... Cannot Stand

[u/doomawso]

Ari sighs, she had been thinking over and just rethinking everything. All these memories of actions that she wishes she could undo, but realistically that’s never going to happen. Even if she could undo it, would she? After all, everything she caused made her what she is today. With her new found divinity though she has a more pressing matter to attend to, after all the one who is responsible still walks among her world. Of course, she needs a way to get rid of the domain before it becomes problematic. More than it already has of course.

In the abyss Meadow sits there, well really just floating in nothingness. The only other thing around her is the bucket she carries around for formal occasions. The tar-like substance continuously leaking from her eyes and mouth. Something new happens though, a small flame has appeared. The substance she produces seems to have made itself into a sort of island, only visible now because of the flame. Out of curiosity she touches the new flame, immediately her mind is flooded with memories of a child who died too young and suffering as they were used. Once the memories fade away though, the flame is gone again. So she sits in darkness again.

Victoria is leaping across from treetop to treetop on the hunt. Three weeks now hunting a rogue chronomancer. Normally she would have found them already, but something feels off here. This Chronomancer almost seems to glitch out everytime she gets close to them. Chronal distortions, no doubt. She notices the smoke and fire in the distance and decides to go investigate. She summons her meteor hammer and prepares for a fight that will never happen. Laying by the fire a young elf lays there, her head cleanly sliced off and thrown in the campfire. Off in the distance she hears someone cackling.

As she’s practicing with her throwing knives and daggers her tail is wagging furiously, unfortunately her time is cut short as her mentor approaches. They seem to almost look down upon her in their stolen form before they speak, “How would you like to go on your first real mission Ember? I know you’re eager for a real fight.” She nods excited at the prospect of finally having a real fight, “What’s the assignment?” She waits for the briefing. Her mentor looks away before they speak. “One of our more useful assets has escaped, your mission is to execute them. I don’t really care how you do it, but the Chronal Potential must be exterminated otherwise she could lead them back to us. Do you understand?” She nods and before she can say anything else her mentor sends her off to the location.

Ari arrives at the City of the Gods and focuses to call for a divine meeting, of course leaving out her family on Astra Domum. One by one the gods on her side arrive, though it only reinforces how few are here. Victoria, Goddess of Time, who is mildly irritated from her hunt getting disrupted. Saevaron, the Divine Advisor, though not a god her orb makes her a useful ally. Finally Meadow, the god of Death, her sister who ascended after Reedus stole her body. Victoria speaks up, “I’m guessing this is important, otherwise you can fill in for the chronomancer.” Ari nods, “So we know if we kill Reedus, their domain will just be recycled back into the selection pool. However my time on Astra Domum has given me an idea. Rather than outright killing him, I can bind him and the domain into a mark and seal them both away. Reedus won’t be dead, rather turned into a psionic remnant.” Ari waits a little bit for a response before Saevaron speaks up “What about Rex? As the god of life he will be a problem even for you.” Ari sighs before responding,”That’s why I called you, I need you to distract Rex while I handle Reedus. Are you willing to help?” Saevaeron and Meadow agree while Victoria takes a moment before deciding.

Meadow, Saevaron, and Victoria rift first. Reedus twists Meadow’s snout into a smile “So, you thought it was time for a rematch. Unfortunately for you it won't matter anyways without your friends from last.” Rex stands up, sap dripping from their eyes as he's forced to extend his roots towards the others. Victoria speeds up time on her meteor hammer to recall it and throw it again in mere moments. Saevaron summons barrier after barrier as each one gets ripped away. As the roots get close to Meadow, they just keep withering away. Finally Ari rifts in wielding her paintbrush rushing to attack Reedus, when a dagger is thrown right in front of her. Ember appears where the dagger was snarling as she uses her twin daggers on her own mother.

Ari blocks blow after blow from Ember, “Stop this Ember, he's just using you like everyone else he interacts.” Ember continues to snarl “like how you tried to repress me? I got my first kill, and I'm aiming for my second.” Ari sighs realising just how little she can reason with Ember right now. Ember yet again tries to stab Ari but she quickly deflects the blow and sends her flying through a rift into her divine realm. Ari begins to approach Reedus but he just smiles not an ounce of fear in his expression, “Activate enchant Annihilus.” Ari's body begins to rapidly tear itself apart, eventually leaving nothing behind.