A TERRA ONE PREQUEL: BEFORE
PART THREE: EVERYTHING
INSPIRATION: EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING by LAURYN HILL
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Rick opened his eyes and blinked back the weight of the eternal blackness he'd been lingering in for what felt like forever. Flashing lights whizzed by him, making him feel dazed, and, as soon as his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he was suddenly in an ornate room, surrounded by tall statues of familiar people. As he walked along the many tall, gold columns, he could feel bright sun rays filtering through them onto his skin. He pinched himself to make sure he was no longer in a dream state, and, when he felt it, he was glad to know that he was indeed, back in reality. He followed his instincts and walked along the long, straight path, not knowing when it would end.
After he'd walked for what seemed like forever, he saw two thrones sitting on either side of an extremely large base of a tree. He looked up to see that the tree was too tall for him to see the top of. When he looked down, he could see the roots of the tree stretching out. One of the roots seemed to be stretching from him, and, the closer he got to the thrones, the more he realized that the root wasn't stretching from him, it was an extension of him. He immediately knew that although the root was a live part of the tree, it was also a symbol to represent who he is to the tree. Once the meta of that thought settled into his mind, he looked to his right and saw his siblings standing beside him in birth order. The only exception was Fitz who was standing directly in the middle of the stump, in front of a newly formed throne that sat in the middle of the two smaller thrones. He was staring at it as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to sit in it or not, and, after some thought, he stepped backwards a few steps and squared his shoulders. The rest of The Progeny immediately felt what he was feeling as well as the truth of the situation: He wasn't ready to except his fate on the throne, and, knowing Fitz the way they all did, he never would be.
With that realization being felt throughout the long hall, the singular throne disappeared, and, with its disappearance, Fatima and Thom appeared. They took their seats on their thrones and smiled brightly at their grandchildren. Rick - as well as his siblings - was quite aware that if they had any questions for either of them, now was the time to ask them. But, before they could, their grandfather, began speaking.
"The story of The Celestials began ions ago with one named Arishem. In his own words, he has said that one moment, he was darkness and the next, he was matter. He said that as he floated throughout the nothingness, he didn't realize that he was lonely until he found another like him, and then, he was happy. As the two continued to float through the nothing, and forming into what they would eventually become, they found more and more beings like them. Eventually, they all became fully formed, becoming what is now known as Celestials. Of course, this realization didn't come to them until recently. The saying, that life flashes before your eyes before you die was quite literally what happened to Arishem once Loki finally defeated him 100,000 years ago - we had to do it in that time to minimize human casualties…" Thom could feel that The Progeny had questions, so, he held his hand up, silencing them. He wanted them to listen to their history before they asked any questions. There were things they needed and wanted to know, and time was finally of essence and their presence was needed elsewhere.
"Until Arishem's life passed before him, he didn't remember how he and his family became alive. Even after his 'death' he still doesn't know how he and his family came to be. In the past, The Celestials thought that they had created life. They thought this, even after they'd destroyed universes trying to recreate more Celestials. Some Celestials didn't like all the destruction. They argued that life deserved more than to be destroyed to bring more Celestials into the multiverse. By then, they'd recognized that beings had what they called 'souls'. Having a soul meant that a being was connected to a higher power. A power higher than Celestials. The ones that wanted to save the lives thought the universes asked their comrades one question: If Celestials needed the energy of trillions of souls to create more Celestials, then, who created Celestials? It was clear that Celestials couldn't create real life - meaning lives with souls - and, if they weren't the creators, who was? The question caused an existential crisis among The Celestials that caused a fracture within the family - on one side there were The Celestials, and on the other, was The Anunnaki.
You see, The Celestials are what ancient humans believed were Angels, but, I personally don't believe that. I'm not saying they don't exist, I just don't think Celestials are anywhere near as creative as the concept of Angels are. We have no real proof that a more Supreme Being exists, but, the split between The Celestials is all the proof that The Anunnaki needed that we did not exist first. We were created in someone, or something's image, and it is clear that it wasn't our own. As much as The Celestials want to think that they created the beings of the universe, they can't 'create' anything, only, recreate, and they could only do that by integrating with beings that were already in existence - and The Celestials didn't want to do that. They were purists, and believed that the beings that existed within the multiverses were only there to be used as an energy source to create more Celestials. It wasn't until The Anunnaki mixed with humans that we gained our own souls. You see, whoever God is - or whatever you want to call Them - They didn't give us souls. When a Celestial would perish - usually from implosion from the difficulty of trying to understand their own existence - Arishem felt compelled to replace them. I don't think he ever got over the feeling of being lonely, and he wanted to create more and more Celestials to combat that…but, that is neither here nor there because, like Tiamat and other Celestials that Loki managed to defeat, Arishem is now Proxima b - a planet in a near galaxy that is very similar to Terra. Arishem, like his fellow Celestials, never gained a soul, but, his essence was the perfect base for a sister planet to Terra…but, I digress…
Asgardians are the direct descendants of The Anunnaki - and the humans that they mixed with. Though, there are still some Anunnaki that exist to this day…Me, and your grandmother, for example, as well as very few others are pure Anunnaki. Although Loki has managed to have them 'reborn' into human existence, they are still Anunnaki and have retained all their Anunnaki power - that doesn't go away. Ever. Even when they shed their human forms and reclaim their Anunnaki bodies and positions. If you haven't figured it out by now, I am Thor, God of Thunder, King of The Nine Realms and now, Father Time. Your grandmother is Oruro, or, Storm, God of Weather, Queen of The Nine Realms and now, Mother Time. You've already met our son, Loki, or, Father Of The Progeny, now Yggdrasil, or The Tree Of Life. The Tree Of Life has eight roots - one root to represent each of his children. As you go on in life and have more children, those roots will grow and splinter, and grow deeper into the soil of Asgard, entrenching itself into the cycle of the now singular universe in All Of Existence, binding itself to Asgard and The Nine Realms. While also standing guard in front of Valhalla, making sure that souls - the natural energy that feeds the universe - is protected.
I will get to how Loki became Yggdrasil in a moment." Thom looked to his wife, who began speaking.
"Terra One is a life giving planet within the universe of The Original Timeline that we believe was formed by one of the first Celestials to ever exist named - as you can probably guess - Terreannian. Therefore, it is The Sacred Timeline. Terra One - and the universe it is contained in - is the first of all the universes that was ever created. But, ions ago, it was overshadowed by the other, bigger, more life sustaining universes, effectively hiding it from other Celestials. As Thor, I mean Thom, already told you, Arishem - the leader of The Celestials - has been systematically wiping out entire universes in order to bring about more Celestials - not the true purpose of why Celestials exist…As Loki worked to weave the Timelines, it caused Arishem to get weaker.
Just like on Terra One, Earth 616 was plagued with war, disease, famine and evil. When Earth 616 reached 7 billion in human population, it discovered that it had people with super powers much like The Progeny. Eventually, Earth 616's power drew beings from other galaxies (but still within its universe). The worst of these beings was a Titan called Thanos who effectively destroyed not just one Asgard, but all of them. You see, Anunnaki are so powerful, that it needed a multitude of Asgards in order to sustain their massive population of Asgardians, so, they built many Asgards across the multiverses. As the supers battled him, they discovered Tiamat, who was lurking within that Earth's core, awaiting the time to be born. The problem was, Tiamat - nor any other Celestial - were created to end life. They were created to sustain life as their own planets. Once that Earth reached a population of 8 billion, Tiamat had enough energy on the planet to sustain his birth and rising and, as Loki weaved through time, space, energy and the multiverses, he stopped Tiamat from being born - killing him. Whilst doing that, he ejected me, Thom and others throughout the multiverses to Terra One - just like he had from previous universes that had been destroyed by Arishem and other Celestials. Just like he'd done with many Asgardians. If Loki hadn't sent them across time and space to Terra One, there would be no Asgardians, or Anunnaki, in any universe to help him defeat not only Thanos, but, The Born Celestials as well. And, with Tiamat no longer giving the planet energy, Earth 616 was a dying planet.
What we are saying, is that," Fatima paused, looking at the faces of her grandchildren because she knew this next part would hurt them to their souls. "We were able to defeat The Celestials, but, it took ALL the powers in our arsenal to do that. There were casualties, and, of those casualties were some life sustaining planets." She then looked at Glenn, and changed the subject - getting to the meat of why The Progeny were called before her and Thom. With the universal wars now over, there were things that needed to be said before The Progeny - and their spouses - could move on to the life they were supposed to lead. "The reason why you were given a partner that wasn't Maggie is because one, she wasn't your soulmate, as you've probably guessed. Her true soulmate is Yumiko. The children you shared with them was not only a gift to you, but, a gift to them as well: they'd seen their demise a long time ago because Loki had showed it to them. Although they hadn't fully realized what the gifted visions meant at the time of their children's conception, they felt that their children needed to be born. Both Maggie and Yumiko died valiantly during battle, and are now walking the lands of Valhalla. Both Maggie and Yumiko passed their abilities to their children and want you, Glenn to pass along the knowledge of how much their children were loved." Glenn nodded his head in acknowledgement, his eyes glistening from the tears of his sorrow, not for himself, per se, but for his children who would grow up without their birth mothers.
Fatima closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Michonne, Olivia, Sasha, Nabila, Connie, Kim, and Cyndie appeared, floating at the sides of their spouses with their eyes closed. Fatima tapped her temple, giving them the knowledge of everything discussed up to that point. With a slight wave of Fatima's hand, the beautiful women were now awake, although, not fully alert. They needed to hear what was being said, so Fatima gave them a moment to gather themselves, then continued speaking, addressing Cyndie first. "Your parents, Gabriel and Rosita Stokes, are now walking the halls of Valhalla, having given their lives in a brave stand off against Arishem. They want you, Cyndie, to raise your little sister, CoCo, and to pass along the knowledge of their bravery to her, as well as your twin, Enid. They also wanted you to know that they will forever and always watch over all three of you and, have spread their love and abilities among you in hopes that you will use them wisely." Cyndie's sobs could be heard throughout the hall, prompting the other women to surround her in love and compassion.
Next to be addressed by Fatima were Michonne and Olivia. "Though you didn't know it, both the men you chose to be their biological fathers of your children are of pure Anunnaki lineage. They both come from a long line of Aesirs. Michonne, your dear friend, Mike Anthony, is the brother of Grace HeimdallWife. Grace was born on the same plantation as me, when I was reborn, in the Appalachian Mountains - the original home of Beacon Hill. She too had been saved by Loki and sent to Terra One. Olivia, your dear friend, Edison Davis, is the actual brother of Heimdall himself, who was reborn on the same plantation as me after being saved by Loki. To answer your unanswered question, yes, the plantation boosted a lot of Foundational people, but they were never enslaved. Beacon Hill was given its name because it was a true Beacon for runaway enslaved people because of Thom being the benevolent being that he is. As we were given autonomy, we were free to go out into the world and we were safe, because we were covered in grace, and the magic of the lands of Beacon Hill - a land that was suffused in otherworldly 'magic' because it was actually a piece of Asgard that crashed into Terra One during Asgards destruction. Although Thom didn't know at the time that he was Thor, he still held all his moral values and beliefs. He found himself on a foreign planet that was astoundingly similar to Earth 616 - and the land that he found himself crashed upon was in the early stages of slavery, something that Earth 616 had also been through many years prior. But, I digress…Both Mike and Anthony fought valiantly as warriors of Asgard, just like their ancestors, and, because of that, they both made it to Valhalla where they will watch over their loved ones. Michonne, Olivia, Sasha, and Nabila, you will be happy to know that your biological mother's souls were recovered when Valhalla was finished being rebuilt. Charlene Hawthorne, Maya Pope, and Evelyn Williams all are spending their eternities within Valhalla. They gave their lives in sacrifice for you to be born and safe - there is no other more valiant way to die than that, in my opinion. They were my best friends, and I loved them dearly. They watch over you and want you to know that they abilities they gained from being an ancestor of Beacon Hill - as an evolved human - they have passed along to you, although you are already powerful on your own. Olivia, your dear friend, Quinn - and her husband, Gideon Wallace - also fought valiantly as Asgardian warriors and are also in Valhalla as well. They passed along their abilities to the children that Quinn helped bring into the world with love and remembrance.
But, rejoice, because you do still have family on Terra One. Dr. Tyrese Williams - who just so happens to be the biological brother of Sasha's biological mother, Evelyn, is alive and well on Terra One, as well as his wife, Karen, and their daughter (who is around your age), Cassandra Williams. Dr. Theodore Hawthorne - the biological both Jackie and Charlene, as well as a cousin to Maya - and his wife, Beatrice are alive and well on Terra One. Your parents, Hershel and Jackie are also alive and well, and sit as the heads of The Council on New Asgard, as well as Dale and Erma Horvath who sit on The Council as well. Though they sit on The Council, they will be able to transport to Terra One whenever they can, using the rebuilt Bitfröst that Heimdall and Grace gave their life for. Their son, Astrid, is the new Aesir of The Nine Realms - as well as a Council member - and will be able to transport them if time and work permits.
You all will be happy to know that former Commander of The Navy, former MMA champion, and former Warrior Trainer, Abraham Ford - who volunteered to fight in the Celestial Wars - is indeed, alive and well. He is the only human born that resides on The Council, and, he and his wife are the only human borns - so far - that are residents of New Asgard. Though, I don't think they will be permanent residents of New Asgard. Both Abe and his wife, Andrea, have expressed wanting to raise their child - yes, Andrea is with child - on Terra One amongst their peers." Fatima smiled briefly as she remembered Abe's latest rant about New Asgard not being 'child friendly'. Her smile faltered as she turned her gaze to Fitz.
"This next part is a bit difficult for me to speak about, as it pertains to me as well. But, before I get to that part, I need to give a little background in order to completely flesh out what happened.
When Loki resurrected himself into my womb as my actual biological child, he was very much loved as Gerry. When he turned malevolent, I didn't understand or know that he was in fact Loki. I'm sure we all know the history of Loki and his animosity towards his father, Odin - who kidnapped him from his home planet and duped him into thinking he was a true son of Asgard. It was because of this animosity that Loki spent most of his former existence spewing vengeance against Odin, Asgard and The Nine Realms. But, along the way, Loki found himself at The Void At The End Of Time and after, he fought his way to The Citadel. There, he saw all the multiverses and timelines. He also caused havoc while there in his attempt to one, escape The Citadel, and two, take over The Citadel. These things are what caused the branchings of the timelines. While watching the devastation of the branched timelines, he also saw all the wars and death that the branches caused. America's Second Civil War, WWIII, The Covid Pandemic, The Wildfire Pandemic, Thanos, The Galactic Wars and even the rising of Tiamat were all caused by rogue branches of timelines. These branches didn't happen in just one universe, but all of them - causing tears in the very fabric of Time, which holds all the universes together. But, the thing that effected Loki the most was when he saw the death of his adoptive mother, Odin's wife, Frigga, and then, subsequently saw Thor's life end as well. Loki's thousands of years of anger and animosity evaporated instantly, and he vowed to rectify the continuous cycle of death that he'd unleashed. But, before he could do that, he had to escape his, as well as Thor's, true death at the hands of Thanos. While at The Citadel he watched all the timelines and universes to see where he could place his life, Thor's life and those that he'd seen could help him in his tasks. He pulled those lives at the ends of their original timelines and sent them - me included - to a new timeline on Terra One.
After his birth as me and Thom's son, Gerry, or, Big Gerry to his circle of friends, he grew up with all the affluence and privilege that we could give him. But, somewhere, deep down, he still felt the ions long resentment he'd held as Loki towards Odin, and Thor. But, despite his seemingly deep seated hatred towards his adoptive family, he still managed to become a brilliant Genealogist. And, using the lab results of a multitude of women, he discovered the genetic anomalies that made some human more evolved than others. And from the lab results, he chose women to reproduce with. For him it was an act of science. He did, however, fall in love with one of the women. It was through that love that he began to love his offspring. In his reports, he wrote that he could hear their thoughts, as if they were communicating with him. He grew a bond with each and every one of you. Even the child that was never supposed to be - Carol Jane. Not one of the sonograms I gave Katherine showed another baby within the womb. She didn't even realize she was pregnant with twins until after she'd given birth to them. But, somehow, Gerry knew. He knew that the powers and abilities that Carol carried within her were too strong for her embryo to bear. She laid in the womb, in Fitz's shadow, while he absorbed her powers. You see, even in vitro, Fitz was already showing abilities of being one of the most powerful beings in the universe. It was through those abilities that he was able to take on his sister's abilities, thereby, saving her life. And so, we always thought that Carol had no abilities.
At the very beginning of these women's pregnancies, we found the women, and offered them asylum with the Beacon Hill Estates. Which they accepted. By then, we had long been estranged from our son, and we felt that he was a danger to the women as well as himself - and his unborn children. He didn't take too kindly to what we'd done, and when he discovered where they were, he went into a blind rage that ended up with all of the mothers dead by his hand. As he sat in maximum security prison, he became overwhelmed with sorrow. It was through that sorrow that his memories came back to him. Thom and I, being his parents knew when he tried to escape prison. It was me that met him at his escape point. It was me that killed him, thereby sending him to The Void At The End Of Time - because it wasn't truly his time to die yet. And thus, the Savior Of The Multiverse was set on the path of His Glorious Purpose.
And, as you know, he never forgot about his children. You may not remember it now, but, when you were in comas, he would visit you in your dreams often. I think, his visits to your subconscious is where the idea of a Dreamscape occurred. During one of his visits with Carol, he discovered that she didn't have the same powerful aura like her brothers, so, he bequeathed her with some abilities. We believe that, Carol was never supposed to have abilities, because, later, after Thom and I woke you, she was never the same. We believe that not only could she not handle the powers physically, but we know that she couldn't handle them mentally. The first red flag was marrying a man upon first meeting him, then marrying him, then allowing him to abuse her, even during her pregnancy. She eventually snapped out of whatever fugue state she'd been in and killed him just in time for him to not kill her, and, she did it with just her thoughts. The realization of that caused her to snap, and after she gave birth, she was admitted into a mental health facility. While in this facility, she met, and fell in love with Ezekiel King, a fellow patient, as well as an Asgardian, who happens to be the brother of Mary King. Well getting well in the facility, the two fell in love, married and adopted two children: Benjamin and Henry, orphaned brothers who lost their parents during The Wildfire Pandemic on Earth 616. They were brought to Carol by none other than Loki, who could not bare to see them parish after they'd both somehow ended up at The End Of Time. When Ezekiel was summoned to fight with us against The Celestials, unbeknownst to the rest of us, Carol Jane followed Ezekiel to The Citadel and then to the endless void that is The End Of Time. With her abilities being so new, she was unable to defend herself. Both Ezekiel and Carol Jane passed away during battle and are now within Valhalla. They've requested that Ezekiel's nephew, fellow Progeny, Jerry, raise their adopted sons while their souls reside in Valhalla…" Fatima caught the pained glare of Fitz. She took on the white heat flames of sorrow that he was emitting because she knew if she didn't, he'd rage out of control and he had the potential to destroy the very planet he nearly single handedly built. The pain from his flames was overwhelming, but, Fatima was strong. Thom stood from his throne and held his wife's hand, helping her to withstand Fitz's anger as his brother's surrounded him with their own sorrow for the death of their sister, but also with love because they knew that Fitz's sorrow far outweighed theirs. They were twins and they shared a bond like no other.
His pain and sorrow eventually calmed down to an ebb, to which Fatima, and Thom were grateful. When he collapsed to the ground in a fetal position, Thom stayed his wife from comforting him. His temperament was still a deadly hot, and if she were to get too close in his erratic state, she could get killed. Fitz was far from a cold blooded killer, but he was also in a near incontrollable state of emotion, and that was a potential murderous mix for someone containing so much power. Fatima decided to continue with her soliloquy despite the pain her words were causing her grandchildren.
"It was after Carol and Ezekiel's death that Loki was able finally merge all the universes, and weave the branching timelines to one singular timeline - one singular focal point. Because he'd expended to much energy renewing The Sacred Timeline, Loki wasn't able to do it again, but, with the combined power of Asgardians, Loki was able to rectify the damage caused by the merging's. The 8 million humans that Loki was able to save throughout the multiverse are now residing on Terra One. New America remains the same with a population of 4 million. The New African Diaspora still has a population of 1 million. Eur-Asia has a population of 1 million. Australia has a population of 1 million. For you, no time has gone by at all and you will wake up at the exact moment you were put to sleep - on the exact day you each signed your marriage certificates in the offices of Beene and Novak in the State of Fort Kitsap in the Washington Province. What you decide to do from that point forward, although, I'm quite sure Fate will dictate the order your lives are supposed to take - the way it's supposed to." Exhausted, Fatima decided to let her husband have the floor. She didn't think that this 'meeting' process would be so emotional, but, clearly, she was wrong. Thom stood and addressed his grandchildren in his deep, commanding voice.
"Rick, you are the protector of The Progeny. You're fierce loyalty and ferocious need to protect your family are equal to your Warrior strength and mentality. You see the minutia of day to day activity. With your master's degree in Agriculture, as well as your doctorate in Civil Engineering, it is clear to see that you are about building, and helping things grow. New America is in need of a mighty military, and I would like for you to take over being the Admiral of The New American Security Force with a focus on recruitment and training. Eventually, you will use this mighty Force to rule Terra. It is your destiny.
Huck, you've made it very clear that you are perfectly ok not dealing with the masses. You and I are very similar in that way. You also have a very special mind - unlike any that I've ever seen! The way that you think in terms of mathematics is very indicative of your Anunnaki heritage. Your impeccable technological skills were the lynch pin in the immaculate security systems that run throughout all of New America, as well as the entire continent of New Pangea. It was your implementation of Fitz's Virtual Intelligent Technology that allowed V.I. to be an integral part of The Grant House, and now, she is a part of the monitoring system of New America. I'd like you to continue innovating New America's technological security systems as an Admiral in the Tech Ventures arm of the New American Security Force. Eventually, you will use this tech to lead explorations out into the universe.
Daryl, you are the best hunter I know. But, your mechanical skills are just as impeccable. Were it not for those specific engineering skills, Fitz's blueprints for hover ingenuity, and Huck's tech giving the hovers mobility, and Rick's insistence on using military grade material, would not have culminated in a working vehicle until you came up with the streamlined design to make them efficient. Because of that, the world now has planes, vehicles, buses, motorbikes, and even skateboards that are capable of using solar powered engines at elite degrees. I would like you to be the Admiral of the Ground Defense arm of the New American Security Force. Your hunter skills - particularly your skills with a crossbow, and your ability to make just about anything mobile would be perfect for that position. You will the be the lynchpin that finally gets the human race up into the stars.
Glenn, of all The Progeny, you are the most empathetic. Sometimes too much, but, it's your compassion for all living things that makes you particularly special. You are the moral compass amongst the brothers. Although I gave you a hard time for choosing to be a journalist over other endeavors, I respect your thirst for seeking the truth in all matters. Your social media platform is honest, compassionate and never fails to remain unfathomably honest. Although some aspects of TaDah! is a bit gossipy for my tastes, it is still a beacon for other truth seekers. I would like you to continue along that path and use your inquisitiveness to keep history from repeating itself - keep New America from repeating the mistakes of Old America. I want you to be the spokesperson, historian, truth seeker and knowledge approver as The Ambassador of Education of New America. I also want you to continue running TaDah! the way you have - no algorithm, just fact based information. Your charge will be to document All That Has Happened.
Noah, you are a true Jack Of All Trades - you are exceptionally great at everything you do. But, there is one of your talents outshines the rest - in fact, this talent is so bright, that it sits as the New American 'White House', so to speak. The Grant House is the Beacon of Beacon Hill where it sits within the city of Fort Appalachia at the center of the base of the original Appalachian Mountains. When Fatima and I found your schematics hidden under your bed when you were just 6 years old, we knew then that we were going to build it. Your architectural mind is quite literally the foundations of all of the Estates - now states - of New America. I would like for you to be the new Director of The House Of Monroe, or H.O.M. as the youngin's call it. As you know, it was formerly ran by its founders - former President of The United States, Deanna Monroe, and her husband, famed Architect, and contributing architect of New America, Reginald 'Reggie' Monroe. When they founded it, it was both a law and architect office because they wanted to work from HOME (pun intended) while they raised their two boys, Spencer and Aiden. After The Wildfire pandemic, and they were rescued and brought to Beacon Hill, they opened H.O.M. once again within the west wing office spaces within TGH. During the new run of H.O.M., they added the responsibility of monitoring the LifeAlert Tags, thanks to the brilliant suggestions of a few young, talented doctors from Alexandria. The world's population will grow, and with more people, more homes and buildings will be needed. You will also be the detector of Malevolent forces. You will be the Aesir of New America.
Jeremy - or Jerry - as you preferred to be called, are the heart of The Progeny and probably the best representation of what New America stands for. But…I know that you would never be happy traveling abroad as an Ambassador of Foreign Affairs, as well as Universally…and with YUM! now fully operational, I would like you to continue supporting your family in the open hearted, jovial way that you always have as the official New America Advisor position. In this position, you will be the chosen direct link to The Council here on Asgard, which means you are also on The Council. If there is anyone who can bring the two worlds together in peace and harmony, it is you. You will be one of Terra's Ambassador to The Universe." Thom took a deep breath and waited for the realization of what he'd just said sink in to The Progeny. He knew his grandchildren well. He also knew that the power expended to keep control over The Progeny was thinning rapidly now that Loki nearly completely transformed.
"Of all The Progeny, you, Stephen, remind me most of your father - although, your skepticism is no where near as deadly, it's still just as accurate. You would balance Jerry's lack of skepticism well as Ambassador of Foreign Affairs, as well as Universally. I'm looking at you now and I can already see the discontent in your face. Whether you chose it now or later, this will be your fate. It's destined." Thom looked over the angry glares of his grandchildren, then settled looking into the dark abyss of anger within Fitz's piercing eyes. Though Thom was terrified, he continued on with what he had to do with all the bravery he could muster. He summoned Mjolnir, and once his fingers were wrapped around the handle of his trusted hammer, he felt a sense of calm, knowing that he now had the ability to get him and his wife out of there if Fitz finally figured out how to use the full might of his powers.
"As for you, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the Third, you remind me the most of my wife," Thom smiled brilliant at Fatima. He remembered how angry she was when he'd first met her. She was angry about her past traumas from all her past lives. Her anger burned so raw and bright that it was very hard for her to contain her powers, at times burning down entire towns on accident when she'd loose control and summon lightening strikes, not knowing where they'd land, or how to stop them. It took a long while for her to let go of her trauma and heal. Thom could only hope that The Progeny would be given the time to let their trauma and anger go, especially Fitz, who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Thom knew that Fitz couldn't help it - it was who he was as a person, and, even more so because he was a twin. Carol was the epitome of Fitz's conscious, and, now that she was gone, the bind that kept him in check was gone too. "You are the most powerful being in the universe. Eventually, Terra One will not be able to contain you - your power belongs to the Universe - leaving it on one planet could potentially destroy it! And no matter how many planets and realms you build, you'd never get over that kind of guilt! Oh?" Thom narrowed his eyes at Fitz's questioning glance. "You didn't know that you could do that? The first time you did it was when you built what you call The Dreamscape. It was built with the help of your siblings, but, it was you that designed it in your mind. It was your power that reached out into the Multiverse and gathered as much of Asgard's pieces to build the foundations of the planet. It was your power that exploded Nibiru - a very powerful Celestial - that fleshed out the rest of the planet. And it was you that placed the planet where it is now - directly in the center of The Milky Way in what is called The Sea Of Space. The Realm Eternal relies on the powers of Asgardians, The Sea Of Space, and Valhalla to maintain its dynamic, and, all of that is thanks to you, Fitzgerald. You brought our home back. Your home…where your throne sits…when you are ready to take it." Thom stood back and clutched his heart as he felt tendrils of Fitz's anger wrap itself around his heart. It was then that he knew that Loki had completed his tasks. Thom fell to his knees while clutching his chest.
"Unhand my husband!" Fatima demanded in a low, feminine growl. The Progeny were her grandchildren, and she loved them dearly, but, she loved her husband more. "Right. Now!"
Without looking at his grandmother, Fitz waved his hand towards his brothers and freed them from the binding that their grandparents had them in. Instantly, they all brandished their individual weapons of destruction and aimed them at their grandparents.
"No." Fitz willed his temperament to squeeze Thom's heart tighter while tears flowed down his chiseled cheeks. He watched in sorrow, anger, and bewilderment at the ability to bring the Mighty Thor to his knees. When he felt his grandmother gathering her powers to strike at The Progeny, Fitz used her very own energy and harnessed it, wanting her to make a move so that he could use it against her. For their entire lives, their grandparents had controlled them, and everyone else around them to suit their needs. The Progeny didn't ask to be born into abilities, multiversal wars, or to live lives that weren't their own. They just wanted to BE without any interruptions from the people who claimed to love them. It wasn't enough that they felt his anger. He wanted them to hear the words, so that they knew them to be true.
"All of our lives you have manipulated us! We no longer want to be your puppets! Do you have any idea the hell-scape you sent us to when you forced us to sleep? The Void has no end and yet, has endless monsters! You sent us there without any knowledge on how to survive! And yet…we did! But not by help from you! You stole our innocence and trust! You turned us cold and angry, then you wondered why we wanted nothing to do with you when you decided to wake us! And even then, you didn't bother to clue us in on what was happening to us, around us! You couldn't be bother to use these 'abilities' that we didn't ask for to help you win a war you claim to be protecting us from! No! Instead, you sent us back to The Void! And," Fitz felt his grandmother's mighty powers struggling against him as she fought to bring them back under her grasp. "You didn't just send us to The Void…you sent the very women you forced us to marry here as well! What did they do to deserve that?" Fitz relented on his grasp on his grandfather, and slung Storm back to Fatima. "Answer me!"
"You bind their tongues then ask them to speak? Have you learned no lesson from all that they've taught you?" A vision of Loki floated towards The Progeny. "Let go of my parents, son!"
"I did! They are free to speak!"
"Don't lie to me!" Loki's voice thundered thought out Asgard. "You pulled back, but you still have them restrained! Either you do it, or I make you do it!"
Narrowing his eyes, Fitz did as he was told as he focused his attention onto the man that claimed to be The Progeny's father, but, Loki was just an apparition. Before he could resume his assault on The Elder Grants, Loki surrounded Fitz, and his brothers in the purest form of energy that existed - love.
The Progeny struggled against the emotion, wanting to hold on to the bitterness, the anger, the vitriol that they felt towards their ancestors, but, they couldn't. They were too good inside and out. As much as they resented Thom and Fatima, they loved them even more, and, their true emotions were brought to the forefront - hurt. The betrayal they felt at the way they'd been treated by the very parental figures that were supposed to love and cherish them was a pain that they'd felt to the very core, for many years. It would take many more years to unravel that kind of hurt, but, Loki didn't have that kind of time. The Progeny stood down, except for Fitz. It took the touch of his soul mate for his full grasp on his grandparents to withdraw.
"Fitz…" Olivia squeezed his arm, urging him to turn and look at her. He turned his head in her direction and closed his eyes, waiting for her to say what she needed to say. "Please…"
As he turned towards her voice, her hand glided along his arm, up his shoulder and settled on his cheek. She brought her other hand up to cup his face once he fully faced her, and used her thumbs to wipe away his tears. "I want to go home," she implored, somehow knowing that he would do anything to grant her request. Fitz nodded, then took her hands into his own and kissed the back of them. Her touch settled him. Turning back towards his family, he settled his gaze on Loki's apparition.
"One day, each of you will know that what you perceive as a slight, was done for a reason with no malice involved. I love all of you! You are my children - as represented by each of my roots."
The Progeny all looked down at the thick, strong roots of the never ending tree. The tendrils seemed to beckon to them.
"I've secured all human survivors of all the multiverses and timelines on Terra, at a time before humans walked the Earth. Don't worry, the dinosaurs have long been extinct for millions of years…and, Pangea has already separated into the continents you remember, but, they are closer together - as they were in that time. The land masses are now in their purest states, making Terra One the strongest its ever been. Along with the animals that you curated, the animals of that time are and will be in existence. You'll get to see what the world looked like all those millions of years ago. New America exists within the North American continent, and, I even took the time to put the countries in their original areas on Earth. Because the continents haven't spread as for and wide - like they were in The Old World - with the masses now being populated, they will retain their stasis - unless another global event changes that. There are very large ice shelves at the poles. I moved them myself - it expended a lot of my power, but, the Earth did just go through an Ice Age, I just moved the healing process up for optimal human survivability. All of this means that there are very vast oceans with more depth than you've ever known. You don't know this, but, in Terra One's old future, lack of water becomes a thing…but that is neither here nor there…The survivors have knowledge of what has happened and, they will awake when you do, and, life will go on. Everyone will know that everything happens for a reason. Both Fatima and Thom will remain on Asgard, on their thrones until you, Fitz, are ready to take your own throne…"
"I will never take that throne as long as it floats in the universe! I will never leave my home…" Fitz raised his hand and tightened his fist, then yanked his arm down. "You want me to take the throne?" He made the same gesture again, this time, with both fists. "Then Asgard needs to be brought down to Earth!"
Loki's apparition turned towards Fatima and Thom's shocked faces. "What did I tell you?" he winked, then grinned widely at his children. He'd chosen the date in Terra One's history to bring the survivors to for a purpose. Somehow, he knew that Fitz would never leave Terra One with his family still left on it, so, he searched for a place in Terra One's history where the land masses would be in perfect alignment for human survival, the ice age had formed perfect glacier caps, and the ocean was the most vast that it ever was because some where deep in the thousands upon thousands of miles of waters, Asgard would reside. And he, in his new form as Yggdrasil, would reside forever in a continuous time weaving loop, as, The Tree Of Life.
He wanted to be close to his children. And he would be, because where ever Asgard was, so was Valhalla. And, just like Loki predicted, Fitz used his strength and might - with the help of his siblings - to bring Asgard, and the Floating Sea in which it resides, down to Terra One. It was a glorious sight, watching his children do exactly what he wanted while in their highly emotional state. He knew that they would remember this moment for forever, and, as Loki waited for the dust to settle around Asgard, in it's new home in the middle of the largest of Terra One's seas, he relinquished his hold on his children, as well as his remaining powers, and spread them out amongst all of The Progeny. When that was finished, he put his soul back into his new body, and stretched his roots like tendrils out towards his children as they lay spent and sleeping on the ground and pricked a bit of their blood, forever cementing their connection to The Tree Of Life, who he now was. And with one last heaving breath, he sighed and told Fatima and Thom goodbye.
XXXXXXXXXX
EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING by LAURYN HILL
Yo, uh, we 'bout to set this one right
'Bout to do this for all the kids
The mothers, the fathers, the brothers, the sisters, uh
You know the regulars
Everything (everything) is everything (is everything)
What is meant to be, will be (what? Uh, uh)
After winter (after winter), must come spring (must come spring)
Change, it comes eventually (yo, uh-uh)
Everything (everything) is everything (is everything)
What is meant to be will be
(Understand that everything is everything)
After winter (after winter), must come spring (must come)
Change, it comes eventually (gon' change, gon' change)
I wrote these words (I wrote these words)
For everyone who struggles in their youth
('Bout to do this one for the youth, uh)
Who won't accept deception instead of what is truth
(Gotta know the truth, y'all)
It seems we lose the game
Before we even start to play
(This not our game, uh, uh-uh)
Who made these rules? (Who made these rules?)
We're so confused (we're so confused)
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that
Everything is everything
Everything is everything (everything is everything)
Everything is everything
Everything
After winter (after winter)
Must come spring (it's all gon' change, y'all)
Everything is everything (yo)
Yo, yo-yo-yo, yo-yo-yo (uh)
Our philosophy
Possibly speak tongues
Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist (uh)
Rap this in fine linen, from the beginning (what?)
My practice extending across the atlas
I begat this
Flipping in the ghetto on a dirty mattress
You can't match this rapper-slash-actress
More powerful than two Cleopatras
Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti (uh)
Mc's ain't ready to take it to the Serengeti
My rhymes is heavy like the mind of sister Betty (Betty Shabazz)
L-boogie spars with stars and constellations (what?)
Then came down for a little conversation (uh)
Adjacent to the king, fear no human being
Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum (what?)
Now hear this mixture, where Hip Hop meets scripture (uh)
Develop a negative into a positive picture
Now everything is everything (everything, y'all, everything, y'all)
What is meant to be will be
(What is meant to be will be, yeah)
And after winter (after the winter)
Must come spring (must come spring) (spring has to come, uh)
Change, it comes eventually (change comes eventually)
Sometimes it seems (sometimes it seems)
We'll touch that dream (we'll touch that dream)
But things come slow or not at all
(They come slow, know I mean?)
And the ones on top (ones on top)
Won't make it stop (they won't make it stop)
So convinced that they might fall
Let's love ourselves and we can't fail
To make a better situation (better situation, uh-uh)
Tomorrow (tomorrow) our seeds will grow (our seeds will grow)
All we need is dedication (yo)
Let me tell ya that (everybody, uh)
Everything is everything
Everything is everything (ooh, yeah)
Everything is everything
(Everything is everything)
After winter (after winter) must come spring (must come spring)
Everything is everything
Everything is everything (let me sing)
Everything (everything) is everything (is everything)
What is meant to be will be
What is meant to be will be (we gonna rise, y'all)
After winter (after winter) must come spring (must come)
Change, it comes eventually
Change comes eventually
Everything
Everything is everything
Yeah
It's gonna be okay
Nah I mean? It's some things we gotta experience
Few things we have to go through (listen to me)
But everything is everything (tell your baby)
After winter comes the spring (tell your children)
Everything is everything
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Lauryn Hill
Everything Is Everything lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC