Ch.2 – The Commands
Force was the first thing he felt. The experience was confusing. He watched as arms speared a rake into the black flesh of the wolf-like Grimm. The blow had been sure, and the monster died with a weak snarl, dissolving into nothingness. The work done by a man of confidence.
Ozma was not that man.
Yet, when eyes widened in confusion, it was Ozma's reaction, not the other man.
Ears registered screaming all around. His ears?
Gloved hands released their grip on the weaponized rake. Ozma's hands? But these weren't his hands. Were they? He didn't recognize the brown farm gloves on these hands.
He(?) looked around.
He stood at the edge of a forest, bordered by a town. The town was on fire. Survivors fled from the fire and ruins of the human settlement.
Before he could absorb it all, he heard the familiar snarl of another Grimm. Ozma spun around. Another of the wolfen Grimm threatened a townsman. A man in a blue tunic wielded a sword in his defense, but the man's skill was woefully inadequate.
After a couple of clumsy swings, the man was overpowered by a single swipe from the wolf Grimm. The sword fell uselessly next to the man as he screamed for help. He tried to crawl away in a panic.
Ozma may have remained hopelessly lost about his own sense of self, but the spirit of heroism he had adopted long ago beat powerfully within. Casting aside his confusion, Ozma charged forward. He left the rake behind and snapped the fallen sword, throwing himself between the man and the beast.
Two slices followed by a powerful thrust ended the Grimm's existence.
Far above him, above the fire's light and the suffocating smoke, a single light winked into and then out of existence among the stars.
The planetoid no longer existed. Its smaller satellites, which had survived the earlier conflict between Crimson and Light, were no more than shattered pieces, flying in all directions. Stellar dust was all that lingered in this battlefield.
Darkness reveled in the destruction.
For as long as he could remember, Light had always curbed Darkness' desires. From decay to disease to disaster, Darkness had only been allowed targeted and limited forms of destruction thrown upon the world he and his brother had created together. The Grimm had been Darkness' greatest indulgence in centuries.
But now?
Darkness' spirit soared as he experienced mass destruction. The broken debris of these small celestial bodies delighted him as he briefly pondered where their travels would take them. The heated waters of the planetoid scattering among the void pleased him with chaotic patterns as they slowly returned to ice in the freezing emptiness.
Just the chance to unleash his own power without Light's stifling boundaries was a pleasure Darkness craved.
Were it not for the crimson being's assaults against his brother, Darkness would have loved nothing more than to know this being. To know another so capable and willing to wield the energies of destruction. Alas, Darkness would not allow these impulses to rule him. The crimson being had wounded his brother, and grievously so. Perhaps forgiveness could be granted, but only after a suitable punishment had been inflicted.
That last attack was not enough to reach that particular threshold. It had been a blunt exchange. All three beings had battered each other with conflicting waves of raw power. Of the three, the crimson being endured the worst; the griffin form collapsing (another image which fascinated Darkness) into a storm cloud. For a moment, the three entities hovered, unconcerned by the cold or vacuum of deep space.
Darkness tensed as he prepared to rush against his weakened foe when Light shouted, "Wait! The advantage is ours. Perhaps-" Light's suggestion died as the crimson being vanished into the spirit realm.
"You are right, brother," Darkness replied sardonically. "We do have the advantage." Darkness' draconic head turned around to meet his brother's gaze. Light's wounds, the red burns covering his scaly body and the glowing cuts left by a raptor's talons, were both beautiful and infuriating to Darkness. Another never-before-seen form of destruction to witness, but such a violation against the one person Darkness loved in all of existence. "Rest here, brother. I will pursue."
"No!" Light protested as he casually drifted toward Darkness. "We must strike as one to win this battle."
Darkness shook his horned head. "Our enemy is wounded and in flight. It's true I alone might not be able to defeat it, but you need a reprieve to heal. I must press against our foe, while you recover, lest we lose the advantage. Join me as soon as you are able."
"But-"
"No, brother," Darkness cut off as his head turned toward Crimson's last position. "Creation is your domain, but destruction is mine!" With a dramatic flap of his batlike wings, Darkness gave chase.
Crimson hurried into the spiritual realm, exhausted. Not eager to return to the griffin's form, Crimson floated within the swirling energies hiding from view. The battle, thus far, was going as expected. The odds of being able to defeat Light before Darkness intervened had always been low, especially given its planned invocation upon Remnant.
Now that the Brothers stood together, it was time for a different invocation. Crimson opened the connection to the Contract, the metaphysical bargain that had made this entire adventure possible. It sought the power to overcome the Brothers and braced for the Contract's demands to subsume Crimson's free will. There were a few limitations put in place when the Contract had been wrought, but Crimson didn't know what they were. The 'down payment' for the Contract had been all of its entire past existence.
Crimson wasn't sure that had been wise, but the point of no return had passed long ago.
The Contract's central clause activated. Power, generated by beings from another dimension, flowed into Crimson. This would be the power needed to achieve victory once and for all over the Brothers. Its life rested in the hands of the Cosigners and their willingness to support its battle against these deities of another realm.
A decent amount of Observations poured in first, granting it ten percent of the power it needed to survive this battle. A few Cheers and Flags followed, adding more of an edge to the base increase. The haul was significant but not decisive. It would take almost ten rounds of these infusions to secure survival. Given its back-up option, that was not a sure outcome.
It was time for the Commands.
An inconsistency, Ozma was resurrected in light of mankind's resurgence, was he not?
Crimson blinked. An odd Command. Did this count as a Command? It was more akin a 'spoken' Cheer. To Crimson's surprise, the Command, without being a command, gave it power.
...that counts?
It didn't have room to complain. The power boost was not only greater than any Cheer or Flag, but ten times greater than a simple Observation. Furthermore, each bit of power was permanent, building upon its power as it reached for survival. The fact that there was no forced action for this much power was quite the boon in Crimson's favor. How many more of these Commands would be similarly lenient?
It considered the actual content of this particular Command. A response was the polite to return for this power.
"The God of Light sought to begin Ozma's second existence when it would have the most potential impact. Therefore, he sent Ozma to the moment where the soul-bearers had re-established civilization. There is no inconsistency that I'm aware of."
Crimson was surprised that the next Command didn't immediately follow. There was a small amount of time where it simply waited.
Man, what a start! This is really cool so far. Keep up the excellent work!
Another Command without an actual command. It was curious. These Commands should have been the most terrifying aspect of this Contract. The complete and total loss of free will. Yet, so far, it had received power simply at the cost of listening to the Cosigners speak. It was a far more manageable trade. Crimson couldn't and wouldn't complain. Yet, what to do with the time in-between?
It needed to move. The flight from the Brothers had been hurried. They did not possess omniscience, but Crimson wasn't attempting to hide given the rushed retreat. It was time to relocate. It didn't know how many more Commands would appear, though it would know when the last one would arrive.
Thus, a series of teleportations occurred as Crimson flitted about the infinite yet constrained realm of the spirits.
I'm curious to see how this other version goes; checked the original and couldn't find the command that created Duo, is that still going to happen?
Crimson froze.
What?
What were these words?
What was this Cosigner saying?
Original? Command? "Still going to happen"? What did any of that mean!?
The implications hammered Crimson as its mind struggled to comprehend. It was the only one... RIGHT!? There were multiple Crimsons out there in the Multiverse, RIGHT!?
Who was Duo!? What Command created that being, and why!? Something in Crimson's mind stretched and threatened to break as it fought to consider this new, unintentional(?) revelation. If there multiple Crimsons... wait, it wasn't the original!? How many more!? Was it the first of a long line of killed Crimsons!? What had happened to the original?!
That last question burned especially hot because it knew it couldn't cross the barriers between the different dimensions. It would never have the power to do that.
Most of all, what did the success or the failure of the original mean for this Crimson?
Your soul is now bound with The Reaper, the Brawler, the Instructor, The Sniper, The Hearthfire, The Android, the Strategist, the Shadow, The Fashionista, and the Copycat; as you grow close to others, more bonds may potentially form.
If Crimson had eyes, they would be wide as dinner plates right now.
Choice was taken from it as Crimson accessed a secret part of existence to it and it alone.
Within the spiritual realm, the clean distinction between the metaphorical and the literal lapsed. In Crimson's mind, a red hallway came into existence at its summons. Standing at the far end of the hallway, Crimson stood in front of two sets of doors along the hallway's length. To the left, a series of black doors. To the right, white doors. All of the doors stood open, allowing Crimson to peer into potential realities at will. The hallway's last remaining feature were ceiling torches of green fire. Each hanging torch was surrounded by a circle of words or numbers.
The torch at the very end of the hallway where Crimson stood was the only one extinguished.
Moving at the behest of the Cosigner's Command, the humanoid form of Crimson moved with utter, forced efficiency. It moved past the Doors, the Offerings. It passed by the first black Door. Inside the doorframe, the world of Remnant turned on its axis among the stars. Above it stood Crimson, watching over it in unchallenged power and glory. Written into the doorframe's top were two words, "Major Deity". That potential reality's likelihood was uncertain at this moment.
Crimson passed by more Doors. "Minor Deity", "Major Demigod", "Minor Demigod", and more. Until eventually, it stopped in front of the 'Soulmate-Bond' Door. Through the door, there were two hands, one crimson and the other rotating through various skin tones. The two hands linked and interlocked their fingers. Crimson pushed the door itself wider into the empty wall space next to it. A crimson hand pressed against the door's center. Around the hand, the titles appeared as green flame engraved them into the black wood.
The hand withdrew.
Crimson stared at the titles.
...but none of them are alive or will be alive for centuries? Why?! What kind of Command is this!?
The very first proper Command proved to be vexing and confusing. Surprisingly, not as painful as the previous one, even though that Command hadn't actually commanded anything. Its hold onto reality, not helped by the paradoxical rules of the spirit realm, continued to slip and struggle in its grasp. This is a Command that might not mean anything in the end. ...I'm so confused.
Create a cult upon Remnant, creating a clone of yourself to act as your messenger, and use Faith to supplement your strength.
WHAT!?
The confusion doubled in strength, along with resistance. There was something deeply unsettling about this Command's requirements that Crimson was shocked to feel. It was something not conscious but subconscious.
It mattered not.
The Command was valid by the Contract's order.
The Metaliteral Hallway grew as an empty space asserted itself next to the soul bond Door.
It pressed its hand against the empty space. Green fire sparked and outlined the hand. Mind-Crim felt no pain. Or anything at all as it watched impassively. After encompassing its hand, the viridian flames spread outward. They left black behind but not ash. Wood. Black and healthy wood formed behind the fire's passage, until a new black Door stood before Mind-Crim. Above the door, golden letters wrote themselves: "Faith Power".
The Command granted power, but this currency spent itself to open the door. Half was demanded, and Crimson had no choice but to obey. The Door opened, and Mind-Crim saw a new reality on the other side. A temple building sat in the center of a city, welcoming believers and visitors. For the first time, Crimson was unsure if the potential realities were the future made manifest or general representations of what could be.
A portion of power was delivered.
Then the second clause kicked in.
Crimson dismissed the Metaliteral Hallways as it stood in the void of the spirit realm. A chunk of the swirling cloud of energy broke off after Crimson concentrated half of the energy from the Command to form the second being. The new entity as it drifted away from the original entity. The entire action was brief but decisive. Crimson stared at itself which stared at it. Crimson found the experience disorienting. Their feelings were in perfect synchrony, which meant that the disorientation was felt by both in the same instant. Once again, a deep sense of uneasiness reverberated within Crimson's being. Technically, this was a morally neutral Command, but it really didn't know how to feel about having a second self in existence. Especially after learning that it wasn't the original Crimson.
It did not help with the existential crisis threatening its mind.
It was nice that the Contract delivered a second dose of power.
"Cloning complete," both said at the exact same time and tone.
Enough of this.
They raised mirroring right arms, a motion Crimson sensed since it could not see the humanoid figure within the swirling storm of power, before making a chopping motion. The one being became two. Crimson could no longer feel the clone's body and emotions as its own. "Go and-
"Complete the Command," both said, voices overlapping. But not perfectly so.
"This is strange," Crimson stated.
"Very," the clone agreed.
The Command pulsed, and it wouldn't accept any delay. As uncomfortable as the situation was, it did provide an opportunity.
"There you are!"
Both Crimsons flinched as the God of Darkness approached.
"Go!" Crimson ordered as it swung around, its body reforming into its griffin form. "I'll distract him!"
Even as it moved, the Contract did not care for the situation as it delivered the next Command.
This is interesting; I look forward to what comes next.
A simple message, and Crimson appreciated its simplicity as it charged at the God of Darkness. Behind it, it could feel the clone vanishing from the spirit realm. Despite Crimson's clear course, it was incredibly dangerous.
It was but a fraction of the power it needed to be at. Worse, it wasn't sure how many more Commands it needed. If Crimson fought Darkness like this, it would die. Could it even handle a single strike?
Darkness flew straight at Crimson, his dark-purple form in stark contrast to the alabaster false-emptiness of the spiritual realm. "Where did the other go?"
Oh, the danger doubled. The clone only had a fraction of Crimson's weakened power. Worse, the clone was going to Remnant. If Darkness returned to the planet...
NO! That cannot happen!
Crimson concentrated power into the talons before swinging them. Six blades of energy flew from the talons on curved trajectories toward the 'younger' Brother Grimm. At the same time, it reopened the Metaliteral Hallway. On the chance, that not enough power came from the Cosigners, it had the option to destroy Doors for temporary power. It would restore, but it would not elevate. The power the Offerings provided wouldn't last, unlike the power from the Cosigners.
There wasn't time for consideration. Crimson was below half of its original strength. It slammed the 'Major Deity' Door shut. The moment the door shut, green flame erupted across the black wood. As the wood burned, power flowed into Crimson, who greedily drank it. The black door burned to ashes in seconds. When the last of the fire puffed away, the power ceased to flow into Crimson.
It paused.
That was it!?
While each potential reality sacrificed would grant power, the power was in direct proportion to the potential lost within the sacrificed reality. If this was the amount of power, only restoring half of its lost strength, offered for what had been the best possible reality Crimson could have enjoyed…
It would do for now!
Darkness snorted. "A simple move."
Amethyst energy lined the edge of Darkness' wings. Darkness thrust his wings forward, mid-charge, and two larger bows of energy raced to meet the crimson blades. The opposing energies crashed in magenta explosions.
Crimson threw out talons toward the charging dragon. Darkness, with serpent grin, mirrored. Talons, draconic and eagle, slammed and then locked each other. Inertia was a casual rule in the spiritual realm, allowing Crimson to arrest Darkness' charge without being pushed back.
The two powers struggled against each other for a moment before Crimson inched Darkness backward.
"Why did you make a second?"
When Crimson didn't answer, Darkness struck. He lunged with his arrow-shaped head and bit down on Crimson's shoulder with ethereal fangs. An eagle's screeched erupted from Crimson's form. The form threatened to dissolve again, but Crimson poured more energy to keep it stable a moment longer. Within the griffin's shell, it weaved power into a hotter and hotter ball while allowing the griffin to appear to weaken. Darkness shook his head back and forth, his fangs digging and tearing through crimson feathers and 'flesh'.
With another eagle's cry, Crimson unleashed the sphere of energy.
A flashfire exploded off the griffin's shell.
Darkness screamed as his mouth and head burned in the spiritual conflagration. Eagle talons twisted and pulled Darkness closer into the awaiting fires. He shifted his stance and managed to arrest the momentum. But that was what Crimson hoped for. Using Darkness' strength as leverage, Crimson flipped the griffin's body and slammed the lion's feet into Darkness' chest. Darkness stumbled backwards before Crimson, the griffin's body, still alight with deep crimson flame, flapped wings and shot the fire backwards.
Firing like a rocket, Crimson collided into Darkness.
When your clone or you establish your cult, make sure to make mention of a pantheon of demi-gods called composed of the Cosigners, I recommend you create specific temples for the most notable Cosigners so that these invested Cosigners can communicate at will. (You may refer to me as HT by the way.)
The Command, thankfully, did not require immediate action as there was no compulsion to fulfill it, even as Crimson reeled at the possibilities and implications of the Cosigners permanently establishing themselves in this dimension. That came second to the fact that Commands could be delayed.
Just in how many ways were Crimson's expectations and grasp on reality was going to be broken!?
That was all the thought it could spare before it focused entirely on the battle.
It still was pushing Darkness on the back foot and pressed them both back into physical reality.
The two were above an ocean. Darkness, to his surprise, recognized it. While his brother dallied with Ozma, Darkness had amused himself by creating a planet in his own image. The waters, black and bubbling, didn't quite act with the same behavior as did the oceans of the previous experiment, but Darkness had been able to form a functional weather system.
Despite the pain of the flames, he managed to angrily grunt out, "You seek to destroy my work?"
Alternating his wings, he whipped them against the griffin. Each strike augmented by his own power, they beat at the shell and the fire on its surface. The fire struggled against the bursts of counter energy, but Crimson was almost ready with the next attack.
The twin beings fell miles as they struggled against each other. Only a moment before they struck the surface did Darkness sense the energy being built within the griffin. At the exact instant of impact, Crimson roared before detonating the power.
The divine bomb scorched a perfect sphere into the ocean, ten-miles in diameter. A second later, a wave of secondary explosions followed as sea salt combusted in the incredible heat. Chlorine gas boiled into existence and covered the area. A ring-sized tsunami fled from the explosion even as dark waters rushed into the new hole. Steam and heat flew upwards in the detonation's aftermath.
Unprepared for the sheer scope of evaporated water crashing into the system, the weather around the detonation zone twisted and reacted. Storms almost popped into existence as temperatures and pressure fronts crashed into each other.
Although in agony, Darkness couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful destruction and chaos around him. The crimson burns he had seen covering his brother now afflicted him. He hovered halfway between the detonation's origin point and the edge of the sphere, flung five miles by the blast. "Amazing," he breathed to himself. "I will destroy you. Then find the other." Despite the distance between them, he knew Crimson was still here. He had seen the griffin puff out of existence upon detonation.
Ignoring his pain and weakness, Darkness sped back to the center, all the while releasing energy bursts to put out the fires over his body. Nor was that all he did. This was his planet. His experiment. With a softer expenditure of his power and will, he directed the storms forming above him. Physical darkness hid the local sun from sight, encouraging Darkness further. "This. Is my Domain!" He yelled out as he and the storms picked up speed.
Delicate maneuvering saw the storms consume and be consumed by one another. By the time Darkness caught sight of Crimson's cloud, no longer were a series of storms raging above them. A monstrous hurricane howled.
Crimson reformed the griffin and hurried towards Darkness, ready to clash again.
"You think you're the only clever one? The only one who can wield the destructive energies of nature!"
Darkness abruptly veered away from the would-be collision. Instead, he reached out to the hurricane with eagerness. He embraced the dramatic, but arts of subtle manipulation were not unknown to him. His will reached out and tweaked the atmosphere by a hair.
A lightning bolt speared Crimson.
Although only physical, Crimson flinched at the hit.
"You liked that?" Darkness teased. "I can do better!"
Crimson raced after the amethyst dragon, cutting away at the distance between them.
The next lightning bolt was purple.
It cut into and then through one of Crimson's wings.
Darkness laughed as he set off a fusillade of lighting against Crimson. It tried evasion and managed to dodge every other bolt. By the eighth one, however, Darkness simply added more of his energy to the lightning to increase their speed.
The griffin shook with each blow as each purple javelin found its mark. Its proud wings became pockmarked with blackened holes. Another bolt pierced an eye. Then another burned off an entire talon.
"Are you having fun?" Darkness laughed over the tempest's roar.
Crimson struggled harder and harder to maintain the shell. Then decided to switch tactics. Crimson broke off the chase and flew straight up into the titanic hurricane. The griffin screeched and a burning aura of fire and power surrounded it as a shield.
Suspicion instantly soured Darkness' glee, and he changed tactics. Moving in a straight line, Crimson was an easy target. If one lightning bolt would only bounce off the shield, then it was time for quantity. By nature, lightning bolts are rare and never strike the same place.
Nature, however, would always be subservient to the divine.
"HAH!"
Sixteen purple lightning bolts struck the exact center of the flame shield. The fiery bubble held to its duty for only another moment more before it collapsed. Crimson was on the verge of reaching the nearest storm cloud.
Darkness growled before he unleashed a repeat performance. Nineteen lightning bolts struck the griffin.
The griffin disintegrated.
The crimson cloud finished the race and disappeared into the thick walls of the hurricane.
Darkness reached out and attempted to fire a lightning bolt within the hurricane to the same spot.
The hurricane did not respond to him.
Crimson color poisoned and spread throughout the massive storm. Darkness saw his own ploy turned against him as his hurricane was brought under Crimson's control. He hurriedly threw up his own shield.
Sixty-one crimson bolts lanced through the shield and through him. The last third of his tail was burned off of his body, and Darkness screamed in pain. In desperation, he tried to make a new, stronger shield. But protection and creation did not come naturally to him. He needed time, and he could feel the storm readying for the next attack.
Light, miles greater and wider than the hurricane itself, smashed the divine storm from above.
Crimson was flung from the heavens by the blow.
Nor did the massive spell simply undo the hurricane. In the same wave of energy, it redirected the elements into a more natural configuration. A calmness almost violently instituted itself against the storm's chaos, so sudden was the change to the entire water- and sky-scape.
Light flew down and used his long body to form a circle around Darkness' weakened being. Darkness could see Light was free of the ethereal burn wounds. The deep punctures where the talons had stabbed him, however, were still there.
"We can no longer afford to deal with this entity individually," Light stated firmly.
Crimson's familiar cloud drifted over the now-calm oceans waves aways from them.
Darkness briefly bowed his head. "I'm sorry, brother. I had hoped to buy you more time."
Ozma exploded from his throne; the servant next to him almost toppled over from the sudden explosion of energy. Shouting an apology and command, Ozma ran out of the main hall.
A/N: Forgot to mention that the Twitch streams will be on Mondays at 10:30 EST.