3 The Importance of Names

POV: Second Son (Alexander)

Our Creator, our Parent, stood silently staring at the massive ball of fire in the sky, watching the flames dance. Even from this distance it was entrancing, and I marveled at my Parent's ability to stay so close to the great creation. Not even I, with my beautiful scales, could get nearly that close. Even from here the heat was intense, and I basked in the new feeling alongside my brother and sisters. Then our Creator turned to face us, a smile alighting upon our Parent's face upon sensing our presences. With a wave of a hand, purple robes embroidered with silver spun into existence around the body of my Parent, glittering in the light that covered the entirety of the Realms. As our Parent descended from above, six halos of unending primordial chaos floating behind him in a semicircle, framed by the light of the great sun in the skies above...it filled me with veneration towards the great being that had given birth to me, given me form and allowed me to be what I desired above all else.

"Hello, my children." Our Parent spoke softly, the words soft and undulating, soothing my entire being. My eyes met my Parent's, and I felt a depth to them that I could never have imagined before. They seemed to encompass all of creation itself, while the rings behind my Parent represented the utter chaos we were birthed from -it was as if I was glimpsing the Void itself, a stark contrast from our Creator's eyes.

"Hello, Father." My eldest sister said.

"Hello, Mother." My eldest brother said.

"Hello." My second sister stated. I didn't reply, instead turning to look at my two eldest siblings. They were currently glaring at each other, as if arguing about the gender of our Parent mattered. Did they not see our Parent changing forms? Our Parent is both Mother and Father, arguing in the presence of our Parent for such a silly reason was pointless. However, contrary to my expectations, our Parent simply chuckled at their disrespect.

"Ah, siblings shall be siblings. Yes, I am. Both Mother and Father, that is to say. Refer to me however you like, I really don't care. Besides, referring to me as Mother, Father, He, or She is much easier than trying to remain gender neutral or referring to me as Parent. Just doesn't flow off of the tongue right." Our Parent -no, our Father said. I decided to refer to Him as such, as His current form was that of a male, despite his feminine facial features.

"Yes, Father." I and my eldest sister said.

"Yes, Mother." My eldest brother and second sister echoed. Father gave us an odd look, before shaking His head and shrugging.

"Right. Anyways, let's get down to business! There's a lot to do, and it all starts with naming you four and your respective realms. Any of you have preferences?" He asked, clapping His hands together as a wide smile spread across His face. To see Him so expressive warmed my heart. When I had just been born, He seemed a little distant, as if He was far, far away. Now He was here, with us, His children and His creations. "No?" He asked when none of us responded. "Alright, then let's get to naming. Hmm. I'll start with the two oldest. Let's see...Elvira and Kieran." He said, pointing towards Eldest Sister and Eldest Brother respectively. The two quietly tasted the names on their tongues, repeating it over and over before allowing brilliant smiles to illuminate their faces.

"Thank you." Elvira said, bowing her head slightly. Kieran followed suit.

"Glad you like it. Now then, for you, my dear. Reika fits you nicely, I believe." Father said, nodding. My green haired sister blushed slightly and bowed, silently thanking Father for bestowing her a name. Finally, He turned to me, scratching His chin thoughtfully. "Alexander." He announced, still smiling. I repeated the name in my head for a few minutes before smiling. Alexander. I like it. In response I moved closer, pressing my head against His chest. With a laugh he scratched the top of my head, the action soothing and eliciting a rumble of contentment from my chest. "Good, good! Now come, why don't you show me your realms, hmm? It's high time we give them a name as well, and decide their purposes." He said, floating away from me and towards the Four Realms, which sat there in the middle of the blackness of space. Two Realms, white and black, sat on either side of Reika's Realm, which spun and swirled in a myriad of colors, while mine sat there and held everything together, invisible and formless. I was proud of this creation of our Father's. And I would defend it with my life.

POV: Deity of Balance (Myself)

I have terrible naming sense. Honestly. Elvira means 'white,' Keilan means 'black,' Reika means 'lovely flower,' and Alexander is 'defender' or something. I feel a little bad, actually, seeing as to how my kids love the names so much. And now, I have to name each of the four realms! At least those will be somewhat easier. I've already got a general idea as to what each Realm entails...though I'm not going to make Keilan be the deity of the Inferno Realm. There will be no Inferno Realm. That's stupid. Having something akin to a Hell is both setting up a system for failure and goes against the main point of being a Origin Deity. Although I bet there is some way to get the desired results through that path, I'm not going to subject my children to that. I'll find another way to punish the wicked. Hopefully there won't be too many...I'd hate to see my own children do that to themselves...

"Elvira, let's start with yours." I said, turning to look at her. My white-haired child smiled brilliantly, her tails twitching back and forth cutely as her feathers puffed up in a show of pride.

"Of course, Father." She chirped happily, quickly overtaking me to lead the way. I smiled and observed the Four Realms as we moved. Though I wasn't sure if my children could see it, I could very clearly see some of the structures beginning to form within the mass of chaos. It had yet to truly form worlds and realms capable of sustaining life beyond that of a higher deity, but it was slowly working. But, more than that, I could see beyond the Four Realms. They were in the center of it all, masses of substance that were rapidly expanding (currently they were about the size of a single solar system, and I could sense that they would expand to ten times that size before settling into a more stable rate of expansion), and the Sun was circling them in the blank-ish space that separated the Four Realms from the primordial chaos. The enormous mass of chaos actually formed a protective bubble around my Realms, as beyond it lay the Abyss, a roiling mass of something that was nothing. The Abyss was the border between the Primordial Chaos and the Void. At my current level of power, I could feel that even I would perish in the violent storms of the Abyss, though even if I could get past it I would surely die within the Void.

With a sigh I turned my attention away and followed Elvira, leaving the relatively space which held the Sun and stepping foot onto the white and gold fluffiness that was Elvira's cloudy realm. Already there were shapes starting to form from the undirected matter within the Realm. Hills and mountains, solid ground and vast plains...what could hardly be called a skeleton of such natural wonders was sitting there, and the strange thing was that the Fourth Realm was the one guiding its construction. I could feel the something it was created from already working, taking the dust of my new universe and creating realms with it.

"Curious." I muttered, bending down and grabbing a strand of the something. Almost immediately my eyes went wide, and a single word escaped my lips. "Spirits." Then I burst out into laughter. Of course! Of course it's spirits! I'd been wondering where all the souls had gone!

"Mother?" Keilan asked, confused. I turned to him, still smiling, and shook my head. "What do you mean by spirits? Are those souls?"

"Yes and no, my boy. See, spirits are more like the worker bees of the universe -of every universe." At his confused expression, I realized my little slip-up. Of course they don't know what bees are. "They're...the construction workers. They help build the universe's physical form, and handle all the microcosms of running something so big. The only problem with them is that they can only exist on a spiritual plane of existence, and can never have a physical form. Alexander's realm seems to have attracted them all -I should've realized it when I put the universe together. Your realm shall be the Spirit Realm, Alexander, and it shall help build, guide and manage all Realms." I said, turning to look at the great dragon. For a moment, I felt both him and the Spirit Realm shudder in response to my words, as if it was responding to the name and task I gave it. It silently surprised me, and I tucked the information away in the back of my head, knowing that it was important. Elvira looked a little downtrodden at having missed out on her Realm being the first to be named, however.

So I turned my attention to her Realm once more. White has always been a manifestation of physical, or Yang, energy. Gold is a very high spiritual color, and I contemplated what I felt about the realm for a moment, sinking my divine senses into the creation. There was very condensed, very active, very pure energy flowing throughout the entire realm, and I hesitated in naming the place. What would this Realm's purpose be? Ah, forget it. This'll be the Heaven Realm.

"Elvira. Your realm shall henceforth be known as the Heaven Realm." Before I could even finish what I was going to say, the entire Realm shifted slightly, changing some of its skeletal structure and proving my theory as the energy became just that much denser and purer. The names I am giving the Realms now will have massive effects on what comes to pass later. The Spirit Realm waited until I gave it a task, but the Heaven Realm reacted to the name itself. Some names have preset functions inlaid into them it seems. This got a whole lot more complicated. It's a good thing that I tried this out with a name like the Heaven Realm, rather than something stupid like Inferno, and likewise I'm glad that nothing happened when I named my children. "Your realm shall be something to look up to, something that life will look towards and see as a goal. It will be a guiding light." I said, and a tiny shift appeared in the Heaven Realm. Huh. Seems I could change its function...though I get the feeling not too drastically.

"Thank you, Father." Elvira said, beaming with pride. I chuckled and ruffled her hair, turning towards Keilan.

"Now, Keilan, why don't we go visit your Realm?" I asked.

"We will pass through Reika's realm to get to the Realm I govern. It would be prudent to name hers first." Keilan answered. I looked at him for a moment before smiling and nodded. I suppose that would give me more time to think about what to do for Keilan's Realm. That was a perplexing question if any. I'm certain that it has to have something to do with the reincarnation process, because I can't leave everything up to Alexander, but I want to avoid the Inferno Realm at all costs.

"Lead the way then, dear Reika." I said, turning towards my green-haired daughter. She smiled and bowed slightly, before leading us to her Realm. Upon entering the mass of color, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Reds and blues and greens and browns, all the colors in the world flowed together, blending into one. These were the colors of the elements, and I let them flow through me freely. "Ah, I forgot how I missed the touch of the elements. There is nothing in the Void, and even Primordial Chaos cannot compare." I muttered, reaching out and grabbing a small bit of fire. Hmm...this could be the Elemental Realm, but...I think Mortal Realm suits it better. I already decided long ago that this, where the powers of white and black, yin and yang, meet, is the best place for mortal life to flourish. Certainly, there will be life in all the Realms, but in this buffer zone, where all Realms meet, is the most suitable. "This shall be the Mortal Realm, Reika. Although there are a myriad of names it could have, I believe this name suits it best. Here is where life will flourish, within the touch of the elements. This shall be the cradle of life." I said sagely, nodding my head. Eventually the elements will flow outwards to touch all realms, but that moment has not yet come. It'll probably happen before we can truly start to get life settled into the Realms. Hopefully.

"Thank you, Mother." Reika said with a bow, a large smile gracing her features. The Mortal Realm shuddered slightly, and a new aura, an aura of life, began to flow into it. I hummed. So, Mortal Realm wasn't a pre-determined name? That's odd. Perhaps Physical Realm was the key name, since it is in this realm that souls will first begin to have physical forms. "Now let us be off to Keilan's Realm. I am anxious to see what name you will give to it." She said, her eyes glittering. I chuckled and nodded, leading the way myself this time as we plunged through the Mortal Realm and towards the Keilan's.

What I found there in no way surprised me. It was black, the color of the non-physical, and silver, another very high spiritual color. It was dense with mental energy, as the spiritual energy had been taken to form the Spirit Realm, essentially splitting spirit and mental energy into two different things. With a slight frown I sunk my senses into the Realm, picking it apart piece by piece. I stayed that way for an indeterminate amount of time before stumbling across an answer to my dilemma. The Inferno Realm usually dealt with punishments and rewards for all the Realms, and I could feel something similar begin to take place here. The answer, however, came from the feeling I got from this. It was not an Inferno Realm, it was a Karmic one. The power of Karma, that which lays down the laws of the universe, was floating about invisibly within the Realm.

"Karmic." I said, turning to Keilan, who looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Your realm shall henceforth be known as the Karmic Realm. Your job is not to mete out punishments or hand out rewards, your job is to keep track of the karmic laws of the universe, which I will set in place once we are done here, and to use them to guide the souls of the universe. You will help them to burn off negative karma, and keep gaining the positive kind." And with those words, the newly dubbed Karmic Realm went under a truly qualitative change.

The names of the individual Four Realms have been chosen!

Due to the unique names and purposes you have given your Realms, the initial growth stage has been increased in size by twenty percent.

Analysis available! (You don't get a choice. I want to know your reaction. Pay close attention to the Mortal Realm.)

Spirit Realm

This realm was used as the glue between Realms, and now houses most spirits that will be managing the Four Realms. There isn't much special about it, although it will most likely be the most powerful of all the Realms, and will be a reincarnation hub. All in all, a standard creation, albeit unique to the Three Realms and any variant thereof.

Heavenly Realm

Another relatively standard creation. In many universes, what can be considered as the Heaven Realm acts as a guiding light to mortals, and is seen as the ultimate goal. This Realm shall house life of its own, and will be sanctuary to many powerful and pure souls, however many Immortal and Ascended beings will make this energy-rich land their home.

Mortal Realm

The Mortal Realms are a fickle thing. Ever-changing and generally finite, it is unique among all possible Realms in that certain names do not have predetermined templates. Hence, most divinities feel a instinctual urge to be very careful and explicit in their descriptions of the realm. Among those descriptors, finite, or any variation thereof, is generally spoken. You, however, ignored your instincts and did not use the word finite in any form, therefore leaving a path for Mortals to become Immortal. Have fun with the Immortal Mortals. Freewill's a bitch.

Karmic Realm

Here is where you truly deviated. To name a realm the Karmic Realm requires a vast understanding of what Karma is, and exactly what one wants the realm to be. You chose a Guide. Mortal as the home, Spirit as the road, Heaven as the goal, and Karmic as the guide! There are many paths to take along this journey, and Karma will tie them all together, as one.

No. No, no, no. Undo! Where's the damn undo button!

HAHAHAHA! There is no undo button! What's done is done, you fool!

This is why I chose you to be a Deity! Your journey shall surely be entertaining!

FUCK YOU, YOU SNARKY BOXES! FUCK! YOU!

POV Change: Keilan (First Son)

Mother spent the longest time of all deciding on what my Realm should be named. I knew that my fate would be tied to this Realm, and I knew that I would most likely be tied to the punishments of the universe. Unlike my siblings, I could sense bits and pieces of the laws of creation and the Realms. I dare not say I know everything, nor even most things. I doubt even Mother understands everything. However, She completely derailed my train of thoughts with the name She gave unto my Realm, the Karmic Realm. After hearing Her explanation on its role, I felt a swell of relief, and my throat choked up. Though I would deny it, dread had filled me at the thought of becoming a punisher. Instead I am the guide, I am to help others burn off the negativity they built up and gain more of the good. That small difference in wording makes all the difference.

"Thank you, Mother." I said, bowing deeply.

"Ah. Yes. You're welcome, Keilan." Mother said stiffly, Her smile looking a little forced. "Now, to decide the laws of Karma, I suppose. Damn it. I can't use Karma to fix it either." Mother cursed slightly, confusing the four of us. Damn what? Upon seeing our expressions, she elaborated. "Don't worry about it. Damn is just a term for frustration. Now, here are the rules. Number one: Killing is bad. Or, should I say, killing with the intent to kill is bad. Killing in self-defense, or if there is no other way out of the situation, is alright. We cannot overly punish for accidents as well. Also, breaking vows that have been said in my Name, in my Eyes, is bad as well. Marriage is one such example, but I'm not certain how the mortals are going to work that out. That's their problem, I suppose. Lying with the intent to harm is bad as well, white lies or well-meaning lies are ok. Also..." Mother goes on a bit further with Her rules on negative karma, which could basically be summed up with 'harming others is bad,' before switching to gaining positive karma, which can be summed up as 'helping others is good.' She promised to add more rules if and when new problems come up. I, for one, am at least glad that She laid down a proper set of rules for me to follow.

"Yes, Mother." I said with a smile, storing away all the rules in my brain. I would need to find some way to spread them to the Mortal Realm once life is capable of spreading there. Perhaps Alexander can be of help with that. He seems like a trustworthy dragon. Ah, there is much to do before our Realms are fully created, and now that our tasks are set I can finally access knowledge inherent to all higher deities, or so I feel. The Universe is a mysterious place, that I already understand. I look forwards to unravelling those mysteries.

"Now if you excuse me I need to go scream and curse into the Void, and then set up a few more systems, and then figure out what I'm going to do about the Immortals. Have fun kiddos!" Mother said, shooting off into the sky and hurtling towards the Sun.

I feel that Mother is the most mysterious of all, though. I'm not sure if I want to understand Her.