How DARE You?! [2]

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You successfully drove the juvenile Paradox Beast out of the Four Realms. Go tend to your children. I can protect you from here.

_______________________________________________________________

I stared at the box for a moment before nodding, not in the mood to get angry. This disaster was partially my fault after all -I had been complacent on increasing my personal power. I had been warned that things could slip through the cracks of my protection, and in my complacency had forgotten that fact. Still. I fully expect an explanation after this. This was not a minor disaster.

___________You will receive one._____________

Now slightly appeased, I moved with increasing speed towards where the Deities and had gathered to watch my fight. Oh, this was such a long day.

POV: Randus (Deity of Dreams)

Our Creator descended from the Primordial Chaos, looking tired, injured, and like a Deity of War. The power She had radiated cowed even Alexander, who was without question the strongest Deity of the Four Realms beneath our Creator, though even said Realms responded to Her beck and call without question. Whatever it was that She had fought after completely overwhelming that other being had done a number on the Realms nonetheless, pushing Her to the brink and even taking Her arm in the process. What She did next surprised me, as She ignored the other problems within the Realm to descend upon Reika, grabbing the sobbing girl and gently prying away what it was that she had been holding.

"Let me see, sweetheart." She said softly. Reika hiccupped out another sob, slowly relinquishing the indistinguishable form she had held to her chest. "Oh, dear." Our Creator said in a voice quivering with heartbreak and rage. For a moment She closed Her eyes, taking a deep breath. Colors flashed as She released that breath, and when Reika realized what our Creator was doing, it was already too late to stop Her. What little divine energy She had regained after the battle and a portion of Her immortal life force, the only true form of energy She had left, flew into the withered form and gave it life once more. The soul within that form that had been slowly withering away, fading into nothingness due to the sneak attack of that despicable being, and the body Reika had been creating to house that soul both surged with a sudden, awe-inspiring life-force, color returning to its hair and flesh. Two more long, fluffy tails stretched out from the rear end of the being (it was Fae-like, I realized with shock, as before it had been too hideously disfigured for anyone to tell, but now I could clearly see the Fae-like skin, arms, torso, and legs) joining the seven already in place. Reika's eyes were watering already, but when the being opened its eyes to gaze upon the world with big, rainbow-colored eyes, it's body the same size and physique as a newborn Fae's, she began to bawl, hugging it close. It was then that I realized that this was Reika's true sentient life-form. The Elementals had been all individual beings, but this one...this one contained traces of nine different elements and energies. If the Elementals were single elements, this one was all of them and then some.

"M-Mother...Th-thank you..." She sobbed, clutching her child close. Our Creator merely smiled, looking more tired now than ever before as She watched the newborn being, its fox-like ears twitching cutely alongside its nine swishing fox tails, each created from a different energy. "Thank you..." She was shaking now, gently cradling the child while the boughs of the Life-Giving Tree continued to comfort her in its embrace.

"My dear, giving my all to every single being in this universe is my sole purpose in life. You are my children, and your children are my children as well. What kind of parent would I be if I did otherwise?" She asked rhetorically, sounding incredibly, inconceivably tired. Reika looked up at her, tears still streaming down her face and her jaw working silently, unable to make any sounds come out. All the deities were silent at Her comment, and in that moment I felt like I truly understood Her preachings about Divine Love. She did not mean the gooey, romantic love that the Fae seemed to so adore. No, what She meant was this right here. This is divine love. And She is the prime example of it. I'm not sure who started it, but soon enough all the Fae were bowing their heads, some even kneeling to Her. "You needn't kneel to your parent." She said tiredly. After a few more moments of silence She just sighed, and spoke again. "I will be entering a period of secluded meditation from henceforth until a number of things are completed. I must stabilize the Four Realms and restore some modicum of Balance, which I can do by exerting my Will across the Realms, I must heal my injuries, and I need to create the fucking Lunar Star." She mumbled that last part, pinching the bridge of Her nose and taking a deep breath. In response to this one of the now five, as one had been lost in the battle, balls of Primordial Chaos floating behind Her flew forwards and attached itself to Her left shoulder, forming a new -albeit temporary -arm. "If you need anything, find one of my divine incarnations. I'll have ten running around the Realms, just like before, only without the breaks this time." She stated.

"Wait!" Sol called, just as our Creator was about to vanish. "What -what was that thing?!" He asked shrilly.

"My wake-up call." She muttered to none but Herself before speaking up. "A Paradox. A borderline sentient something made of the Void's nothing, and bent on returning all substance into the Void. But! You need not fear that thing. For now, it is gone, and there should be no others wandering this close. Focus on healing the damage it dealt and making the Four Realms stronger than before. Another one should not appear for a long, long time." She said, eyes flicking upwards in a glare towards the Void. "But if another one does, I am still here." She said simply, before turning and vanishing into the Realms, to somewhere not even I could find Her. Almost immediately afterwards, however, I felt fluctuations in the Four Realms as it slowly started to right itself. The Realm Sun was visibly moving back to its previous position, and was probably the focus of Mother's attention at the moment. With an almost silent chattering and tension the Deities dispersed, leaving none but Reika, Elvira, Keilan, Alexander, Gilles, and myself standing atop the Life-Giving Tree. Elvira, Keilan, and Alexander all wore complicated expressions, their pride severely injured from having suffered relative defeat from an opponent our Creator had easily overpowered. Or, perhaps it was due to our Creator actually having to lift a hand in their defense. I am not sure, but am certain to find out in time when they start to dream.

This, too, was part of the love She spoke of. With a slight bow to where She had dissappeared, I muttered "Thank you for the lesson," and disappeared into the Four Realms, myself. There was much work to be done in our Creator's half-absence.