{A/N: Pictures are coming as you read, you might want to check them out at the end.}
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Observation Log by Spark Draconisfilia.
Of Obelisks, Duskari, and Humans - Entry 89544
Earth-199999, ~7,724 BE (Before Emergence) = 5,700 BCE (Before Current Era)
Year 293,911 of the Fulgebunt Draconis Imperium (Earth-199999)
Obelisks are integral to Imperial culture, as essential to the Duskari as the mana in their hearts, the chakra in their cores, and the Drachantheon Therion in their minds. Wherever a Duskari establishes residence, an Obelisk invariably follows, with the sole exceptions being starships and similar vessels.
The tradition began when the Master Chief prioritized the construction of Obelisks in Imperial territory, ensuring their establishment before urbanization could complicate or disrupt their placement. An Obelisk, regardless of location, contains always the tallest and deepest point of the planetary surface, the most imposing edifice—an architectural marvel possible only through the Master Chief's reality-defying skill.
It is no wonder that these colossal towers etched themselves into the impressionable hearts of the Duskari. Raised with access to all Obelisks since their construction and tasked with guarding them during their conscripted service to the Imperium, the Duskari formed a deep cultural and spiritual bond with these monolithic structures.
The aesthetic influence of the Obelisks is equally undeniable. Inspired by these massive towers from a young age, the Duskari's early attempts to replicate them through skyscrapers laid the foundation for their architectural identity. Over centuries, as the Imperium expanded and older buildings were replaced with those employing the latest technologies, the silhouette of the Obelisk became the archetype for most vertical structures across the empire—even temples.
The first Obelisks were erected in desolate areas with minimal or nonexistent hominid presence. It was not until the Era of Space Exploration that Obelisks were constructed near hominid settlements. This marked a pivotal moment for the Duskari, who, starved for contact with other sapient species, eagerly embraced the opportunity to interact with their ancestral counterparts—whom they referred to as "Ancestrals."
Interestingly, the Master Chief placed minimal restrictions on these interactions. As long as the Duskari refrained from killing mortals outside the Obelisks or stepping beyond their bounds, they were permitted to conduct tests and engage with the Ancestrals as they wished.
However, as is often the case with the Master Chief, there was more at play than met the eye.
Firstly, to preserve the sacred timeline, the SoulSelf used the Obelisks as conduits to ensure that Ancestrals could not retain memories of knowledge that might alter history after leaving an Obelisk.
Secondly, to prevent divine complications, no matter how supernatural or godlike the Duskari appeared to the Ancestrals, they were imbued with an innate disinclination to worship them.
Thirdly, permanent residence within an Obelisk was restricted to the Duskari and the Drachantheon Therion.
Numerous other precautionary measures were implemented to maintain the stability of the timeline despite the Obelisks' presence.
During their early encounters with humans, the Duskari found meaningful interaction challenging due to language barriers, differing lifestyles, and cultural divides. This changed with the introduction of Logosense by the Drachantheon Therion.
Logosense was a revolutionary communication system that transcended barriers. It enabled any being capable of understanding, logical thought, or even instinctual intelligence to grasp and share meaning. Powered by mana for the Duskari, Logosense was finite, unlike the Drachantheon Therion's void-energy-based version, which drew inspiration from the Master Chief's conceptual speech.
With Logosense, the Duskari's studies of their Ancestrals flourished, unraveling countless mysteries. Understanding the struggles of early humans also deepened the Duskari's reverence for their deities, to whom they owed everything.
As humanity—now the sole surviving Ancestral species—grew and advanced, carving its path toward civilization, the Obelisks began to occupy a unique place in their myths. Frequently depicted in early art as symbols of refuge, mystery, knowledge, and enigma, these structures became woven into the tapestry of human culture.
It would not be surprising if an Obelisk eventually became synonymous with the biblical Tower of Babel, and Logosense with the Babel Tongue. If such a connection were to arise, one might wonder how the Obelisks would fit into the myth. Would the account claim that the Obelisks were submerged during the Flood, or would it assert they had not yet been constructed? How might the Master Chief's presence influence such tales? His existence is well-documented in ancient cave paintings, and when carbon dating becomes commonplace, humanity will undoubtedly discover traces of his visits, including those from the Carboniferous period.
These questions and many more remain unanswered. But I wait and observe, ever patient.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
/ End of Entry 89544/
_____________________________
Earth-5H1N3, Triskelion.
As he read the message on his P-Link, Fury couldn't help but stare at the night sky. The surreal image created by the optical illusion of the Moon appearing dead center in the ringworld—Aragorn had the gall to call it a satellite—remained, despite the message confirming that the ringworld, along with the most problematic beings in his life, had departed.
Fury glanced between the holographic display of his P-Link and the Halo a few times before opening a file.
"For illusions, I had visual, cognitive, psionic… and now this motherfucker's got planetary-wide, technologically induced illusions."- Fury muttered as he violently typed a new entry into Aragorn's file.
After finishing, he scrolled down a good 1,080 pages—still within Aragorn's file—and eyed with frustration the entry detailing his powers and limits.
[Powers:]
→ Psychokinesis: All psionic-related powers known to humanity:
→ Telekinesis.
→ Cryokinesis.
→ Pyrokinesis.
→ Electrokinesis.
→ Hydrokinesis.
→ Aerokinesis.
→ Geokinesis.
→ Photokinesis.
→ Umbrakinesis.
→ Chronokinesis.
→ Magnokinesis.
→ Luminokinesis.
→ Telepathy.
→ Empathy.
→ Clairvoyance.
→ Mind Control.
→ Memory Manipulation.
→ Illusions.
→ Astral Projection.
→ Dream Manipulation.
→ Psionic Shielding.
→ Augmentation.
→ Metakinesis (Enhancing or amplifying other psionic abilities).
→ Atmokinesis.
→ Sonokinesis (Manipulating sound waves).
→ Gravitokinesis.
→ Phobokinesis (Inducing or amplifying fear).
→ Thoughtform Creation (Manifesting entities or constructs made purely from mental energy).
"What was it this crazy-ass eldritch terror said? Ah, right! 'The height of psychokinesis is matter manipulation.' At least that can somewhat be limited by the spread of psionic energy through space or a medium."- Fury muttered, knowing even that was futile.
He moved to the next page.
[Powers:]
→ Energokinesis.
→ Precognition (Not applicable to this reality).
→ Retrocognition (Possible application of his eyes).
→ Psychometry (Unclear, possibly through magic).
→ Dimensiokinesis (Manipulating dimensions and/or space).
→ Entropy Manipulation (Possible application of more than one power).
→ Chronopathy.
→ Void Manipulation.
→ Biokinesis (Not applicable to himself, limited to touch).
→ Pathokinesis.
→ Chlorokinesis (Limited to the Arbor Mundi, without magic).
→ All-seeing eyes (Current limit unknown even to the holder).
→ Paradoxical Existence (Further data needed).
→ Shapeshifting (Limit unknown, at least planetary size).
→ Soul Manipulation (Recently acquired, limited to touch).
"All of this without even counting sorcery… and Bitch Pierce thinks they can limit him with the Mutant Registration Act (MRA)? This thing isn't even a mutant! For fuck's sake, Aragorn isn't even alive!"- Fury mocked with an air of superiority.
He loved few things more than the suffering of Pierce. Of course, what he loved most was keeping surveillance and practicing magic, followed by his late mother—despite his suspicions of her—Carol Danvers and her family, and lastly, the Wolf Princesses. The suffering of Hydra came next.
"Well, this listing is mostly a personal hobby now. Even if you took away all of Aragorn's powers and abilities, the beings around him would still make him the most dangerous entity in this universe."- Fury mused, closing the file just before his next visitors arrived.
*Knock. Knock.*
"Come in."- Fury had been expecting them, and his space sorcery allowed him to sense their arrival.
"Director Fury."- Both greeted him with respect.
"Coulson, Hill."- Fury gestured for them to take a seat.
Once they had, Fury tapped his P-Link. "Secure." His P-Link flashed twice, confirming no listening or recording devices were present.
"Report."- He commanded. Unbeknownst to Coulson and Hill, he was using sorcery to probe them, ensuring they were indeed who they appeared to be. He also checked that the psionic shielding Aragorn had left in them was still active.
"Sir, Mr. Abner's manipulation of the market and steering of the current economic crisis led to vast, pervasive damage among the Hydra affiliates we've identified so far."- Coulson reported.
"Alleged manipulation, Coulson. Alleged. Circumstantial at best."- Fury corrected.
"Ehmmm… Sir, he admitted it to me and Agent Hill."- Coulson replied.
Fury turned to Hill for confirmation, and she nodded. He rolled his good eye.
"Keep it to yourselves and forget about it. Several countries disappeared due to this crisis, and we don't want the backlash reaching our asset."- Fury ordered. He knew this was how Aragorn operated—whenever he was certain his answers wouldn't reach the public, he answered truthfully. Fury had already been a victim of this before, like the time he asked Aragorn about potential threats to the universe.
"Yes, Sir!"- Both agents replied.
"Good, continue."- Fury nodded.
"I looked into what you asked me—about General Ross and William Stryker. Though both cancerogenic mutations manifest similar symptoms outwardly, they originate from different sources."- Hill said, passing Fury a file with the results of the genetic testing.
Fury gave it a once-over and quickly noticed something that caught his eye.
"Stryker's cancer is a mutation on the X-Gene. He doesn't have cancer; he has a power that gives him cancer."- Fury said.
'Aragorn is a petty motherfucker no matter what. Mutant cancer powers to the mutant hater, insanity incarnate pulls no punches.'- He thought.
"Yes, sir. General Ross, on the other hand, is battling a metastasized form of leukemia."- Hill added.
"A form, you say?"- Fury raised an eyebrow.
"As described in the medical report, it's as if every type of blood cell developed its own form of cancer. It progressed so rapidly that by the time they considered treating him for leukemia—the initial diagnosis—the cancer had already metastasized. Both patients have about a month left—possibly less."- Hill explained.
"And now they're both asking for help from our asset, huh?"- Fury said.
During the months Spark posed as Aragorn, he, Seraph, and—on occasion—Jean had been seen healing people multiple times. There were also some medically inclined mutants from Daybreak, but no one had been able to locate the enigmatic organization. Hence, Ross and Stryker had sent a direct request for Aragorn's help.
Hill and Coulson nodded. SHIELD wasn't looking into them because one was a general and the other was under house arrest after the Facility fiasco—it was because SHIELD filtered any governmental contact request for Aragorn.
"Well, that ought to be interesting."- Fury chuckled.
"Interesting, sir?"- Coulson asked.
"Think about it. One of them is only alive because Aragorn and his daughter decided not to kill him after exposing his 'unsanctioned' base of operations. The other has been vehemently trying to collar Aragorn, Seraph, and Jean. And if we know anything about Aragorn, it's how petty he can be. Right, Mr. Agent Coulson?"- Fury grinned.
"Please, sir."- Coulson implored, tired of Aragorn calling him that—he didn't need his boss to do it too.
"Moving on. What do you have for me about King Doom and Latveria?"- Fury asked.
"King Doom, despite the current world war, was amiable to us—even knowing we represented SHIELD. He allowed us to tour Latveria. The country is no longer the second-world nation it once was."- Coulson replied, passing Fury a portable data-storing device.
Fury first scanned it with his magic—just as he had with Hill's file—detecting no curses or similar threats. Satisfied, he grabbed it, tapped his P-Link to it, and waited as it glowed green before plugging it into his PC.
"King Doom used his vast resources to create the Automopolises—satellite cities with minimal human populations, where production is mostly automated. Not just robots, but war machines, automobiles, aircraft, naval vessels, and even daily necessities for the Latverians."- Coulson explained.
"So that's how he's keeping up with the expenses of waging war against the First World."- Fury mused.
"And the cocky motherfucker is even showing off to send a message."- He scoffed.
"A message?"- Coulson asked.
"Initially, no one took him seriously. True, Victor von Doom had something most organized governments didn't—sorcery. But many saw him for what he was: equal parts super-genius and megalomaniac, the recently ascended King of Latveria—a second-world country at best.
"But what could he do, even if he reached the offshoot of the Arbor Mundi first? How would he compete against the might of the other powers? The resources of Latveria wouldn't suffice—or so many thought. But this is his response."
'As expected of a man chosen by insanity incarnate; insane as well.'- Fury thought.
Fury flipped the screen, showing them the Automopolises and the automated mining sites.
"As long as Latveria has the physical resources, King Doom will wage war."- Hill murmured, grasping the implication.
"Correct, Hill."- Fury affirmed.
"But sir, so far, most world powers—including our own—have been leaving Latveria alone to an extent, too busy dealing with each other. Most assume that getting rid of Latveria at the end of the war will be simple. But with this… won't they shift their focus to Latveria? Why would King Doom willingly draw attention to himself?"- Coulson asked.
"That, I don't know. If I had to guess? Probably to shift the battlefield to Latveria's borders."- Fury replied.
"That's contradictory, sir. No country wants war on its own soil."- Hill pointed out.
"Normally, yes. But it might be more advantageous for him that way."- Fury said.
"Sir?"- Coulson asked.
"So far, Latveria hasn't launched a single nuke since the first. That means they either have very few left—or none. On the current battlefield, they can't compete. Holding the tree and defending it is the best they can do.
"But if they shift the battlefield inland, nukes will be off the table, and the current nuclear war will revert to conventional modern warfare. At least, that's my assumption."- Fury explained.
"He's aiming to drain their resources."- Hill realized.
"He plans to prolong the war until their citizens either starve to death or revolt and demand an end to the conflict."- Coulson added.
War is a ravenous beast, devouring resources at an unsustainable rate. The ongoing global crisis and famine had driven the war into nuclear exchanges, which—while devastating—required minimal personnel. So far, no country had been forced to draft civilians, as nuclear warfare did not require mass armies.
But if the war shifted to a battlefield that demanded more soldiers, nations would soon face rebellions and uprisings when they began drafting civilians—especially since manpower was desperately needed in agriculture to combat the famine.
"Yes."- Fury said. "And according to Aragorn, there's a chance the war could escalate even further."
"What?"- Hill asked, while Coulson looked equally confused.
How could war escalate beyond total nuclear conflict? Was there anything worse?
"Is the rumored mutant nation joining the fray?"- Coulson asked.
"No. Daybreak said they have no need for the tree, and joining the war would only further exacerbate humanity's hatred for their kind. So they're keeping their distance—even though Magneto alone could end this war."- Fury explained.
"This is classified information. It comes directly from Aragorn's goddess."- Fury tapped his P-Link, and a display of an underwater city appeared.
"Atlantis. The lost city."
"WHAT?!"- Both agents exclaimed.
"It's real—much to my dismay. Another threat to evaluate."- Despite his words, there was a distinct gleam in Fury's eye, an inner elation at discovering another target for observation.
"Did Mr. Abner obtain these pictures?"- Hill asked.
"Yes. The goddess had him investigate Atlantis to determine how they've been affected by cosmic irradiation."
"And they covet the tree?"- Hill pressed.
"No. They want to stop surface dwellers from dropping nukes over their territories."
"Isn't Atlantis in the Atlantic?"- Coulson asked.
"The capital city is, but the kingdom itself is vast. They have cities in the Pacific as well."
"What's their technological level? Or are they a magic-based civilization, sir?"- Hill inquired.
"A combination of both, based on preliminary observations. Not much is known—at least not that Aragorn has shared. I tried using my own spellwork, but they're shielded."
"Is everyone going to join this war?"- Hill sighed, exhaustion evident in her voice.
"At least there are no gods or mutants involved."- Coulson added.
"There's that, but it doesn't help that the Hand has joined various factions, clearly after the tree."- Hill pointed out.
"It would be easier if Lord Alduin or Goddess Gaea took a stance."- Coulson muttered.
"No use dwelling on what can't be controlled."- Fury dismissed the thought. "How's your sorcery training coming along?"
"I've already gone through the beginner-level tomes. I'm currently working on universal energy sensing and resonance."- Hill replied, gracefully waving her hands. Slowly, tao mandalas flickered to life before her.
"I've also finished the beginner tomes, but I'm focusing on dimensional sources. I'm still hesitant about entering contracts."- Coulson admitted.
"Take your time. And about the contracts—don't make any just yet. Aragorn hinted that he's working on locating trustworthy dimensional sources."- Fury advised.
They moved on to other topics, but eventually, Fury noticed the hesitance in Hill and Coulson. They clearly had something on their minds but were reluctant to speak.
"Out with it. There are no hormonal, shy teenagers among us, are there?"- Fury said, eyeing his most trusted agents.
"...Sir, forgive me if this is a strange question, but—is Mr. Abner human?"- Hill asked hesitantly.
"Explain, Hill."- Fury ordered curtly.
"We've been observing him for the past year, and at times, it's as if he forgets to act human. I think."- Hill sounded unsure.
"Do you feel the same, Coulson?"- Fury asked.
"Yes, sir. I've seen Aragorn go hours without blinking. When I pointed it out, he said he blinked every time I did. So, one day, I made an effort to track my blinking patterns. Then I reviewed the footage from my tie clip cam—he wasn't lying. Every single time I blinked, he blinked."- Coulson explained, a shiver running down his spine.
"I once pointed out that he hadn't been breathing for hours. He immediately started breathing and said, 'Thank you, Covergirl, I forgot humans breathe,' then matched my breathing pattern exactly."- Hill's expression looked haunted.
"I visited the Abner Homestead to deliver some documents. He was in a pool with Ms. Grey—he had no navel."- Coulson's heartbeat quickened.
"I saw him eat office appliances once. He looked bored out of his mind."- Hill hugged herself.
"A week ago, I watched him merge with what appeared to be a female version of himself. He did it right in front of me—then said nothing!"- Coulson added frantically.
"He hasn't used his mouth to speak since he gained that flame over his head!"- Hill nearly shouted.
"I saw him laugh so hard he cried—but instead of tears, he shed diamonds!"- Coulson exclaimed.
"He was once working on two computers at once—one eye tracking one desktop each!"- Hill felt weak in the knees.
"Okay, calm down. Get a hold of yourselves! You're Level 9 agents—you can't be losing your heads over Aragorn pulling childish pranks on you!"- Fury admonished.
"Pranks, sir?"- Hill asked.
"Yes, pranks. Aragorn is more perceptive than he bothers to show. He allowed you to see what he wanted you to see—nothing more."- Fury said, as if addressing children.
"He knew we were watching him?"- Coulson asked.
"No. He made you watch him—then pranked you. He manipulated you. He played you."- Fury gave them a disapproving look.
"But, sir… my eyes didn't lie to me."- Hill protested.
"Neither did mine."- Coulson backed her up.
"No, they didn't. But that doesn't mean he wasn't playing you. You both know he's a master of illusions—he showed you exactly what he wanted you to see."
"..."- Hill and Coulson exchanged uneasy glances.
"So it was…"
"...All a prank?"
"Yes. Jean and Seraph can do something similar. So don't be too quick to believe your eyes when dealing with that security hazard of a family we call assets."- Fury gave them a stern look.
Eventually, Coulson and Hill believed the carefully crafted story Fury fed them. The thing was—even to Fury—what he said could have been the truth. He was certain that Aragorn had done it on purpose to mess with his agents, but whether he had shown them reality or mere illusions was another question entirely. Both were possibilities.
After receiving their next assignments, Coulson and Hill left his office.
"Sigh… That insane eldritch terror can't seem to decide whether he wants to keep his existence a secret or not."- Fury muttered through gritted teeth.
When Carol Danvers had him kidnapped by Aragorn, he'd been explicitly told not to reveal the truth about him to anyone. Aragorn had done a damn good job lying to the public—there was no doubt about that. But to Fury, it felt like Aragorn enjoyed lying to his agents with the truth, leaving him to clean up the mess afterward.
…Now that he thought about it… 'That sounds exactly like something insanity incarnate would do.'
"Motherfucker thinks I have all the time in the world to play games with him!"- Fury growled.
But in hindsight, this was exactly the kind of nonsense Aragorn and Spark would pull just to annoy him.
In a sour mood, now painfully aware that he had been pranked as well, Fury buried himself in his work—his only consolation being the impending demise of Hydra on the horizon.
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Earth-199999, Fulgebunt Draconis Imperium, The Ark.
To Ego, life was ephemeral—not his own, no—it came, peaked, and went. This was his perceived cycle of life. These little ones he found amusing in the beginning came, grew, created civilizations—some voyaged to the stars, some collapsed before that, some snuffed themselves out, some snuffed others out, some did none of the above—but regardless... they all went.
This was life in his eyes, and to a certain extent, as an observer who never got the chance to understand the deeper meanings of an ephemeral existence, this was true. For someone in Ego's planetary shoes, it was inevitable to think like that.
It's not hard to imagine. Just as a student using a microscope for the first time may find the bacteria under the lens amusing, they won't lose sleep over their life and death. They are just bacteria.
And since the entire place was occupied by these bacteria, why not clean up and claim it as his own? That was how Ego's Expansion was born.
He did just that. He visited populated planets and planted his seed. Not once did he pause to consider his actions—why would he? It was only bacteria, which, in some cases, were even malign to the universe.
And nothing changed or made him waver, for no bacteria was meaningful.
That changed when he encountered a certain group who called themselves the Duskari. Like many intergalactic civilizations, they claimed star systems, terraformed planets, and populated them. But unlike others, when they laid eyes upon his avatar, they reacted immediately.
They understood the difference between them and him, and they said they would contact someone of his standing. As some had done before, he thought they would bring him to their equally mortal leaders, but that was not the case. They brought him to someone who held almost as much energy as his main body—and this was a first.
She was not a Celestial like him. She was a deity, but unlike the ones he had encountered before—who felt like divinely empowered mortals—she and the others of her kind felt like something more, as if they were connected to an immense well of power, much like his avatar was to his main body.
"I'm Queen Goddess Emma Fulgebunt Draconis, Deity of Sovereignty and Light of the Drachantheon Therion. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Ego the Living Planet?" Emma asked.
Ego's eyes never left her. Every shift in her expression, the movements of her eyes, the sway of her tails, her graceful and poised mannerisms—seeing a different version of life, one with which he could find parallels, made him want to second-guess his Expansion.
"Hello, as you know, I'm Ego the Living Planet—my avatar, to be precise. I encountered your followers by accident. I've been merely traveling for quite some time now, visiting habitable planets and meeting different civilizations."- Ego said with a roguish smile.
"I see. I hope you didn't find the treatment before our acquaintance burdensome. Our followers are not equipped to handle beings of your standing."- Emma replied amiably, leaving aside how the Duskari were more than comfortable dealing with figures like Aragorn, Jean, or Death, but that they preferred not to when it came to outsiders.
"No, I didn't. If I'm being honest, I found them fascinating. They singled me out with just a glance. They understood I was different and contacted someone of my standing immediately. That is something worth praise."- Ego said, not skimping on the admiration that appeared more for himself than anybody else.
"Magic is a wonderful thing. I'm more amazed that, based on your words, it appears not many civilizations utilize it."- Emma said in an inquisitive tone.
"If by magic you mean the direct manipulation of energies, then while some do have it, not many are adept at it. Is it different for your followers?"- Ego asked.
"Yes, we've taught them magic since their early days."- Emma replied.
There was a knock on the door, and Aragorn walked in, carrying a tray with beverages and some pastries.
"Emma, I took over from the maids bringing this. I hope you don't mind."- Aragorn said, pointing with his tail to the floating tray.
"No, Love. It's good to see you."- Emma stood up, warmly hugged Aragorn, and pecked his cheek.
"It's barely been a convergence since we last saw each other."- Aragorn said as he returned the hug and kiss, then glanced at Ego.
"That used to be an unthinkable amount of time."- Emma said, as if lamenting something—perhaps the loss of her sense of time.
Aragorn turned to Ego, who wore quite the expression while gazing at him.
"Ego, are you here to pollute my belongings with your disgusting filth?"- Aragorn's eyes shifted to crimson, as abruptly as his mood did.
Ego's first obstacle to overcome in his life was creating his planet armor around his body (brain), and his second was the Expansion—an endeavor yet to be completed. That was the grand sum of challenges Ego had faced in his life. That was before meeting someon—something—with more energy than his planetary body.
"Excuse me, but do you care to explain what filth you are talking about?"- Ego asked in feigned calm.
With a pulling and grasping motion of his hand, Aragorn displaced through space a foreign-looking, exotic, fungi-like seed with a blue core of glowing celestial energy. He threw it at Ego and, at the same time, opened a portal to his right. On the other side of the portal was the vastness of space and a red planet loomed with a face of glowing blue eyes.
"Are you here to taint my property with your grime?"- As Aragorn questioned him, the eternal flame atop him began pulsing while compressing. It shrank until it was no bigger than a hydrogen atom while glowing brightly, giving it a star-like look.
Despite its beauty, everyone in the room understood that, should that star shoot toward the planet, nothing would remain.
"S-STOP THAT! I'M NOT HERE FOR THAT!"- Ego sprang up from his seat and shouted in panic.
"That's now, but what about when you arrived?"- Aragorn narrowed his eyes.
"L-LOOK, THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT! ARE WE NOT EQUALS? I THOUGHT THE LOWER LIFEFORMS WERE LIKE THE OTHERS! I-I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE BEINGS LIKE YOU AND HER HERE! LET'S ALL CALM DOWN!"- Ego was half panic, half rage—but he knew he was in no position to act upon that ire.
"Equals?"- Aragorn spat with as much disgust as he could lace into his words.
"Aragorn and you are as equal as you are to the lower lifeforms."- Emma said with disdain.
"I'M A CELEST—"
"—You're not."- Emma and Aragorn interrupted.
"W-Wha-What?"- Ego asked in indignation and surprise.
"You're not a Celestial. A brain is not a Duskari, just like your brain covered in a planetary crust is not a Celestial."- Emma said.
"At best, call yourself Ego the Celestial Brain."- Aragorn added.
"I'M A CELES—"
"—You're not."- Emma and Aragorn interrupted again.
"Y-YOU! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WE ARE OF EQUAL STANDI—"
"—You're (We're) not."- Emma and Aragorn once more interrupted.
"..."- Ego stopped talking.
"Ego the Celestial Brain Inside a Planet, you are not to meddle with the Fulgebunt Draconis Imperium henceforth. If you violate this decree, your life will be confiscated."- Aragorn spoke—with his mouth, not his telekinesis—in conceptual language. Emma could now withstand it to some extent.
Aragorn awaited no reply and pushed the portal toward Ego, returning him to his main body along with his seed.
"Wouldn't it have been better to use him as a sacrifice for Tiamut's emergence?"- Emma asked as the portal flickered off.
"It would work, but the future needs his son—regardless of how idiotic he will be—and there's no replicability in that method."- Aragorn explained as he pulled out a bean bag and sat, using his telekinesis to pull Emma—mainly her tails—onto his lap.
"Isn't there an Ego in many realities?"- Emma asked, unconsciously starting to purr under his care for her tails.
"The Ego of this reality is the brain of an attempted-to-be Celestial. In other realities, a Cosmic Being named Stranger is its creator. So the other Egos wouldn't work. Besides, there's only one Ego per reality—sometimes an Alter Ego as well, and a drug-addict planetary dust-sniffing moon—but there are multiple Emergences."- Aragorn patiently explained, his fingers dancing through her silky silver-white fur.
"~Ahn, I missed this. Are you currently busy? Can we do this for a while?"- Emma asked, giving him her best puppy eyes.
"Sure. Between the two of us, you're the busy one. I build Obelisks and collect specimens that catch my eye, you ran an intergalactic empire."- Aragorn said.
"Yay!"- Emma childishly celebrated. "And what is this about a planet-sniffing addict moon?"
"It's called Id the Selfish Moon. It was born in the Black Galaxy when Ego was born. However, this one was mad—a different kind of mad than Ego—and liked to destroy planets just to sniff the dust left behind."- Aragorn explained.
"That sounds like a satellite worth mining to its core."- Emma said.
"I agree. I don't know how it will play out in our reality, or if it even exists, but Deadpool killed it in the Prime Reality—or will kill it."- Aragorn said.
"That was your love rival, right? Pretty good for a human not unlike an undying cockroach."- Emma chuckled.
"He is not my love rival, but yeah, he killed it with a fission nuclear explosion."- Aragorn said.
"He totally is."- Emma teased.
"With how jealous I am, he wouldn't be alive after I found him."- Aragorn said.
"So you did find him. Were you looking for him to evaluate your love rival?"- Emma continued, not letting the topic die.
"I indeed was looking for him, but I found him in my telepathic field when I covered the planet."- Aragorn confessed.
"You had the time to pinpoint a single mind? Your jealousy is greater than I gave it credit for."- Emma widened her eyes.
"No, I admit I'm very possessive of Noona, but I pinpointed him because his mind was peculiar."- Aragorn said.
"Ah, that makes sense. Hey, if you're so jealous, then how come you let Bucky see Death naked when she came out of her egg?"- Emma asked.
"I don't know. Why would a father be jealous of his child if reality is not hentai?"- Aragorn said.
"...I guess that makes some sense. You do see us as your children to some extent."- Emma said, nuzzling comfortably against him.
"Yeah, I don't think there's a word in the conventional language to describe how I see you, but that's not far."- Aragorn nodded, and then shared his feelings with Emma.
Emma felt herself sink into a pleasant possessive warmth that acted as an ocean of infinite depth and a protective breeze.
"Do you think he will return?"- Emma asked, switching topics.
"Ego? Mmm... maybe. Just attack him if he does, and make sure to scan all newly acquired planets for matching signatures to that shit I brought over before."- Aragorn said, disgust leaking into his tone.
"Alright, I'll set it as a prime directive."- Emma said as her P-Link glowed softly in confirmation. "Why do you dislike it so much?"
"It's basically his sperm."- Aragorn replied with a deadpan expression.
"... Yuck."- Emma made a face of revulsion, sticking her tongue out.
"It's like a combination of his sperm and an ovum, except it will only develop when fertilized with the energy of his future son. So yeah, yuck."- Aragorn said, imitating Emma's disgusted expression.
"I could have done without knowing that."- Emma recoiled.
"Not only you."- Aragorn muttered, burying his face in her tails and deciding to ignore reality for a moment.
Time flowed on, and Aragorn continued building Obelisks, now able to complete one in less than 500 years. Among the few settlements that could be designated as cities by present human standards, Aragorn gained fame as an immortal healer, with tales of him passed down orally from generation to generation.
"Aragorn, is it alright if we dress like this?"- Jean asked, gesturing to her green Phoenix host raiment and Aragorn's formal black three-piece suit.
Aragorn gazed at her metallic-looking thigh-high golden boots and matching opera gloves, both gleaming under the light. Emblazoned on her chest was the Phoenix's regalia, while the rest of her bodysuit was a bright, metallic green. It left only the most intimate parts to the imagination; otherwise, it fit like a second skin.
He took his time observing her attire, switching the filters in his eyes to appreciate her appearance rather than just her radiant soul.
"Maybe try shifting it to something less enticing."- Aragorn said.
"That's not what I meant!—No... maybe it was."- Jean paused mid-exclamation before shifting her clothes into something more combat-oriented.
"Yeah, that's better."- Aragorn nodded in approval. "You still look almost as beautiful as your soul, though."
"Why, thank you. You look quite ravishing yourself."- Jean winked at him.
"You honor me, my lady."- He said with an exaggerated bow.
"~Fufufufu."- She laughed, and soon Aragorn joined her.
"Earlier, I meant your type of clothing. Won't history change if they later try to imitate your wardrobe? Like suits appearing as soon as prehistory."- Jean asked.
"Mmm, you're right. This is something I've been debating with my other Selves."- Aragorn confessed.
"Then why not change it? At least my raiment doesn't look like traditional clothing, but yours does. With a little effort, in a few centuries, they could replicate it."- Jean pointed out.
"I've been wearing the same outfit for millions of years. I feel conflicted about changing it now just because of the timeline."- Aragorn admitted.
"Just change it, dummy. Elara would thank you for it. You should wear one of the millions of designs she has prepared for you."- Jean chuckled at his stubbornness.
"Our little fairy would indeed be the happiest about it. She's been nagging me about wearing a uniform for eons."- Aragorn chuckled, reminiscing about how annoyed Elara was with fashion.
The barriers Aragorn wore as his clothing slowly began shifting. His three-piece suit transformed into light-devouring robes, a hooded cloak of equal darkness woven with stars draping over him. The only discernible features under the umbra of the hood were his starry eyes and the horns emerging from it, adorned with the ever-present eternal flame.
"What is this?"- Jean asked, running her hands through the silky, star-woven cloak.
"I thought it looked cool. Is it over the top?"- Aragorn asked, allowing Jean to inspect his outfit.
"No, it's beautiful—like you're wearing space itself instead of fabric—but it certainly doesn't scream everyday wear."- Jean said.
"No, but it's alright. In the not-so-distant future, humans will wear cloaks, so it doesn't matter if they try to copy my outfit. And yours isn't something they could replicate or wear, so I think we're good to enter Jericho."- Aragorn said.
"Well, you've been wearing your suit before, and in the cave paintings, you're depicted wearing it. I don't think it will have much impact at this point, even if I suggested it."- Jean said while taking a few pictures and sending them to Elara through The System.
"No, it was a sound suggestion. The cave paintings barely do me justice, but once art advances, things will change. I'll try to avoid 'futuristic' outfits and stick to high-fantasy styles that I know they can't replicate."- Aragorn said.
"Glad to be of help."- Jean smiled.
The pre-pottery Neolithic Jericho was a small but remarkable settlement, sitting in the lush Jordan Valley near the banks of the Jordan River, sustained by the abundant fresh water of the Ein es-Sultan spring.
Even in this early era, you could see circular stone walls for defense and flood control—an astonishing feat for this planet outside the Isthmus and the Obelisks. Jericho, like many locations of importance, also had an Obelisk around which the population center was built.
The people lived in round mudbrick houses, clustered together without streets. They were still transitioning from hunting and gathering to farming, cultivating wheat and barley, and domesticating animals like sheep and goats.
As Aragorn and Jean reached the outer walls, the wandering humans took notice of them. The adults commanded the children to go behind the walls, while they tensed and grabbed hold of whatever tool, weapon, or stone was available to mount a defense.
The shepherds guided their sheep away, and slowly, a small crowd formed around the entrance of the walls.
In the silence, except for the bleating of goats and sheep, murmurs reached Aragorn and Jean's ears. They walked until they were a short distance from the frightened crowd.
Aragorn pulled his cloak's hood back, revealing his expressionless face.
"... A'heelah?"- One of the guards asked.
"Yes, I'm A'heelah."- Aragorn nodded. He spoke with slight resignation.
His confirmation brought relief to the crowd. They remained guarded, but not as much as before.
'A'heelah? What does it mean? My Logosense is saying it's a name.'- Jean asked in his mind.
'When I first arrived, their language didn't have a word for a medic, so I said in English that I was "a healer." They got the pronunciation mostly right, though they struggled with the "r." But since they pass down stories about me verbally, it evolved into A'heelah. I stopped correcting them after the first two generations.'
'Ugh, should I say my name is Phoenix or Jean? I feel like both will be distorted horribly.'
'Maybe Feenits or Yin?' Aragorn mused.
'Ugh.'
'Just accept it.'
Jean and Aragorn stayed in Jericho for about ten years. They lived in the local Obelisk with the Duskari guarding it. They took care of toddlers too young to work the fields or hunt and healed those in need. Their presence in Jericho attracted others from different settlements seeking their aid.
When the time came for their departure, more than a few had ideas about keeping them in Jericho by force. That idea died as soon as Aragorn shifted to his draconic form and flew away with Jean.
Years passed, and Bor Burison was born to Buri, king of Asgard. The other Nine Realms became more active and slowly began transforming into their future counterparts.
The presence of deities on Earth grew, though they still refrained from physically stepping in.
"How strange. There's no Celestial threat keeping them away from Earth. Are they restricting each other, maybe? It's possible, but it could also be how the nexus event about their presence on Earth manifests."- Aragorn commented as he watched the humans of ancient Mesopotamia worship a god they had received a vision of.
"It's a combination of both, My Love."- Death replied.
"So they are restricting each other, but it's also the manifestation of a nexus event?"- Aragorn asked.
"The nexus event is that deities existed on Earth, but there's also the event of the Celestials' host showing them the way out. The result is that their presence is removed but not entirely. In this reality, the gods have limited themselves, perhaps through the Council of Godheads, so their presence is felt but minimal. Ergo, same result, different path."- Death explained.
"Weird reality, as if the gods were responsible enough to limit themselves."- Aragorn remarked.
"My love, you're not wrong. Gaea's children have always been selfish. Maybe it is this shared selfishness that makes them limit each other."- Death chuckled.
"Then that would make the deities of this reality the most benign ever."- Aragorn concluded.
"That may be so."- Death said.
As the presence of deities grew stronger, the Eternals, flying in the Domo, drew near. Around 5000 BCE, as the Domo passed Earth's Sun, a Celestial Communication Sphere woke Prime Eternal Ajak.
Ajak, upon opening her eyes, was met with confusion. This time, there was a message from Arishem along with an initiative to wake them up.
"A helper?"- She muttered as she moved to don her Celestial armor.
While Ajak was shrouded in confusion over her lord's message, the Domo reached Earth. The more combat-oriented Eternals emerged to deal with a small group of Deviants.
Sersi, Phastos, Druig, Sprite, and Ajak remained in the cloaked Domo, observing the battle.
"Ajak, is something wrong?"- Sersi asked, noticing the concern on Ajak's face.
"I can't seem to make sense of these structures."- Phastos murmured, switching between frequencies, channels, wavelengths, energy signatures, and more with his Celestial tech to analyze them.
"The spires?"- Sprite asked.
"Those are Obelisks."- Druig corrected.
"Not only the Obelisks. That ringworld around this planet's natural satellite—I can't make sense of it either. The readings I'm getting match Celestial nature, but it's foreign."- Phastos explained.
"Unless some of our brothers and sisters decided to have some fun here, there should be no celestial readings on this planet."- Druig said.
"That's part of what I can't understand. There's an inscription clearly written in the celestial language, but the material is different—similar to Celestial Cosrium, yet distinct."- Phastos said.
"Is that what has you worried, Ajak?"- Sersi asked.
"I received a message from Arishem. There's a helper of the Celestials on this planet."- Ajak confided.
"A helper of the Celestials? Not a helper of the Eternals?"- Sersi asked, confused.
"When have Celestials ever needed help?"- Sersi couldn't help but ask.
"It's about making Emergences more efficient."- Someone said.
Druig, Sprite, Sersi, and Phastos snapped to their left. Aragorn was eyeing a wall with curiosity—or more accurately, he was looking through it, observing the internal tech inside.
Phastos' tech came online as he raised his hands, pointing at Aragorn menacingly while contacting Ikaris through their comms. Sprite projected illusions over them to hide from the intruder.
And Druig... collapsed to his knees, his expression frozen in a howl of pain—except no sound came out.
"Oh... Why did he try to get into my mind, Prime Eternal Ajak?"- Aragorn asked calmly, looking straight at her past the illusions hiding her.
"... Aragorn?"- Ajak asked. Noticing the lack of any evil intent in him—or any intent at all—she could only read curiosity in those color-changing eyes.
"Yes, didn't Arishem give you my profile or something? I met him 13.8 billion years ago. I'm pretty sure he should remember me—Celestials don't forget."- Aragorn said, tilting his head curiously as his gaze moved from Ajak to Druig and then to the rest of the frightened Eternals.
"It appears Arishem didn't. Classic Celestial behavior—always inadvertently making messes."- Aragorn said, shaking his head in disapproval.
"I think you're the one making a mess here, My Love."- Death said, entering the room by floating out from another section of the Domo as if she was coming from a room nearby.
"This ship is nice, very livable."- She offhandedly commented.
"What? I just appeared here."- Aragorn said.
"Normally, you don't just appear on other people's ships."- Death said, slowly making her way around him and floating up to ride his shoulders.
"Really? I thought these guys would be used to the Celestials—they literally appear wherever they want."- Aragorn said.
Ajak shook her head.
"Oh, I apologize. I thought my presence among you might reassure the humans below."- Aragorn said.
"Why do you even care about that, My Love?"- Death asked, setting her chin atop his head. The eternal flame floating between his horns made way for her.
"I don't, but according to the future, they might. Making good impressions and all that, right?"- Aragorn replied, waving his hand and dispelling Sprite's illusions.
"What? How are you doing that?!"- Sprite exclaimed.
"Too late for that—you frightened them."- Death said, glancing at the group. "Except for the Prime Eternal. Hello there."
Death waved, but Ajak remained unresponsive.
Aragorn stood in silence, waiting for the Eternals to reboot.
"How did you get in?"- Phastos asked.
"Switching spatial layers."- Aragorn answered.
"You should tell the flying one that we are not enemies. He's giving his all to finish the flying Deviant off and rush here."- Death said before Phastos could spiral out of control over Aragorn interfering with the spatial mesh.
Phastos relayed the message.
"Will Druig be alright?"- Sersi asked. Ajak was trying to heal him, but there was no response.
"Yeah... no. Let me fix this." Aragorn appeared next to them and tapped Druig's head with the flat of his tail blade faster than they could follow.
'Did you need to touch him?'
'Just wanted to scan his body. My biokinesis is working on him.'
'So they are like Seraph and Spark?'
'Yes, close enough to organics to be considered alive.'
"W-What happened?" Druig asked groggily.
"You tried to get into my mind and almost died."- Aragorn said expressionlessly.
'Died? Do they die?'
'Noona, aren't you the aspect of Death?'
'I can kill anything, so everything appears mortal to me.'
'Oh, I see. You meant it in the biological sense of death and not whether they could die.'
'Yep.'
'Then yes, they can biologically die.'
'... So fragile.'
'Yeah, these Eternals are not like the others we know.'
'Virtually cockroaches?'
'Pfft! Yeah, they're not virtually cockroaches.'
'Speaking of which, there's a cockroach universe. What do you think Roachverine's power is?'
'What the hell kind of universe is that? But do tell.'
'Nothing—he's just a regular huma—cockroach. But he's like one of those powerless heroes.'
'Like Batman?'
'But angry and alcoholic, with memory issues.'
'Sounds... lame as fuck.'
'It is.'
'...'
'...'
'Hahahaha!'
'~Fufufufu'
"What was that?! Your mind is... is?"- Druig asked, his face looking lost.
"Is?"- Sprite echoed.
"Maybe his mind was broken?"- Phastos suggested.
"No, it wasn't!... It wasn't, right?"- Druig asked, looking at Aragorn.
Aragorn looked away.
Druig panicked.
"~Fufufufu, don't despair. My Love fixed it after it broke."- Death said reassuringly.
"So it was broken, then?"- Sprite asked in confirmation.
"Just a little."- Aragorn said, measuring with his thumb and index finger—except the "little" was a fully extended thumb-index span.
Druig panicked.
Ajak sighed, tired of the chaos the "Celestial-Helper" was creating.
"Ajak, is this alright?"- Sersi murmured.
"What can we do if it isn't? Arishem clearly said he was working with him, not us."- Ajak replied.
Eventually, the Domo removed its cloaking, and they all made it to the ground, where the presence of their combatants helped reassure them a little.
"Your use of Cosmic Energy is interesting."- Aragorn said while standing in front of Thena.
"Thank you."- She smirked.
"Is it limited to weaponry? Could you use it to make something more complex? Like a ship."- Aragorn asked, his eyes betraying his curiosity.
"No, nothing so complex."- Thena said lightheartedly.
"Shame, imagine if you could construct a lasergun."- Aragorn said.
"Unless lives were at risk, even if I could, I would fight close quarters."- Thena said with a martial smile.
"Fair enough, I also tend to use my power in less than effective ways because of preference."- Aragorn nodded understandingly.
"Are you a fighter?"- Thena asked with a raised brow.
"I wouldn't call myself a fighter, and the times I've fought are mostly medium distance to long distance. I would call myself a caster if I were to follow conventions for humanoid bodies."- Aragorn replied. He pointed at the sea and levitated a huge bubble of water, made it change to multiple forms, and then deposited it back in its place.
"A psychic? That's some impressive skill."- Thena complimented, ignoring the commotion Aragorn's show caused.
"Have you encountered others of my type?"- Aragorn asked.
"Some of my siblings in Olympia manifested psionic abilities."- Thena shared.
"Right, Olympia."- Aragorn said.
"A'heelah?"- One of the frightened locals called out.
"Hello there. These are friends, like the Duskari or Jean."- Aragorn replied, gesturing to the Eternals.
"Like Yin, the flaming bird?"- He asked.
"Exactly like Yin, the flaming bird."- Aragorn nodded, evidently pleased.
'I also find your application of cosmic energy interesting.'- Aragorn spoke into Makkari's mind.
'T-Thank you.'- She replied, only Kingo noticing her change in expression.
Death and Aragorn stood back as the Eternals made contact and interacted with the humans.
"They can't help you, can they?"- Death whispered, her breath mixing with his scent.
"No, they are too weak. I thought I could have them capture Deviants and bring them to the Obelisks, but killing them is the best they can do," Aragorn replied, leaning his head to the side, resting it on Death's face, and bringing an arm around her to hug her from the side.
"They would be injured. Their difference in strength is not that wide."- Death added.
"It is as you say, Noona. Makkari is technically the strongest, but in practice, it's Ikaris. Between Thena, Makkari, Gilgamesh, and Sersi, they could potentially capture Deviants."- Aragorn said.
"But the Demons are more effective in luring them to the Isthmus, right?"- Death asked.
"Yeah, and after Wandabus put them under her rule, they've been working well with the Duskari."- Aragorn added.
"So, if you really needed the help, you could have the demons do it. Why don't you?"- Death asked.
"In about a thousand years, Agamotto will find the Time Stone and erect the dimensional shield. Vrastaghor, Malsrithil, Brissoleoh, Wandabus, Madelyne, Kaguya, and Cosmo will be banned from entry."- Aragorn explained.
"You can adjust the dimensional veil to exclude them from the ban."- Death pointed out.
"I could, but my PuppeteerSelf advised me against it. Apparently, Strange would discover the addendum and mess with it. Somehow, that leads to a series of events that end in him thinking I will stop Thanos' snap."- Aragorn shook his head as if he had heard some nonsense.
"What did you need the Deviants for, My Love?"- Death asked.
"It's about proof of concept for a model I planned to offer to the Celestials."- Aragorn replied.
"What model?"- Death tilted her head cutely, which made Aragorn turn to her and pelt her with kisses. Then he returned to normalcy as if Death were not blushing and breathing heavily by his side.
"Instead of Duskari, they would have Eternals guarding the Obelisks. But the Eternals would still need to hunt Deviants. Tiamut and I idealized a way to guide the absorption of thought energy through the Obelisks, which would make them flare up in the Deviants' senses. So, I thought about luring the Deviants to the Obelisks and having the Eternals and locals kill them there. This would make the host planet safer for developing life, and the absorption of the Deviants' energy could benefit the Emergence.
"Well, this model could potentially work on other planets, but it wouldn't work on Earth because most settlements are built around my Obelisks. That means if we lure them there, humans would possibly perish. To test this model, I needed to capture a huge group of Deviants."- Aragorn concluded his explanation.
"So, what will you do?"- Death asked, her tail curling around him affectionately.
"I'll probably capture some myself or have Jean help—you could as well if you have the time—but only enough for a single Obelisk."- Aragorn said.
"I suppose a single Obelisk will have to do. And yeah, I can help from time to time. Which Obelisk are we using?"- Death asked.
"Since the population of Deviants is greater in the oceans, let's use the one in the Mariana Trench."- Aragorn said after a thoughtful second.
"All right, I'll drop any Deviants I encounter when strolling around."- Death complied.
Ajak separated from the crowd and approached the draconic couple.
"Lord Aragorn—"
"—Just Aragorn."- He interrupted.
"... Aragorn. And my lady?"- She asked Death.
"Call me Mistress."- Death said without taking her eyes off the profile of Aragorn's face.
"Aragorn and Mistress, Arishem's message wasn't informative about your role and how it correlates with ours."- Ajak said.
"There won't be much cooperation, honestly. The Obelisks—don't damage them. You can drop Deviants inside if you manage to capture some."- Ajak made an uncomfortable face at Aragorn's words.
"But you don't need to, just in case."- Aragorn clarified. "That techy guy seemed like the type who would attempt to mess with my Obelisks. He can study them, but he can't modify anything. The Halo—the ringworld—is off-limits.
"On the separate continent—not the cold one in the magnetic north, but the long one past the magnetic south—there's a territory belonging to a civilization I oversee. You're allowed entry, but don't try to bring any of those guys out. They would die for reasons you don't need to know."- Aragorn concluded.
{A/N: Because the planet is spherical, the shortest distance to America from Mesopotamia (Iraq) is by going north. The south magnetic pole is actually in the north, and Aragorn uses this nomenclature because the Eternals don't follow Terran conventions.}
"A civilization, you say? Is the world isolated from them?"- Ajak asked, concerned about the interaction between humans and an advanced civilization.
"It is. You don't have to worry about anything from inside the Isthmus affecting the humans. In fact, if your tech guy wants to go crazy over there, he's welcome to."- Aragorn replied.
"That will make Phastos happy..."- Ajak commented, dragging her words.
"If you want to say something, then do so. I only bite those I love."- Aragorn said as if he hadn't just mentioned something weird.
"About the Emergence."- Ajak skillfully ignored the unnecessary information she hadn't asked for. "Could you please not mention it to the others?"
"... Why?"- Aragorn tilted his head in confusion. Death mimicked him by reflex, too focused on his profile.
"We are the heroes of our own story, and on a cosmic scale, our work for the Celestials makes us heroes. But if they knew the true purpose of our work, it might tarnish their hearts. From heroes to planetary butchers."- Ajak said, her eyes reflecting the weight in her heart.
"Ah, you don't need to worry about that. I've been working with Tiamut on it. At this point, we have five different ways to carry out the Emergence without cracking the planet."- Aragorn said.
Although they did have that many ways to handle the Emergence, so far, only one method could be replicated by the Celestials—the one he was building the Obelisks for. But it was true that even if that method were to fail, Aragorn could extract Tiamut without cracking the planet.
"I-Is that true?"- Ajak asked, her artificial heart skipping a beat, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes, it's why I'm here. I've been working on this for the past 290,000 years. I would feel plenty inadequate as a Cosmic Entity if I had nothing to show for it after that long."- Aragorn scoffed.
"T-That—thank you very much. That means a lot to us."- Ajak said, smiling from the bottom of her heart.
"Yeah, sure. You're welcome. I have my reasons, but it's all right."- Aragorn said dismissively.
"Pfft! You sound like a tsundere, My Love."- Death giggled.
"... Ah, you're right. I did sound like a tsundere—except I meant it."- Aragorn chortled.
Not long after, the Eternals were invited to the "city" the humans belonged to. As was standard, it was built around an Obelisk.
Death and Aragorn parted ways with the Eternals and went to the Obelisk.
"Head, Mistress."- A young Lucelvi doing her mandatory military service nodded respectfully at them.
"Hello, Marvienay."- Aragorn greeted her with a wave of his tail—his hands were occupied holding Death's legs as he piggybacked her.
"Will you be here for long?"- Marvienay asked.
"Probably just a couple of centuries. I'm going to collect some of the local Deviants the humans in this area attract."- Aragorn explained, ignoring Death nibbling on his ear, taking advantage of her carried position.
"Oh, alright. I'll let the regiment in charge of this Obelisk know."- Marvienay said while tapping her P-Link.
Her P-Link was the imperial version of Aragorn's, the product of thousands attempting to emulate the original design. The result was a faithful copy—still a copy—but nonetheless an incredible piece of technology.
"I cleaned the topmost floor three days ago, Head. If you desire another floor for your stay, please let me know."- She added.
"No, that's alright. I'll be storing the Deviants on the underground floors before delivering them to another Obelisk. If you have anything down there, please move it above ground."- Aragorn said.
"No need, Head. I'm staying on the floor below the topmost. I like the view up high."- She said.
"Alright, Marvienay. We'll be on our way. Ah, there's a group of Celestial representatives—they might drop by."- Aragorn added.
"So that was the origin of the spaceship ASTRA detected entering the planet. I'll let her know."- She said, tapping her P-Link once more.
"Are we allowed to interact meaningfully?"- She asked.
"Yes, but if you discover anything about them—their bodies in particular—have ASTRA run it through Spark or Seraph before sharing it with them."- Aragorn cautioned.
"Noted, Head. Have a good evening!"- She said cheerfully.
"Weird kid."- Death commented.
"All Duskari are weird—in a good way, but weird."- Aragorn added.
"Yeah. Do you remember the guy who wanted to be added to James' harem?"- Death asked amid giggles.
"The weird part wasn't that he was homosexual, but that he was aiming so high and was so stubborn about it."- Aragorn chuckled.
"Then he went and dedicated his whole life to it."- Death said.
"The foundations for the new generation of Space Citadels, the rulebook for modern terraformation, the analysis compendium for resource planet selection, the establishment of one and a half new planetary territories during his lifespan—these and many more achievements earned him a place in the Northern Scale of Light. And he did all of it just to get James' attention and earn a spot in his heart."- Aragorn said in disbelief.
"Reminds me of Luxena's father... Maybe all successful Duskari are obsessed with something."- Death mused.
"I can't fault that logic, can I? Not with so many names engraved on my scale."- Aragorn added.
The draconic couple moved to the top floor, where they remained for about a year. For reasons left unsaid, Marvienay had to relocate to a lower level, she said something about not sleeping.
Time blurred, and Phastos, Ajak, and Druig became regulars at the Obelisk.
Phastos was enthralled by the structure's technology. Even though the Obelisk was a wonder of both science and magic, in his eyes, it was all technology.
"Aragorn, I can't wait to visit the Isthmus."- Phastos said.
"That's the 25,698th time I've heard that. Why don't you just drop by?"- Aragorn asked.
"He can't. Ajak wants us all working together."- Druig said, holding a tall wooden cup of hydromel.
"And for good reason I do, we are a team."- Ajak added.
"I see. Then you'll just have to wait a few thousand years until you make it to America."- Aragorn said, eyeing the depressed telepath.
"That's so long!"- Phastos complained.
"By the way, why do you call that continental mass America?"- Phastos asked, his curiosity leading him.
"In the future that was meant to be, it was called that, so I took its name."- Aragorn said.
"Ah! There it is—you talk about time as if it weren't a mostly unexplored, wonderful field."- Phastos exclaimed.
"I've told you already: time is another dimension I can move within or outside of. Our understanding of time couldn't be more different. In fact, you probably know more about the time field than I do. It comes naturally to me, so I never studied it."- Aragorn said, refilling Druig's cup.
"Thanks, my upper-dimensional bartender."- Druig said in his usual detached, depressive tone.
"Eh? How do you know the word bartender?"- Aragorn asked.
"The Fifth Duskari in charge of this Obelisk told me about it."- Druig replied.
"You know, Druig, hydromel is the oldest form of alcoholic beverage."- Aragorn said.
"What are you trying to say?"- Druig asked.
"That there are other, more appealing variants in the food storage. Why do you only drink that?"- Aragorn asked curiously.
"It gives me a feeling of bleakness—like life."- Druig said.
"Aniki almighty! You're one depressing immortal."- Aragorn cackled.
"I take offense at that! ...How do you do it?"- Druig asked in a more somber tone.
"What?"- Aragorn tilted his head.
"You know what? How do you cope with not intervening when you have the power to do so?"- Druig asked. They stood on one of the floors that offered a clear view of the battlefield in the distance. The locals were fighting—again.
"Ah, I don't care about them. Haven't I said this multiple times? It's why that softhearted Sersi of yours doesn't like me much."- Aragorn said.
"If you don't care about them, then why have you invested time in them? Based on their stories, what we've unearthed with the Domo's scans, and what the Duskari have shared, you've shepherded them for ages. Don't you feel... I don't know, annoyed, mad, enraged—something—when you see them waste their lives like that?"- Druig gestured with his mug toward the clashing fronts in the distance.
"Mmm... Ah! I think I've discovered where our inflection point is."- Aragorn said.
"I've known humanity for a long time, so this"—he pointed at the bloodshed—"is what I've always expected of them."
"You can't be disappointed or anything when what happened was exactly what you expected, can you?"- Aragorn asked.
"...They won't change. Is that what you're saying?"- Druig asked.
"No, they won't. But don't make the mistake of believing they're all the same. Individually, they're quite the curious souls."- Aragorn said.
"If you had put it that way to Sersi, she wouldn't hate you so much."- Ajak interjected.
"What was wrong with what I said?"- Aragorn asked.
"Do you really not know?"- Ajak asked. Aragorn shook his head.
"You said, 'They are no different from wild apes in my eyes. Why would I care about them after the point of my interest?' Do you really see nothing wrong with that?"- Ajak asked.
"I'm smart-ish, so I understand what you're getting at, but I don't understand why Sersi thought to apply her thought frame to me."- Aragorn said.
"What thought frame?"- Ajak asked, confused.
"Well, what am I?"- Aragorn asked, looking at Ajak and the other two.
"A higher-dimensional being inhabiting a local-dimensional recipient."- Phastos answered. He waved his hand and projected a display of his findings about Aragorn.
"Good answer. A bit lacking in depth, but I'll give you a passing grade—just because you're my A-student and I have a preference for you, as all teachers do."- Aragorn said, forming an "A" with psionic energy and hovering it above Phastos' head.
"The most cynical, realist, cold, and emotionally intelligent being I know."- Druig said.
"From your over-emotional perspective, that's a good answer. B."- Aragorn said, hovering a "B" over Druig.
"A helper of the Celestials we serve."- Ajak replied.
"Booo! That's the most mediocre response. F."- Aragorn declared, making a huge "F" hover above her.
"What's the point of this?"- Ajak asked, channeling cosmic energy through her hands and waving them to disperse the "F."
"The point is, I don't see Sersi scolding a tiger for the prey it hunts. Did she get mad at the storm that drove a flock of sheep away last season? Is she angry at the sun for giving humans melanoma? Does she blame the sea for the victims it drowns every year? I don't think so. So why does she hate me for not caring about humans?"- Aragorn said.
Phastos and Ajak fell into contemplative silence.
"...I wish I could be like you when it comes to them. But I care."- Druig admitted, downing the rest of his hydromel.
"Hey, Aragorn!"
The contemplative mood was disrupted by a wild Firebird.
"Jean, what's up?"- Aragorn turned to greet her.
"The dimensional veil is coming up soon."- Jean said.
"Ah, Agamotto. Did our demons say their goodbyes?"- Aragorn asked.
"Yeah, it was quite the emotional event. The Duskari sent them off with a few criminal souls—they were very touched."- Jean said.
"They owe those demons a lot. Tens of thousands of years of service, propelling each new generation with their invasion tactics, herding Deviants into the Isthmus... I should carve their names into the Northern Scale of Light."- Aragorn said.
"That's a nice touch. I'll tell Wanda so she can inform them. Speaking of Wanda, she added them to her peerage."- Jean said.
"Oh? Dukes?"- Aragorn asked, making space on his bean bag and patting it, offering it to Jean.
"Yep. Now there's Duke Blaze, those three, and a few others Wanda found during her conquests."- Jean said, sitting next to him and waving at the Eternals.
"Oh, you haven't met them yet, right? The one with the MILF vibes is Ajak, the depressing one is Druig, and the one trying to dismantle you with his eyes for study is Phastos."- Aragorn said.
"How can you introduce someone like that?"- Ajak sighed in resignation.
"Hello, I'm Ajak, the Prime Eternal."- She extended her hand to Jean.
"Hello, Ajak. I'm Jean, the Phoenix Host."- Jean replied.
"Druig."- Druig gave a lazy wave with his mug, then shot a look at Aragorn—one he understood immediately. With a flick of his tail, Aragorn refilled Druig's cup with hydromel.
"I'm Phastos, by the way. That armor—it's seamless. Is it Celestial armor, nanotech, printed attire, or energy-based like Aragorn's?"- Phastos launched into a barrage of eager questions.
"It's the Phoenix's Raiment. It's a construct of psionic energy and something she calls Mysterium."- Jean replied.
"Mysterium?"- Phastos asked, his HUD lighting up with streams of information on metallic elements and compounds.
"She made it by condensing kirbons harvested from the White Hot Room. She imbued her concepts into it."- Jean explained.
"I would love to meet this Phoenix lady. Condensing kirbons?! That's about as elevated as our higher-dimensional friend by your side!"- Phastos exclaimed.
"Lady? Do you not know about Abstracts?"- Jean arched a brow.
"Abstracts?"- Phastos repeated.
"They're what comes after the Celestials in power—in most cases, at least."- Jean said.
"PFFT! *COUGH!*"- Druig nearly choked on his mead.
"What?"- Ajak asked, frowning. Phastos, meanwhile, was too deep in the implications of her words to contribute further.
"What kind of education did Arishem give his Eternals?"- Jean turned to Aragorn.
"The kind limited to their objective."- Aragorn replied.
The human battle was winding down, so Aragorn split off a TemporarySelf and sent it to heal those who could still be saved.
Those too far gone had their souls extricated and added to the reincarnation system Jean had built to transfer souls from the Isthmus to the Ark. After the two territories merged—and the system became vestigial—Aragorn had kept it running for this particular purpose.
The collected souls were then used in the artificial birthing matrix (ABMax) and given new life as infants. ABMax was most commonly employed when colonizing new planets or, in rare cases, when population growth lagged behind territorial expansion.
"Well, I'm sorry, Ajak. If Arishem deemed it unnecessary, you'll have to ask him about it. Or Aragorn, here—Arishem won't make a fuss if Aragorn is the source."- Jean said, pointing at him.
"Aragorn?"- Ajak looked at him.
"What exactly is your relationship with him?"- Druig asked.
"We're collaborators with similar roles in the universe. Celestials are gardeners of creation. They promote healthy life and, in some cases, remove unhealthy life. I'm more of a protector of life-cum-pest exterminator. I also fix problems or suggest better solutions if they concern life at a universal or higher level."- Aragorn explained in an obtuse manner.
"That says a lot of nothing."- Druig deadpanned.
"No, no, this actually says a lot."- Phastos murmured, utterly absorbed in his sea of data.
Ajak remained silent, deciding she'd ask Arishem about this if the opportunity arose.
"Oh, here it comes."- Jean said, her slitted, bright green eyes fixed on the horizon.
"What does?"- Druig asked.
"The new dimensional veil."- Aragorn answered.
In the distance, beyond the horizon, a vast wall of warm orange and soft green loomed forward. To Jean and Aragorn, it appeared translucent, like the delicate veil of a bride. To the Eternals, however, it was invisible.
"Mmm, I can't get the correct frequency, but I can detect it."- Phastos muttered, rapidly fiddling with his HUD and tech, trying to lock onto it.
"Oh..."- Aragorn voiced out.
"Oh? Those are never good."- Jean said, half serious, half chuckling.
"What happened?"- Ajak asked.
"Agamotto... That child didn't account for the budding Noosphere."- Aragorn said.
"Okay, and where's the world-sundering problem?"- Jean asked.
"Does it have to be a world-sundering problem? Isn't there already enough tragedy and death?"- Druig asked.
"All 'Oh's' are world-sundering problems. Just wait for it."- Jean said.
"The Noosphere is every thought, dream, nightmare, emotion, desire, delirium, and piece of knowledge generated by mortals, gathered in a field above the exosphere. It's a semi-realm, one that doesn't interact with life—it only receives, it doesn't output."- Aragorn said.
"I can see where this is going."- Jean said.
"I can't."- Druig said.
"The dimensional veil is normally a shield that protects from extradimensionals, and usually that's it. But during its activation, it acts like a snowplow—except instead of snow, it's plowing and pushing away all manner of extradimensional free energy that could be used as anchor points.
"These free energies are being expelled from the planet to disperse into outer space, where the ambient Cosmic Energy would dilute them... but the Noosphere is in the way. So the energy will give a form of actuality to the concepts with which these energies resonate."- Aragorn said.
"Does that mean what I think it means?"- Jean asked with a twitching eye.
"The energy being expelled comes mostly from demonic beings or the sort, so the objects of resonance in the Noosphere will be those thoughts, nightmares, deliriums, and fears that are 'evil' in nature."
And with Aragorn's words, the veil passed over them.
Then, all manner of monsters became visible—the products of human and Duskari fears.
Some "harmless" fears—like the fear of Aragorn's spider-chans—manifested as towering dimensional-psionic energy constructs that dominated the seas. Even the fear of drowning was embodied in the waters. So long as no one stepped in, nothing would happen, making them relatively harmless.
Then there were the land-based fears—spiders, insects, wasps, bees, and more.
But then...
"What the fuck are those, Aragorn?"- Jean pointed at the giant abstract constructs dominating the skies.
"If I got this right, those should be some of the primal fears. Fear of darkness—which manifested through James' form, which I think is cool—heights—a giant Obelisk, so pretty much a normal Obelisk—predators—undoubtedly a Deviant—death—obviously that manifested through Noona's form, it's beautiful—isolation—which has got to be a wide empty cave—loss of autonomy—it's a monster of threads—separation—something like a cleave—and... that's me."- Aragorn pointed at the eldritch-looking monsters which, once named, took the shapes he described.
"Why did they take shape when you named them?"- Jean glared at him.
"Hey! I did it for everyone's good. Otherwise, there was the risk of a cognito hazard."- Aragorn defensively said.
"And 'me.' Are you a primal fear? How did that happen?"- Jean demanded.
"I think the humans and Duskari took their fear of the unknown and used me as its effigy. That's not my fault, I've been nothing but Aniki-sent to these apes."- Aragorn raised his hands in a show of innocence.
"*GNU*"- Jean gnashed her teeth violently.
"By the way, not to add to your ire, Firebird—"
"—What now?"- Jean interrupted.
"—but there's some of my and Phoenix's psionic energy mixed in there. Agamotto deemed us extradimensional enough and tried to push our raw energy away. We let it happen to avoid killing him, but it backfired."- Aragorn said with a sheepish smile.
"How can he consider Phoenix's energy foreign? Psionic energy is innate to any realm with thinking beings."- Jean asked.
"It's because your psionic energy is mixed with mine, so it tried to push mine away and dragged Phoenix's along with it."- Aragorn said.
"..."- Jean glared harder.
"I'm going to gather my Eternals to mount an offensive front."- Ajak said.
"Yeah..."- Aragorn said.
"What?"- Jean asked, sensing something off in his tone.
"Energy and matter can't be created or destroyed, unless you wield concepts. Those are energy constructs."- Aragorn said.
"They can't be destroyed—only dispersed—to reform afterward."- Phastos explained.
"If Jean here knew how to wield her concept of destruction, she could deal with it. Or you could ask Phoenix or me, but..."- Aragorn smirked.
"But what?!"- Jean growled.
"I don't wanna."- Aragorn smiled brightly. The cries of despair and panic provided the background music for his statement.
"..."- Jean narrowed her eyes.
"It's Phoenix, isn't it?"- Jean asked.
"She doesn't want to either, but I also think you should take care of this. Get James to help you and Yao to help Agamotto. Ajak's team can help protect the mortals—I'll even allow them to stay in the Obelisks until the situation is handled. You can't ask any of the extradimensionals of our pantheon, but any of those currently on Earth are fair game."- Aragorn said, as if explaining the rules of a game.
"... I hate you."- Jean said.
"And I would end multiverses for you."- Aragorn made a floating heart of psionic energy, filled with his :Love: for her, and sent it toward Jean.
She glared at the heart, and it ignited in cosmic fire.
"Well, I've heard enough. I'll see if I can control some of those psionic monsters."- Druig said in an uncharacteristically uplifting tone. He was happy about being of help and preventing bloodshed for once.
Jean glared at Aragorn a second longer, then disappeared in a burst of flames.
In the sky, the Aragorn-shaped fear's eyes caught fire and howled in pain—only for the eyes to regenerate.
"Such a rebellious Firebird. Don't you think?"- Aragorn asked. Before the Eternals could reply, something else did.
"I like her this way."
Phoenix appeared, perched on one of Aragorn's horns. She extended one wing toward the eternal flame, poking at it curiously.
The Eternals stared at the phoenix but decided to move out and get ready to help.
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