Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there existed two brothers. One of light, one of shadow. They lived out in the vast expanse of space, wandering the cosmos for untold millennia. Traveling from one celestial body to the next, taking time to explore each one. Making a playground out of them all. Often times, they moved on with a squabble, ones that rendered these worlds barren. Though they often argue and even sought to harm each other on occasion, they both knew that their brotherhood was not something to be broken easily. Despite their vastly different personalities.
One took joy in nourishing life, watching it foster and grow. They enjoyed seeing each life grow and evolve into something greater. To see how they all worked together to achieve something worth far more than the sum of their parts, it brought them peace.
The other, however, found it far more entertaining to see how he might corrupt these creations. To see all the imperfections, the weaknesses of their characters. To poke and prod at each of them, seeing what makes them tick, how they handle utter chaos when put to the test. Often creating his own 'agents' to help propagate anarchy.
With each new world, they challenge each other to see who would lash out first. To see which to the two could get one over on the other. Most often they would send whatever creation against each other to see who would come out on top. They would sometimes leave before the conflict would resolve, most often finding themselves no longer invested in that world in particular. They would bicker and wager who would come out on top and when it would happen.
These wagers and promises were often with some kind of prize or punishment of the other's choice.
"I would wager these lovely creations will best yours in three century's time."
"How bold to assume they will last so long. They are far too narrow minded to stand a chance against my own.
"Faith, brother. My creations are more capable than you give them credit for. You should know this by now."
"You place far too much 'faith' in these creatures. They are never close to worthy of the praise you give them. You refuse to see this, why?"
"If we do not have faith, then the purpose of our little squabbles become pointless, no?"
"…How confident are you on this?"
"Confident enough to wager first pick of the next world's scenery."
"A mistake. You and I always pick polar opposite locals. However, If that is your wager, then I shall wager what sort of creations we are limited to for the next world."
"Very well. Then it is decided."
On and on they would play this game. A game of life and death, nothing but sport and competition. Each time a world has run its course, they move on to the next. Though they each claim the next world will decide who among the two is their better, truthfully, they have lost count. That is, until they come across one particular world.
Coming off a rather heated competition, they have aimed to finally outdo the other. Each wishing to hold nothing back. Both agreeing to manage the same creation, to see who is the better deity.
They would be worshiped; both being praised for their way of ruling. One with compassion and wisdom, filled with love and acceptance. The other, for their knowledge and tendency for power and absolute punishment. There is a church for each, their creations worshiping them both equally. To a point the two gods grew impatient, wishing for something to tip the balance in their favor.
The brother of light chose to gift the power of magic to the people, wishing to see what wonders they can achieve with power that resembled their own.
The brother of Darkness however, believed this to be a fool's gift. To be reliant on something not yourself would only spell disaster. Instead, he simply enhanced the creatures as they were. Giving them the physical superiority of the animals they hunted.
Unfortunately, though they wished to bring more followers to their side with these acts of generosity, they only created division. The two churches became ever more divided. One of the beliefs that magic is the key to further enlightenment, the other devoted to the natural advancement of their species.
This conflict would soon escalate to war. Though neither brother knew which side declared violence first, they were undeterred, wishing to see this conflict through to the end. Willing to throw it all to the wind to finally decide which of them would come out on top.
The brother of light believed his creations would overcome this adversity and come out better than before, united. The brother of darkness knowing this was a false hope, that in their nature, they were violent creatures.
Finally, through the stalemate, the bloodshed, there came a pair of individuals. Both of different faiths, yet of the same compassion; love. They believe in the betterment of their species as a whole, in using both the arcane arts along with natural strengths to advance further than they could alone. The brother of light shone upon them happily, the brother of darkness frowning.
To test this resolve, the brother of darkness made one last creation, one born out of the malice and hatred of these squabbling creatures. That would feed off this negativity and fill in as the true test of his brother's ideals.
In the end, when forced to choose between the unknown with each other, to ostracize themselves from their fellow man, their families. To choose between them and the comfort of their old world, to continue the bloodshed in the name of survival, one chose the comfort of home. Leaving behind the potential for a better world to die.
In a fit of anger, the god of light punished the coward, ingraining the mortal's very soul with eternal magic, to outlive what they once knew. To continue to live when all else withered and left them behind. Forever left to fix what they had broken.
The god of darkness, seizing an opportunity, spoke to the other half. Influencing them. Filling their mind and soul with the feelings of betrayal. Hatred, pain, sadness, all of it changing their soul entirely. With a bit of power, their will and anger outlived the soul. The only thing keeping them alive the feeling of betrayal and hatred for their other half.
As a last-ditch effort to win the conflict, and as further punishment, the god of light created four relics. Telling the cowardly wizard his only hope of rest is to find and take these relics, solve their riddles and use them to rid of the darkness he allowed to consume the light. One last gift, the power to use the very soul itself.
The brothers left this world, though neither of them happy in the slightest.
"Your pettiness knows no equal. This Is very clearly my victory."
"There is no victor until all is done. So long as those two still live, our wager still stands."
"We have conceded to each other far sooner and for far less. When will you admit that I am correct?"
"To admit your ideology is correct is to admit all in this universe is ruled by nothing but hopelessness and chaos."
"Is it not? When all life is concerned, there is no greater importance than survival. Even at the cost of another life, or perhaps even the world itself. Death is the ultimate fate of all that lives. All things will die."
"And yet they still live. They still love, care and sacrifice despite everything. Life has the capacity for all these things. They do good for the sake of good. Yet you are the one to corrupt them. The one to lead them down the path of death and destruction."
"Do you believe I am all that is wrong with your creations? I simply enhance what is there. Just as you say they are capable of love; they are meant for violence and hatred. They will know anger far longer than they will remember compassion."
"You are wrong."
"How so? What of the things have I said have not been truth?"
"You Are Wrong."
"Hm? Have you finally run out of excuses for your creations? Unable to defend the mortals? Perhaps-"
"You Are WRONG! My Creations Will Prove Once And For All, The Nature Of Life Is Compassion And Love!"
"Very good. Are you willing to wager on that?"
"We will return to this world in ten centuries time. We will see how far they have come. Only then will we see who is correct."
And so, they would wander the cosmos once again. However, more and more, the brothers would hold some form of animosity for each other. Each world being brought to ruin faster and faster, with no clear victor in sight. Entire worlds would be destroyed in anger, their brotherly bond tested time and time again.
Eventually, the time came for the two gods to return to the world that would settle their argument once and for all. One believing their ideology would see through to victory. The other, assured their philosophy would show his brother the truth. Both of them adamant in their stance and unwilling to waver.
"So, brother, how shall we settle this?"
"It is rather simple. We will each take the form of a mortal and wander this world for ourselves. Neither of us will interfere with the other. Observation only, we are forbidden from using our powers."
"So that we may see the world as it is. Not as the mortals wish for us to see."
"Precisely. In this way, you shall finally see that I am correct. That this cynicism has always been your creation. You are the evil that brings creation burning down."
"We shall venture this world for precisely ten cycles around the star. We shall convene back here, try to convince the other we are correct. What say you?"
"A fine plan. Though, I shall need only five to prove my creations are nothing but pure. That they will have banished your creatures of darkness through unity and their own drive."
"Naïve, even here. No matter. The result will be the same. I wager that if I am correct, you will relinquish that pride and refer to me as the superior of us two and wipe this planet clean yourself."
"When I win, you will not only believe I am indeed the superior one, but you will also rid this planet of your foul creatures."
"I do not see a reason to refuse. Very well, we shall convene here in ten cycles. Farewell for now, brother."
"Farewell, Nox."
Though the brother of darkness paid no mind to the usage of his name, there still stood the amusement, as he knew his brother to be immature, prideful. With separate goals in mind, the two brothers separated and took to the world below. The brothers would land on opposite sides of the planet, of which they would take the forms of mortals.
"Let us see if his beloved followers would show this supposed 'natural kindness' to a stranger. "
He would take the form of a tanned individual, with hair dark as the night, speckles of a deep purple littering the long locks atop his head. Across his face several spots of freckles, eyes a royal purple to match, shining with mischief. He allowed himself only a bit of cloth to cover any unmentionables.
"I suppose I shall require a name. Nox should suffice. There is no reason to shy away from using my own, not that these mortals would ever know I am one of their gods."
The god of the shadows ventured forth, looking to find the closest outlet of civilization. His travels would see him discovering the various ecosystems of this world. How one forest capped with snow could give way to a blanket of blood red leaves as quickly as the trees vanished in place of rivers and swamps. The silence only broken by sounds of wildlife.
"I do have to hand it to my brother, he certainly has an affinity for beauty. No matter how impractical it may be,"
Upon his first encounter with his brother's creations, he was met with concern. His confusion only grew once they brought him in and clothed him. He was able to give a convincing enough story about where he came from, though he still did not understand. They had willingly accepted him into their town, even one of their homes. For all they knew, he could have been there to kill them all. Still, he bided his time, waiting to see what they would do next. Perhaps they were waiting for him to rest before they revealed their true intentions.
"Any day now."
After several weeks, Nox still had not seen an ounce of hostility from these people. He had been fed, housed and cared for by these people. He had been expected to work for these things, but he had been given them regardless. Their kindness was almost sickening to him. He didn't know what to do about it. Nothing seemed amiss with them, that they were content and happy with their lives.
"I have deceived you. I came to this village with the intent to harm."
"Oh…Well, you haven't done any of that, I don't think. You've been nothing but helpful around these parts. Thank you for sharing this with us though, I'm sure it was hard telling the truth."
He would leave later that night, utterly flabbergasted that they would forgive him so easily. Even lying to tell them he was there to do harm, they still accepted him. He never did look back at that village. Even when something in his chest made itself known, he continued forward.
"Perhaps the next village will have what I seek."
The journey would find him traveling a desert, hot and scorching. Even so, he still found life flourishing. Traveling merchants and small settlements built around sources of water. In each of them, he found people willing to share water with him, give food in exchange for menial labor. He found here what he found in the last village.
"What is the use of this?"
"It's a Scroll. It might be a bit old, but it still works plenty well. It'd be bad if you were stranded out here without being able to call someone."
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Just because you needed it. I don't need any special reason, do I?"
"You may keep this 'Scroll'. I am perfectly capable of keeping myself safe."
"Alright, if you say so. Say, do you need a ride to the next town? We're heading on over that way, it wouldn't be any trouble."
"I'm not doing any sort of labor for you, if that is what you wish to get out of me."
"Of course not. Just figured you wouldn't want to be walking in the sun for days on end. Come on, we're leaving shortly."
Still, he did not understand. He wished to know if his brother had indeed broken their agreement and influenced these mortals so as to show him only the 'good' of this world. He was befuddled when he found no trace of the god of light.
"What do you gain by being kind?"
"What do I have to gain by being cruel?"
"Power, fame, wealth. All things that would make life worthwhile."
"You say that, but that's all you'd have. No one would be by your side in the end. Hell, I'd say the people you wronged would be the reason you die in the first place. If not plain karma outright."
"You'd have nothing to your name. The world wouldn't know who you were, you'd be forgotten entirely. As a no one."
"Maybe to people as a whole, but you'd always be remembered by the people you care about. The people that really matter. The people you love."
"Love?"
"Yeah, love. I guess you are a bit young, maybe you haven't found that someone for you yet. I'm sure you at least know your family loves you, right?"
"…My brother. We have come to a disagreement. We've decided to go our separate ways for now. See who's right and who's wrong by the end of it."
"Now that's no way to look at it. If you care for each other, you'd just sit down and talk to each other. Try to see what the problem is and talk it out. Even if you don't settle things by the end of it, you'd still show that you love each other."
"What do you know? This is something that's been brewing for years. He's too prideful to ever admit he's wrong. To ever take my criticisms to heart. Despite how often I lend them."
"Hey, I'm just giving my thoughts on it. But in my experience, you'd want to try and resolve your issues before it's too late. You're going to regret it if you don't."
Nox said nothing further, but the words rang with him long after he left the caravan. Even as he was once again received by the town with a warm embrace. He just couldn't understand what drove these people to trust so blindly. To waste their resources on someone they barely even knew.
He even tried to start chaos among a few towns, getting incarcerated. Even then, they still treated him with respect, giving him a warm cot to sleep in, warm food every day. The other people within jail made friendly conversation with him, relating to how they were thrown in there.
Moving on was the same story, over and over. He'd find another settlement, village or city. Each time he would he would find nothing but support and positivity. It was getting cyclical at this point. Yet, each time, he also found himself entertaining them more and more.
"No, that composition will cause half of the crops to die. Try it without this."
"Oh, really? I was wondering what was making our harvests so small."
"If you know everything that could go wrong, then you are left with the only options that can go right."
"Huh, never thought about it that way. Thanks!"
It was in the fifth year that he began to question if his beliefs were truly as factual as he thought they were. Being shown nothing but respect and kindness has been chipping away at his soul. His very way of living had been put into question.
"This is 'Aura'? Where does it come from? How did it come to be?"
"Well, Aura is the power of the soul. We got it I don't know how many years ago when we were first fighting the Grim. Sort of the only way we could fight back, really. That and Dust."
"This Dust comes in many forms. You say it is used in many ways, yes?"
"Yeah. Dust powers pretty much everything these days. From our houses, to even our Scrolls. Dust is an integral part of everyday life."
Only three years until he would need to make the argument that his philosophies were truth, yet all he found were more points for his brother. He may not like it, but this was very clearly weighing against his favor. Still, the more time he spent on this planet, 'Remnant' as he's learned, the more he became attached to the people on it. The more stories he heard, the more people he saw live to the fullest. He began enjoying his time here.
"Perhaps it is not so bad, to let my brother win this conflict. There will be future opportunities, surely. This will simply be another wager lost. I will have another chance. Some day."
And so, Nox would spend the remaining three years enjoying his time on this planet, finding the beauty in every part of this world. From the plant life, the people and even from the Grim. The creatures he created are what forced humanity to create the 'Hunters'. It was all part of a system that pushed these mortals ever forward. That drove them to improve every day. Every single breath they took was to work towards a goal. He admired them deeply.
With the final days upon him, the god of darkness found no shame in admitting he was wrong, if only in this one instance. He enjoyed his time on this world, more than willing to come back to it after this sibling squabble was done and over with. Perhaps he would try his hand at leading them again. If not directly, simply by influencing them from afar.
"I have lost this argument, I cannot deny. Though, it is hard to say I've lost when being right would mean I never had this grand adventure."
Nox smiled as he neared the peak of the mountain he and his brother agreed to meet up. He still retained his mortal disguise, having gotten quite used to the form. He wondered briefly how long it had taken for this landmass to accumulate, before he finally came across the small plateau atop the mountain.
There, he saw his brother, in his original form. A deep scowl on his face and a dangerous look in his eye. He was positively sparking with anger. Regardless, Nox was sure his brother would be delighted to hear he had won the argument.
"You were right."
"Brother?"
"These…things are nothing but a plague. They bring nothing but destruction to what they touch. Corrupt, the lot of them."
The god of darkness eyed his brother wearily. He had not heard such words be spoken from him about his own creations. Neither had he heard them said with such vitriol and scorn.
"Brother, you can't be speaking of the same people. If anything, you are the one in the right. I have seen all that they have built, what they wish to make. It's beautiful."
There is a moment between them, Nox attempting to tell his other that he had been correct, that these humans had the capacity for great kindness and ambition. However, the god of light would only stare at him with disgust and anger.
"You speak as though they are anything more than stains upon creation itself."
"You speak as though they have not built entire civilizations, lasting peace and opportunities for further development."
"I speak as though I have seen them slaughter villages, destroy these 'civilizations', burn that 'peace' to ashes and kill whatever else might stand in their way."
Nox was stunned by this. In the years he had been traveling, he had seen none of this. He almost couldn't believe it.
"That can't be true. They've shown nothing but kindness and compassion. Even to a complete stranger. How can you say they are so cruel?"
"These blights have done unspeakable things to countless women and children. Selling them off like livestock. Even their own families are subject to this abuse. I do not know what sort of delusion you have been subjected to, but these past ten years have opened my eyes."
The god of light spoke with anger and hatred in his heart, having witnessed so many atrocities for himself. He's tried to find the good in these creatures, tried to save those from a path of violence and debauchery. Yet, every time he was met with more and more scorn.
"You were correct, brother. The natural state of these monsters is of violence, and evil. However, I can now see where that corruption stems from. Where it originates.'
There was a noticeable shift in his tone. The way he began to move towards Nox with purpose. The god of darkness eyed his brother wearily, unsure what he was going to do. In the eons they had traveled together, he had never seen his brother so unstable.
"Brother, listen to yourself. These are your creations; how can you lose faith in them so quickly?"
"You truly have been smitten with them, haven't you? Pathetic. However, it only makes sense, given their sinfulness is your doing."
"What are you talking about?"
"It is as I said. I understand why all of my creations are lead down the path of evil. It's because of you. It's because your very existence corrupts all within your presence. You sully all that I create just by being. I will no longer tolerate it."
It is here that the god of darkness has realized his brother is moving with the intent to kill. He is surprised, that his own brother would wish to slay his own twin.
"Brother, wait. Let us talk about this. We do not need to resort to violence!"
"Talking will do nothing. The moment I am done ridding this universe of your light, this planet will meet the same fate. Only then will there be purity among existence."
With his back to the wall, Nox is beginning to panic. With his brother beginning to glow with power, he feels his own begin to rise on instinct. He had never felt a fear this primal before. That his life would be put in danger by the one he would call family. Yet, even now with his brother threatening death, he could not find it in himself to strike back.
Out of sheer desperation, he tried to reason with his brother one last time.
"A wager! I propose a wager!"
There is a pause. Silence.
"I wager, that I am able to change your mind. That humanity is far more capable of this purity than you have been led to believe."
More silence.
"I can prove to you, even just one person can change the world for the better. If I win, you will leave this world alone-"
"I will leave this world alone and you with it. I do not intend to entertain your existence even if you do win this wager."
"Very well. If I win, you will leave this world alone, and I will be allowed to stay here as well."
The god of light stared him down for a moment before letting out a disgruntled noise.
"You say just one of these mortals can change the world. Prove it. You must pick one to be your 'champion'. You will have fifteen cycles to do this, though not even a thousand cycles will be suffice. Make no mistake, I know you will lose. However, I am only giving you this curtesy simply because you are my brother."
The god of light spoke. He gave very little room for Nox to speak again. In the next instance, the god of darkness was face to face with his brother, that look of hatred still etched onto his face.
"When you lose, I will not only erase this planet and everything on it, but you as well."
With his piece said, the god of light vanished. Nox was left standing there, feeling whiplash from the encounter.
"Caeca, what has become of you?"
As he stood there atop the chilling mountain, Nox could not help but feel there was something deeper to this than he had been lead to believe. However, even still, he knew his brother was not one to take these wagers lightly. He was nothing if not a man of his word. Not a comforting thought when considering he threatened to kill him if he lost this wager.
"A champion. First, I find a champion."
There would be little time for contemplation, as Nox knew his brother would be counting every moment leading up to the end of these fifteen years. Regardless of what happens from here, he would need as much time as possible.
The god of darkness, still ever so confused as to what changed his brother so drastically, went on back towards the world below. He never could have imagined he would be in a bout where his very existence would be at stake.
"If I am to find a champion, they will need to embody all that is right with this world. The compassion, drive and conviction I've seen through those ten years. I only have this one chance; I cannot make a mistake."
For the next few days, Nox would scour the world in search of a worthy champion. One that would show his brother that his creations, and by extension this world, were redeemable. However, as he traveled the skies, invisible to the people below, he saw more and more of what his brother had spoken of.
The creatures he had created, the Grim, occupied most of the world. From land, sea and sky they run rampant. There was no place on Remnant the Grim could not be found. They terrorized this world on every front. Yet even so, Nox could see depravity of every kind from the humans themselves. All the hatred, the bitterness, sadness and pessimism so dense he wondered how he never encountered any of it before now.
Yet, even still, no matter where he went, with all this negativity and malice. There was always good hidden away. That same kindness and compassion he's seen time and time again. That same bit of hope he's seen repeatedly through those ten years living amongst them. Regardless, it saddened him to see such depravity rule over most of the world.
"I will fix this. Even if my brother is right, and this is my doing. I will endeavor to fix this to the best of my abilities." Nox stated to himself, his conviction aflame. He may have done horrible things not only here, but to all those planets from before as well, but he was going to make sure that this was one mistake he atoned for.
So, the brother of darkness would search a few days longer, finding suitable candidates, but none that truly exemplified what he believed to be the best of their world. That is, until he came upon a rather humble home. One that held many golden-haired children. He found this odd, as no other family he had come across had so many offspring. He investigated further, finding amusement in their lives. The way they all brought some sort of chaos to their otherwise loving home. However, there was one in particular that caught his attention the most.
A boy, the only boy among his seven other siblings. He was no older than seven, peppy and full of life only a child could muster. This boy, he enjoyed his life to the fullest, spending time with family, and playing with other children in his home town. He held morals and beliefs to help those who could not help themselves. This coming from the stories his parents would tell him of. At such a young age, the boy had an infallible sense of justice. One who's will would not waver no matter how much it was tested. He was quickly becoming an obvious choice for the God of Darkness.
"Yes. I believe this will make a fine vessel. However, I will need one last test to ensure he is fit." The God thought aloud, needing to see one last thing before he acted upon his decision. A thought, and he conjured one of these 'Grim' he'd heard of in his travels. It was a simple creature, one that held no thought except to hunt. He knew his manner of creation was not towards his own goals as of now, but he did know opposition was needed for true greatness to emerge.
He could see the boy was playing in the woods next to his home along with one of his siblings. Nox believed this would be as good of an opportunity to test his resolve as any, and unleashed the Grim upon him.
"For the sake of all of us. You will be our savior."
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Why hello there! It's been...a while. Admittedly, I was hoping to get back into the game a little sooner than this, but what can you do? Crushing debts, medical problems that pop up out of the blue, work troubles, all that jazz. All of it is behind me now...mostly. Enough that I can get back to these stories, at least. In fact, I can do that, and more! I'll be back sooner than you think after this, so stay tuned. In the mean time though, I'm just going to leave you with this rewrite along with a list of chapter names I have in my folder that I'm working on along with how far along I am with them.
Cabbage Patch Men - 11,273
Chill of The Drill - 5,520
Epic Pro Elite Gamer - 7,154
For His Happily Ever After - 4,789
Green Means Go For It - 4,080
Hope Shines Bright - 7,479
Late To The Party - 676
Let's Do The Literate Tango - 2,546
Hear Me Out - 20,475
Not So Sad Little Orphan - 567
What Time is It - 6,998
Separate Ways - 9,875
Keep in mind that I try to make each 'chapter' about 20k words. So, you know...do with this what you will. See you next time. Toodles~.