Chapter Text
“Hello Penigwen Gordon.” The familiar voice shook Gwen awake. She looked about the blindingly white space to a small fox as it trotted over to her side.
“Am I dead?” She felt cold and unmoving.
“On the contrary. You are quite alive and flowing through every living thing.” The creature tilted its head. “I had hoped you would one day become my champion, but it seems you were needed by another.” The fox's tone sounded agitated.
“What has happened?” Gwen was feeling a rhythmic pulsing beating through her. “What is this place?” An echoing of the ancient language sounded from the æther as the fox looked to the echo. “I don’t understand… any of this.”
The creature stood and a golden light rippled over it as it took on a humanoid form. “Penigwen, you sustained a mortal wound, the Life Tree has taken you into it to sustain itself as well as provide you with immortality.” It knelt down near to her, “You have given the Life Tree new purpose and power. Rather, you were always the life tree, you only recently became aware of it.”
“I don’t want this. I want to be with my children, or reborn or… anything…” Gwen felt helpless as her voice rose ever louder. “I never got to live my own life! You damned Gods need to leave everyone alone!” Gwen looked around forcing herself to move about. Everything shifted to black a white as she moved through the space. A new voice sounded soothing and calm but still in a language she did not speak. “Shut Up! I Don’t Care! Let me go!”
A feminine figure stood before her and embraced her. Gwen’s heart was racing despite this other God's attempt to calm her. The figure shifted once more to a fox and bound around her once more biting at the figure and tugging on it. Gwen pulled back as the Gods spoke to one another harshly. The new figure closed their eyes before bursting into a pool of shroud and fading away. The fox shook its head and stood before Gwen again. “How can I help you adjust Gwen?”
“I don’t need to adjust, I need to go home. I need to see my kids!” She looked about herself, she had no body. Everything about her was just light. She scanned the æther, all this light was coming from her.
“What if I could teach you how to see them?”
Gwen looked at the fox as it took on its shimmering figure again. “I… Yes…” She looked at her hands, her fingers looking more like threads of light branching out across the space. The more she looked at herself the more streams of light she saw flowing out from her.
“Maybe, we could have a picnic with them? Bring them here to sit and be with you, it would not be permanent, but you could see them and you could reassure them and they could know they will always have you. All they should need to do is reach out to you and you will hear them. Even now you feel them, don’t you?”
Gwen started to cry. She could feel their sorrow as if they all realized she was gone. That wasn’t everything. She felt all the emotions of everyone. Rage, sorrow, joy, ecstasy. “Why… why me? Why always me?”
“You were destined for greatness from the moment of your first conception on this world.” The God sat near her, “Dama, the Goddess you just saw, she gave your mother an impossible task to have you. Your mother spent many decades feeding Dama, the earth, and the Life Tree to create you. You have always been the property of Dama though I fought to keep you.”
“Is… Dama the one whom the sword is meant for?”
“Speak not so freely.” There was silence between them as she shivered feeling the emotions of all beings flow over her. “What must I do to see them?”
“You must feel for them.” Its palm rested on her chest. Gwen closed her eyes feeling for her family. “You must unlock your guarded heart. Take down the wall you’ve built.”
Gwen found herself in a dark place. Chains draped out toward her and ribbons hanging down in the middle. She felt an immense pressure building over her. Tenderly her hand caressed the first chain as Jasmine shown brightly. The next shown her mother, then her father and brother. Another had Amaranth. She looked oddly to a silver wire braid that seemed to tangle through all the chains. Pressing against it revealed Lucus but he seemed to be shining in a golden aura. She recalled her hand and rushed into the ribbons. She pushed through them seeing the golden braided silk. Her heart rushed.
“Are you sure you are ready for that?” She turned back to the fox.
“You know, you already know what is there.”
“Of course Penigwen. You should be aware though. You have lived many more lives than any others you know.” Gwen stepped forward gripping the braid seeing dozens of faces, none like the others, some even beasts from lives she had lived as them. What did all of this mean? She looked to the god with tears in her eyes. “You are a rare soul. One born time and time again and one unique enough to find love in each and every life.” It trotted around her. “Even before you met Radar you were born of creatures living simple but loving lives.”
“The first one, what was that?!”
The fox shook its head, “That is before even I came to be. A tale of the start of all things on this land. Two stars dancing through the cosmos landing here together.” Gwen staggered back from the ribbons and fell to her knees. “Something else you should know… Every life you have lived has ended with tragedy.”
Gwen closed her eyes feeling the warmth of the æther about her once more. “I hate this… I hate all of you…” Mana pulsed out from her. “But… please help me set up a picnic.”
The fox bowed its head and looked at her, “Who shall I invite?”
“All of my Family.” If there were any capable of getting her back home, it was them. She watched the fox turn away and bound through a spark seemingly vanishing. The mana pulsing off of her felt wasted. Gwen closed her eyes feeling the mana and molding it carefully. As her eyes opened Dama was once again standing before her. “I… Don’t know your language.”
“I know yours young one.” The Goddess circled Gwen. “You do not have much time. You have power over the Life Tree I granted to the world, use it how you will before the void comes.”
Gwen's heart dropped, did they fail to kill Yumi after all? She could feel every being attached to the tree’s life cycle, her brothers and mother's lives beating through its branches. A few damaged branches. She closed her eyes again repairing them and feeding them all she could. A chill rushed over her as an echoing sounded. She could hear Radar and her mother.
“This is the tree?”
“Y…es…” Gwen could hear them but could not see them. “Radar!” She screamed to the æther.
Within moments the bright void became dark as pitch. Gwen spun seeing a beast of a creature. A dozen arms and hundreds of fangs as drool polled below it. The ivory glow from its eyes and throat seeping poison like muck. “He… Will… Be… Mine…” Its toxic breath filled her space as its talons ran up her arms. “You… will… give… him… to me. Then… I… Shall… Take… Her.”
Gwen shook her head and ripped herself away from the beast. She could hear the echo of Radar’s roar and feel her mana being drained rapidly as the beast before her laughed in a horrid twisted way. She closed her eyes once more as a barrier formed over her. The beast stopped its cackling drawing its talons down the barrier cursing in its language before fading away.
The fading dark made way for the light of her æther once more. A second roar sounded as she could feel more mana being pooled to her side. Slowly she stepped that way feeling an immense power growing. “Radar…” As she touched the energy she found herself within a dark chamber. She rushed forward seeing him chained between hundreds of obsidian pillars. “Radar!” A deep purple barrier formed blocking her way as the beast slowly crossed in front of her. Its evil smile to her was all too telling. It was talking to Radar. Its words were not anything she could understand. “Let him go!”
“No… Lest you give yourself?”
“Fuck you! You damned…” Gwen was thrust out from the space and rolled across her bright plain. “Fuck! FUCK!” She screamed to the empty space around her. She felt a weak energy near to her and moved over to it slowly placing her hand on it.
Robin struggled to her feet. She looked around at the barrier over the tree and the small fox beside her. The library around them was destroyed and wrapped around the barrier was Radar's massive Void dragon body. She looked at the tree feeling a warmth come from it. “Gwen…” She said softly before collapsing to the ground once more. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she crawled over to the base of the tree pulling the fox alongside her. “I can’t say I’ve ever had this hard a time…” Her eyes looked to the Dragon once more. He was taking everything from the area. How Gwen was keeping her afloat was a miracle. “Radar… I get being pissed, I do… But what if you kill the tree and Gwen in the process?”
The Dragon seemed not to even hear her weak pleas. Hot breath puffed out its snout wilting the little life left below it. Its eyes looked on as the city around them fell into panic trying to run from the beast and help those caught in the rubble of the old library walls.
Gwen could feel the struggling creatures all around her. Why couldn’t she see any of this? If she was some stupid immortal god, why was she bound to this area? She reached out again to the energy that seemed to be leaning against her. “Mom?”
Robin's eyes opened as she looked up at the tree. “Gwen…”
Ripples pulsed out from Gwen and in a bright echo rolling out from her, black and white figures and wreckage appeared. She was seeing through Robin's eyes. Gwen reached out hugging Robin tightly. ‘You must help me save Radar.’
Robin felt Gwen's words to her core. She smirked looking to Radar, ‘You’re asking an awful lot of me… But I think we can figure something out…’
Gwen could see the Fox lying next to Robin as she gently pet it. Wasn’t that the god? Should it be physically there? Were the gods not immortal? Ripples approached from the north rapidly. Cautiously, Gwen stepped forward around Robin to the edge of her barrier. This was a lot of power heading this way, but it didn't feel dangerous.
“Hey dad… What are you doing?” Gwen could see Amaranth land nearby pressing her hand on a deep purple barrier that surrounded Radar. “Dad, he won't help you, he won't give you power or bring mom back…” Gwen saw the sword on her hip and brought her hand to her mouth thinking. Her eyes shifted back to the fox and then Amaranth again. She could use the blade to kill the creature entrapping Radar. But how could she get to that space? The god would not be foolish enough to bring her in willingly with that much power. She couldn’t go alone either. That god wanted to use her. Slowly more Vampires gathered outside the barrier. They all knelt to Radar. Was he controlling them? She paced the edge of her barrier watching Amaranth’s eyes, was he trying to control her?
Robin pulled the fox to her lap as it lay limp over her. “You’re not dead… wake up…”
Gwen looked back at her and rushed over reaching forward. The bright threads shooting from her hands touched the beast. Warmth rushed out of her bringing her to her knees as the Fox shook its head and bound away from Robin. It looked to Radar and then Robin. ‘I’m sorry Penigwen, I must leave for now.’
Gwen glared as the fox stepped through a spark leaving them. She crawled over to Robin sitting next to her. Robin scoffed, “What a complete ass…”
Gwen chuckled, ‘Tell me about it…’
‘We will save him… and… figure out something with you too hun…’
Robin looked over to Amaranth. Slowly and painfully she stood and stepped to the edge of the barrier again as Radar glared her way. “You’re better than this. Now you’re ignoring your daughter?” The dragon's teeth flashed her way as a wave of heat wafted over the ground.
Amaranth looked past the barriers. She could hear her grandma but there was nothing but light in the inner barrier. She glanced at the Vampires around her. “What are you even doing? Dad is a menace right now, not a King.” She could hear a deep growling from within his barrier. “I’m not a child anymore Dad, I’ll beat the senses back into you if I must.
“You… Can… Try…” Amaranth was brought into her mind. With disgust, she spun around looking at the Beast. It was the Void God. “I… Have… Taken… Your… Words…”
Her heart raced and her eyes flared as she shook her head. Horizon fought against himself reaching up to his mate's hand. Her heart eased as she lifted him to his feet. “We have to leave before we are lost.” They looked up as shadows grew over them. Two huge desert eagles swooped down lifting them and bringing them away from the massive dark that emitted from Radar. “Take us to Jasmine and Lucas.”
Gwen watched as they faded to the north. She seemed bound to the tree and her sight was limited to Robins. Was her barrier going to keep holding strong through Radar's massive mana leaching? She closed her eyes entering her æther again. Slowly she paced about the bright space. She looked at her bright hands. Up here she was bound by the barrier but if she was in fact a tree… she looked down. Could she reach through the earth and roots to reach her children? The heat grew greater as she stepped through her space.
Dama fazed into her presence once more watching Gwen as she knelt to the ground. Gwen peered up to her, “You gave the tree to the elves right?” There was a soft nod from the goddess. “Did you create the elves or did they exist and find the tree?” There was a soft chuckle from the goddess as she shook her head.
Dama knelt next to Gwen, “You will return…”
“I know I will.” Gwen shook her head, “I am not a god…”
Dama turned as a darkness crept in once more. She stood between the beast and Gwen. “Leave.”
The Beast smiled looking to Dama as its arms brought it ever closer. It eyed the Goddess and let out a hiss as she continued to block its advance of Gwen. The two argued, mana wafting off of them in a brilliant display as Gwen felt ripples through the ground. She looked past the beast to Radar again. She needed to get through to him. Needed to snap him out of this. Her eyes caught the beast’s eyes with a scowl. “You need to go away.”
The beast laughed. The waves of its toxic breath filled the air. Dama stepped away from it covering her mouth. The darkness could not get any closer as Gwen's barrier blocked him. It sneered at her drawing its talons down the barrier. “Soon…”
Gwen turned to the tree ignoring the beast. Between Radar's mana drain and this creature's clear evil intentions, she could not put down the barrier. But was it after her, or the tree? She rest her palm on the tree. She could again feel the life outside but it was stifled by her barrier. “Dama… What happens if the tree dies?”
Dama stepped over closer. “Mortality, death,” her hand also rested on the tree, “and no more shared mana.”
“So, elves would return to the wheel, or… are their souls bound by the tree?”
Dama tilted her head as if something occurred to her, “The wheel…” Her presence faded leaving Gwen with the creature behind her.
Lancelot stepped through the stone first concerned about what he would be walking in on. Jasmine, Lucas, and Marcus followed shortly. They could hear panic and screaming. Looking down the back alley from the closet they stepped out from they could see the people in the street rushing out of town. Lancelot moved forward slowly, his eyes turning toward the darkness swallowing the old library that was now a scattering of rubble. There were bodies in the street, not crushed or burned, simply lying lifeless.
Lucas reached forward pulling Lancelot back. “Radar is absorbing mana, great amounts of it…”
Jasmine frowned, “Dad… what are we going to do? There's a barrier too but not one I’m used to.”
Marcus stood in silence. Radar's body was wrapped around a ball of sheer white light. He was not hoarding treasures or souls, simply this… “Lancelot, is that the tree in there?”
“It is… If it is still standing, the barrier over it gives me hope.” he flexed his fingers, “The barrier also explains my lack of mana, so there is still a chance…”
Marcus stepped forward slowly. Lucas tried to stop him but he held up his hand. “Let me try and get a feel for things. We already know you and your sisters will be the ones to fix the world… I’m of little consequence at this point.”
“Dad…” Lucas felt his heart breaking as Marcus pulled away and marched toward the ominous shroud.
Mobius looked up from where he was kneeling as Marcus grew closer to the barrier. He shook his head of the need to be there and stood looking at the other Walkers around him and then up at Radar. “Brother… What have you become?” The dragon slowly shifted about looking his way. Mobius didn’t know what Marcus intended, but if he could pull Radar's attention for even a little while… “Radar, are you still in there?”
There was a warm huff of air from the ancient dragon as it looked to the sky for a moment pondering before looking back, “Yes… Brother…”
“How can I help?”
The dragon's eyes burned red as it thought of all its rage toward the gods. “Bring her… back.” Hot air gusted past Mobius waking many more Walkers from their stupors. They weakly stood feeling their mana draining rapidly. They shifted away from him tugging on others as they went. Mobius gripped his blade seeing Marcus place his palm on the barrier. “Leave… brother…” Radar’s head moved back lowering and looking at Marcus. Mobius sighed and started away. He couldn’t do anything with Radar in this state.
“You were not the only one who lost your love…” Marcus eyed him already feeling the drain on his mana but standing firm through it. “Let me see…” Mobius watched as the barrier vanished and Marcus was allowed in. His feet swept the dead earth toward the white sphere. His hand rested on it. If he stepped in, he was sure to lose himself. He was also sure he would risk letting in Radar whose sharp claws clung to it so desperately. Marcus shook his head and stepped back feeling unrelenting rage well up in him. Ancient words beckoned him.
Jasmine rushed in past him pressing her hands against the barrier and falling through to the other side.
Marcus cursed holding his head as his eyes burned. “Radar… You cannot believe his lies.” Marcus fell to his knees fighting for his sanity as the beast slowly took up residence within his mind. Did it know he could break through the barrier?
Radar looked to Marcus seeing him fall so easily to the void god’s words. His claws gripped at the barrier tighter, Marcus would take Gwen from him. “Leave Sir Gordon… Before I take you out.”
Marcus smirked up to Radar. Ancient words escaped his lips as immense evil dripped from his speech. Radar snarled as a deep burning began in his throat. Lucas felt panic and rushed forward as a desert Eagle swooped down grabbing him and lifting him and Lancelot away. Hellfire rained down upon Marcus destroying all the nearby buildings and burning the bodies that had not the strength to run.
Lucas screamed fighting against the talons that had him and sobbing at what was happening. “Let me go!”
“Shut up Lucas, they are fine…”
He looked over seeing Amaranth on the back of the second eagle. “How!?” As the smoke and fire cleared he could see Marcus still standing nose to nose with Radar’s Dragon form. The birds swept down low dropping them on the dome.
Robin stepped over near the barrier watching Marcus struggle against himself. “Come on you big oaf… Don’t let it win…” Her eyes unfocused seeing Jasmine run up behind him. “What in the… Gwen!” Gwen felt her heartache as Jasmine rushed over. A smile swept her face as Jasmine pushed through her barrier without issue. She ran to Robin embracing her. “Hun, that was so reckless…” She looked back to Marcus. “Damn it, Marcus! Fight!”
Jasmine looked out to her father who had lost himself. That man was not her father. His skin was turning pale. “Dad!” Robin grabbed her holding her back. They looked to Radar as the heat grew within him. “DAD!” Jasmine screamed louder her hands reaching forward as the torrent of fire engulfed him.
A twisted smile flickered through the fire as Jasmine shielded him with all her might. Gwen was frozen by the tree. She could see the beast clinging to Marcus laughing at her and Radar. Gwen stepped forward past Jasmine and Robin. “What do you want?” She knelt to the ground crystal tears flowing from her eyes.
The beast's head contorted twisting around behind it looking at Amaranth. “My… Prize…”
Gwen’s eyes watched it, disgusted. “Never…” She reached over holding Jasmine. “You, Lucas, and Amaranth must…” She was struggling against herself sobbing. “You must kill Marcus…” Marcus looked their way before his body disappeared into the shadows.
Jasmine listened to the echo in her mind looking out of the barrier with tears in her eyes. She looked up to the others as the barrier dropped and they fell before the tree. Gwen rushed over to Radar embracing his face. The dragon's raging eyes faded as the storm over him broke. What was this warmth penetrating his hardened hide? Amaranth grabbed Jasmine “What were you thinking?!”
“Mom… Mom said we have to kill my dad…” Jasmine sobbed into her shoulder. “Radar… you… you have to come back to us.” Jasmine pulled away from Amaranth and walked over to the ancient dragon wrapping her arms around one of its crawls. “We can’t… I can’t do this without you. I… Mom and Dad, they are both gone… I need you! Please.”
Amaranth and Lucas both walked over and placed their hands on Radar's scales. Amaranth spoke softly, pressing her head into him. “Dad, you don’t have to lose yourself. You are you. The dragon is just an extension of you. You are not a dragon though.”
Horizon stepped over to the tree with Snelhei and Regan. Lancelot made his way beside them, “This is the Life Tree. A gift from our Goddess Dama.” He could feel his mana again, though fleeting, due to Radar’s presence. The rough bark glowed faintly under his palm. “It… took Gwen…”
Gwen turned to him as Robin stepped over, “She is still here Lancelot. I can feel her and hear her.”
“Me too.” Chimed Jasmine still holding onto Radar as the Dragon looked to the sky sending huge tears to the hot ground below.
Gwen felt as if she were losing herself. Her family was broken. Marcus, could she save him? Could they? How could they piece this together without him? He was the mentalist. “Damn it all…” Hating everything about this she relented, stepping over to Robin and grabbing her hand. “Mom… We need Stevenson…”
Robin looked to her hand and then to Lancelot. “Gwen says we need Stevenson.”
The group was quiet. Amaranth sighed rubbing the back of her neck. “Mom, stay safe… We will figure this out. I won't kill Dad though… There has to be another way.”
Gwen clenched her fists. None of this was right, none of it made sense. She sat to the ground tired and defeated watching as the children all held Radar. Horizon watched before looking back to the tree. Gwen looked at him watching. He had done well for Amaranth. As he stepped past her back toward the group she grabbed his leg.
He spun around looking about the warm beach. His eyes looked about and then down to her. He squatted down looking at the child. “Gwen?”
She looked at him and then around. “Yes, Horizon. I want to thank you for taking care of Amaranth through these years.”
“Ok Mom, going to stop you there.” He sat on the sand next to her rubbing her head. “You are making it sound like you won't be around long and as someone who lost their mom when I was young and only just got a mother figure back in my life, I’m not ready to lose you too.”
Gwen chuckled softly for a short moment before becoming solemn again. “It wants Amaranth… I believe Ralphilia is within her…”
Horizon shuddered at the thought. “I hope not…”
“Would you stop loving her?”
“I…” Horizon laughed, “I couldn’t if I tried…”
Gwen smiled at him. “Thank you for that. Her sword might be the only hope at saving my love too…” She brought her knees to her chest resting her chin on them as the water rushed in. The two sat in silence for a bit. “I hope, when this is over, we can all have a picnic together. Oh, and I can get to know my grandkids.” Gwen smirked his way.
“I think we would all very much like that. Even if it's just here on the beach.” Horizon stood as the beach faded and Amaranth took his hand. He looked at her and then down to where Gwen had been. “It's time for our story to really begin.” It was hard looking at Radar kneeling on the ground being hugged by Jasmine and Lucas as he grieved his loss and yet regained his true self. “Radar, I think you should stay here with Gwen. She is still here and may still need your protection. I will go with the children to find Stevenson and make a plan. I don’t think these things are really gods after all. We will be sure to kill them for what they have done.”
Amaranth smirked kissing his cheek. He had matured so much over the years they spent together waiting and working in the shadows. “Lucas, Jasmine, Snelhei, and Regan. Strap on your weapons and let's get to that bastard.”