will gladly not only break that promise a thousand times over! But become a greater monster than he ever was, to the point even Sammael himself would be impressed!"
June stepped back, a surprised look on her face. "Really?"
"Really." Nyx grinned darkly. "I may not be human anymore but I feel the need to repay Klarion for his years of…tutoring me to become a proper Lady of Chaos and I know just the way to repay him."
"And how is that? And what about Bill Cipher?"
"Let Bill and Klarion take center stage for now, because soon the spotlight will shine on us the real stars of this show, as the final curtain call falls on them."
Xxx
Special thanks to Nightmaster000 for providing a majority of the Nyx lines in this chapter. Thank you very much.