Night Two Hundred And Five
Age 1994
'This is totally not an April Fools Chapter, and you're crazy if you think that it is...'
"Hero... Hero wake up." The voice of Emma, the Red Sister from Squad Seven said as her hand gently shook the sleeping nineteen year old snow haired boy.
"What..." Hero's eyes slowly opened as he looked up finding Emma above him.
"Hi Hero. Or should I say Captain of the new Thirteenth Squad. Or would you rather be called Emperor of the Red Nation?"
"Oh... Emma." Hero gave a large grin as he set up. Emma wasn't standing over him though. Rather she was in the same bed as him. He grabbed the woman pulling her closer to him for a moment pressing her body against his own. "Sorry. I had an odd dream."
"Odd dream? You mean the one where the world is still in ruins. Honestly I don't know why you keep having that strange nightmare. After all you won. You beat God. You took the Heart. You killed the Squid. You saved the Multiverse itself. You are. A Hero! It's just a shame that somehow every male Enforcer other than you died. At least you made it out though. My Hero."
Hero gave a wide grin kissing the Red Sister on the lips. "Thanks for that. You lot always know how to make me feel better." He slowly stood up. "I think I'm gonna head down. I got a lot to do today."
"Okay. Be safe."
Hero gave a grin as he walked over to the window opening it. "I always am." He said leaping out as a pair of golden aura dragon wings morphed out of his back and he flew outside apparently living in a castle on the moon. Yes. He had stolen the home of God himself. He gazed at Planet Earth for a moment as he flew towards it. A bright pretty blue planet. Gone were those ugly gray skies...
As Hero flew into the planet a ring of fire covering him, he landed down on the green grass of a massive golden tower. Two woman stood awaiting him. One was Thorn the girl from Squad Two, and the other was Ava, the girl from Squad Five.
"Hero." Ava said running towards him and jumping into his arms as his wings vanished.
"Hey Ava." Hero grinned pulling her in for a kiss and somehow not being affected by her melting based powers.
"Welcome back Emperor Hero." Thorn said blankly bowing.
Hero gave a bow to her as well, and a kiss on the cheek making the doll like girls face turn a small red shade despite the fact she didn't move or react. "Any status reports I should know about?" He asked.
"Crime is still mostly down." Ava announced.
"Great." Hero said pushing past the two girls. "I'm sure some others can handle it. I promised Irene I'd meet her down in the hall for breakfast. She was not happy I missed it last time." He laughed. He entered the halls of the golden tower which used to be the base of the Enforcers. Of course there was no more need for the Enforcers anymore. He was the Emperor of the Red, Blue, White, and Green Nation, as well as the one who wiped out the Bestia Macht. Only thing left in this world was a few criminals who just didn't get it...
"You're late!" Irene announced slamming a hit into her husbands head and knocking Hero over.
"Ow! Irene."
"You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" She huffed. "The food is likely cold at the point."
Hero gave a small grin. "I'm sorry."
"You were busy with Emma weren't you."
"...Well..."
"Hero!"
"I'm really sorry!" Hero begged holding his arms up. "But I promise I'm hear now." His leg came out as he knocked her over catching her as she fell. He gave a small grin as her face became a small shade of red. "Here. Let me make it up to you."
Irene's face turned a small shade of red. "I... Idiot... We still have the eat."
"Right, right." Hero chuckled.
"Oh food? Great! I just finished my job." A voice announced.
The two turned finding the female Kitsune from another world.
"Kit?" Hero asked when he saw her. "You're here."
"Of course I am. After all I heard my Hero would be here." She said grabbing Hero's arm.
"Your Hero..." Irene said slowly her eye twitching.
Hero let out a small nervous chuckle as ice and fire began to fill the room. "Haha... I'm in trouble."
***
Sometime Later...
"Is it to much work?" Sera, from Squad Seven, asked.
"Nah." Hero yawned resting back. He rested in his office now, working on several articles of paper. "I have to get it done after all. I mean I am married to you, and your older sister. I am the Emperor now right. It's my duty to do this." The Chad Hero said.
Sera gave a small smile as she reached out and began to rub his shoulders. "You always work so hard." She hummed.
"Not nearly enough." Hero said shaking his head. "I mean... I got the world I wanted but still. So many were gone. And crime still exists. I have to keep an iron hand on all four Nations and make sure that power doesn't go anywhere. I have to be better. I'll keep crawling forward because of that."
"Oh Hero." She kissed the top of his head and ran her hands through his snow white hair. "I love-"
The door burst open suddenly flying into the room and slamming into the wall. The two turned and watched as Lucy Case from Squad Seven walked into the room, a blank look on her face. "I did the math, and it is now my turn to have Hero." She said in her usual robotic way.
Hero let out a small chuckle. "S... Sorry Lucy. I'm kind of busy-"
Her suitcase slammed down on the desk smashing it in and knocking all the papers down. "My turn." She said blankly.
Sera let out a small chuckle. "Good luck Hero." She said slowly walking out of the room.
"Sera! Sera! Sera don't leave me!"
"My time." Lucy said grabbing him.
"Please don't use the tentacles." Hero asked.
There was a quiet click as her suit case opened. "We're using tentacles."
***
Hero let out a wince as he set down. Sitting across from him was Lillian Aka, the Empress of the Red Nation and another one of his wives.
"Your late." She noted as she took a sip from her cup of tea.
"Sorry about that." Hero said grabbing his own cup. "I was... Busy."
Aka let out a small hum resting her tea down. "Than I suppose we should get to business."
"I suppose we should." Hero nodded. "But before that... I was wondering."
"Hmm?" The woman raised him an eyebrow.
"Does this... Does this all seem a little weird to you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I mean this all... It seemed to have gone to right hasn't it." Hero hummed.
"I don't know why you would think that. You beat Master Storm at his own game plunging your clawed hand into his heart. You killed God with you Rage Canon. You drilled a hole through the core to get to the Heart. You used your shield and kept us safe from the Squid. You are a Hero. You're my Hero. Our... Hero."
Hero frowned for a moment. "I used those forms... Didn't I get any new ones... Like my Level 2 or-"
"There is still much to talk about." Aka announced grabbing his hand and giving him a smile.
"Oh... You're right." Hero said shaking his head. "S... Sorry... It's just that with those dreams... Well I've been having trouble focusing is all."
"It's quiet alright. Now come. Let's discus what it is we'll do about the borders of the new Nation you wish to build."
***
Some time later.
Hero let out a small sigh as he slowly moved to a door. It was one of his rooms that he had on Earth. He was about to open it but stopped when he saw the light of the sun.
The blue sun casted its pretty, blue glow down on the planet making Hero smile for a moment as he stared at it. "It's so pretty."
'Are you a fool.'
"What?" Hero frowned when he heard the voice. "...Row?"
'The sun... We've seen it... From Orion's memories... Since when is it blue...'
"What do you..."
'Enter...'
Hero shook his head as the voice faded away. He slowly pushed the door open as he entered it that strange feeling passing him over. On the inside he saw Ken resting in bed.
"Ken!" Hero asked shocked when he saw her.
"Hero!" Ken smiled when she saw him but that didn't put him at ease.
"Why are you in my room?"
"It's my turn silly?"
"Your... Turn?"
"My Hero time."
"What? No... You're not in my harem... I mean if I've done my math and this is Age 1994 that would mean I'm nineteen years old, and you'd be seventeen! I can't go to jail for that! Plus Shelly would beat my ass!"
Ken frowned as she stared at the man. "Are you feeling okay Hero?" She asked slowly sitting up in bed. She took a step towards him and he stepped back feeling the wall press against his back. "Hero..." She took a step towards him letting out a huff. "Honestly I can't believe the way you're acting... I guess I have to snap you out of it don't I."
"K... Ken?"
The image began to change for a moment and Hero blinked finding himself standing in a simple wooden room Moonlight shining through the window. In front of him a simple chair rested. In the chair Hella could be seen. She was older now, and her belly was round. She was pregnant. Pregnant with his child-
Wait...
Since when did he have romantic feelings for Hella?
"What do you mean silly?" Hella asked speaking as if she had read his mind. "We've always loved each other?"
"No... No we haven't." Hero frowned shaking his head. "You told me already... You don't love me. Not me at least. You like Hero Otoko... I'm just a stand in. Just like you're a stand in for me... There was some love but it wasn't a romantic love like this... I never would have gotten you..."
"You're making this hard to follow." Hella sighed. The image around her seemed to change and resting in the chair was once again Lillian Aka the Empress. "Is this better?" She asked rubbing her still pregnant stomach. The form changed once more turning into Lucy. Than Irene. "Or maybe this?"
"W... What the hell is this." Hero hissed.
She stood up and her form changed once more into Shelly though this time she thankfully wasn't pregnant. "What's wrong Hero." She asked reaching out and grabbing his right arm. She placed it over her heart only... He didn't feel a heart beat. "You don't love me anymore. Even after we had a kid together."
"W... What?"
Shelly slowly faded away and a darkness began to seep into the room.
No...
Not a darkness.
Nothingness.
He felt the floor break from underneath him as he began to fall and he saw the tentacles of the beast... The Squid...
The one who waits at the end of all.
"Did you really think I wouldn't take notice of you when you looked into my realm... Where are you from. I'm very... Very... Hungry." The mouth of the beast began to pull open and Hero saw it. Millions- No! Billions of worlds that this creature had devoured. He saw them all. And... He saw a third world... Something else...
Than...
He woke up.
Or...
He went back to sleep.
"That was a close one..."
"W... What..." Hero's eyes slowly opened. He was laid back in an ocean of red now. Above him someone stood. A boy his age with messy snow white hair and ruby red eyes. "Aw... Not you Row." Hero groaned.
"Not quite." The boy smirked.
"What?"
"I'm Hero. Hero Law. Or rather... I'm the first Hero."
"I'm the second." Hero looked over and saw another boy with snow white hair and ruby red eyes.
"And I'm the third." Finally there was a third Hero with snow white hair and ruby red eyes.
"What the hell!" Hero asked moving away from his three... Selves?
"You must be a little confused right?" The first Hero said. His right hand had a white marble in it and he held the Wolfs Bane in his off hand.
"I'm sure we can explain if we talk about it." The second Hero said. His Equation was the same as the thirds but smaller.
And the third had the Equation Hero had before Otoko stole it and he had to create his new one. "It's a little complicated." The third sighed.
"What the hell is going on!" Hero asked.
"Well... Let's put it like this. I'm Third. He's Second. The one with the Sword is First. And you're Fourth. Currently your mind snapped and you broke when you entered your level 2 form... All those Emotions... The dark power of nothingness. The desire to push forward... You kind of broke yourself." Third sighed. "A feeling I know all to well since unlike those two I've done it so I get it kid."
"W... What the hell do you mean?" Hero frowned.
First stepped forward. "It's my fault really..." First sighed. "You see... It happened whenever I went on my first big Quest... I failed... That Doll... She died..."
"Y... Yeah... I remember that? So what?" Hero asked.
"Well... I did what Row did." Hero shrugged. "You see... Row gave up... And he made me... I gave up... And I made him." He said gesturing to the second Hero.
"Wait..." Hero said slowly. "You mean..."
"I was up next." Second sighed. "I did a lot better. After All First Managed to unlock some new forms. I had his memories but was different. My friends noticed though. I seemed like someone else because I was. I didn't give up like First though... In my fight with Jester she woke Row up. The real Row. Well I didn't come back... I couldn't. I was asleep. Row was going to take over my body so I made Third. Once again he had all my memories and all of Firsts but his own ways of thinking..."
"I did the best so far." Third bragged. "At least... At least until North... I gave into despair... Ran my hand through his chest... It broke me... So instead of doing the good thing I fell... And I threw all my issues at you. Sorry about that."
"This doesn't make any sense..." Hero said stumbling back. "Y... You're saying Row... Row made a Hero... And that Hero made a Hero, and that Hero, made a Hero, and that Hero made me?"
"I guess you could say that." Third Shrugged. "There were actually others than First... They faded though... Fully into nothingness. That damn Squid got them... The first Hero was the one who made your Daughter. But he gave up when he got Okami killed. A few others have been there since then but as I said they're gone..."
"W... Where are we then... How am I able to talk to you... Did... Did I make a fifth Hero."
"No." Second said shaking his head. "You're here because... Well you're other half took over..."
"Other... Ha- Shit! You're saying Row has my body!"
"Yeah." First sighed. "That level 2 form... He kind of took over... So you're asleep right now... Welcome to our spot of nothingness. We can't talk to you until you're here since we're less than asleep."
"Shit. How do I get back." Hero asked.
"You can't and you shouldn't." Third said bluntly.
"What?"
"Listen." Third frowned for a moment. "I'm the latest Hero not counting you. I also had to talk to Row if you recall... I know his power... Row right now... Your berserker mind has over taken him... All that madness is inside of him while you rest... Until he goes back to sleep you can't do anything. And I think that's good."
"How the hell is that good!" Hero yelled.
"Because." Third sighed. "Row is... Dangerous. Currently he's Mad and can only use your level 2 form... That's good because it means he isn't anywhere near his level of true power... Row must not be able to take our body over... If he does... It's better if you die."
"Why the hell do I have to die to stop him!" Hero yelled. "I had a fail safe. Ken is... She's going to snap me out of this."
"Listen." Second said stepping forward. "Please... Master Storm told you right... You have one more use... One more use of that Dream Crest... Once you use it one more time you won't be able to."
"Because if I do Row will wake up." Hero said rolling his eyes. "Yeah. I get it."
"No... You don't." First said shaking his head. "And that's our fault... Fourth-"
"My name is Hero Law."
"It's better for us to die because it means Row won't get our body." Third sighed.
"I won't use that one charge." Hero said rolling his eyes. "I just wont use it. Or if I do I'll be extra certain not to do it anymore since after that he'll wake up."
"...Fourth. Listen." First said staring him down despite the fact he was the weakest Hero there. "That's not the issue... I trust that you won't use that charge up on something you need it for... I failed... He failed... Third failed... You'll fail. I gave up. He got put to sleep. And he gave into despair... You're giving into Rage... It's only a matter of time... It'll be by accident... But you'll fall into this place as well... And when you do... You'll make a Hero to take your place... However if that happens... Even if you didn't use up your charge that Hero would be down one... And he wouldn't know he was made so in the future he could try to use the Dream Crest not knowing his one time use was up. Or worse... He could give up as well and made a sixth Hero but since there's no charge it would wake Row up fully and give him our body."
"You... Think I'm going to give up?"
"I mean..." Second looked away for a moment. "We did you know... Plus... Third didn't exactly give you a full deck of cards to play with... You might have all that power but you got all our issues and then some... And you're already on the verge of giving into Hate... That's what's fueling your second form... You might not slip up and use that charge... But you breaking... That'll happen."
"Honestly. I was expecting you to have given up already." Third snorted. "I mean... I thought it was happening with that Daughter..."
Hero turned away. "I can't believe you all."
"Fourth-"
"My name. Is Hero Law. Son of Okami Otoko, Mary Law, Piero Law, and Yoshi. I am a Dream created by Row Law. And I'm not about to listen to Ghosts."
"You're being selfish!" First yelled.
"I'm being selfish..." Hero glared at all three of them. "I'm... Being... Selfish... Well you're not one. But don't try and act like you're all innocent. Like hell I would ever trust the advice of someone who gave up."
"We're you-"
"No." Hero shook his head. "I'm more than a Dream. I'm more than any of that. I have friends. They care about me. And I care about them. I'm alive. And I'll keep crawling forward. Because I exist. You three failed because you all failed to grow. You gave up... I'll admit there are times when it gets hard. Time when I feel like the world itself is crushing me... But there's one thing that makes me different from all of you. While you three tried to hold the worlds problems on your shoulders... I was punched in the face by Kitsune Nine... And you want to know what he told me... He told me they'd be there. They'd be there to help me out. So I'm not going to give up." Hero announced. "I'm Hero Law. And I finally get it. I won't Dream Better Dreams. I won't become a better version of myself. None of that... I'll do it my way. I'll fall down, and count on my friends to drag me back up to my feet. And if I ever think about giving up, I know... They'll be there to punch me across the face!"
"Think about what you're saying!" Third yelled. "You're betting it all on the fact your friends will make you happy enough to not make another one of us? If you're really right then why the hell didn't they help any of us!"
"Because." Hero gave a smile as he turned away. "You never asked them to. Did you. Besides. If I've literally changed Hero's I wonder how they changed... I'll do something else none of you did... I'll make sure I'm there to drag them back up when they also fall. We'll hold each other up! So come at me. God, Row, Squid, or even myself! Because you're not just fighting me!"
Suddenly the Void began to change as Third hissed. "Shit... Row got knocked out... He's waking back up." He growled as he glared at Hero. "Listen... Don't... You... Dare... Don't you dare screw up. Not even once. You can't give up... Ever... No matter what..."
Hero turned around giving a wave. "No need to worry about that. I might fail every now and then... But I won't quit. I'm... Me."
Suddenly...
He opened his eyes finding an annoyed Ken standing above him.
"Finally." Ken sighed crossing her arms. "Geez if I hadn't stepped in you'd have killed that woman... Who was she anyways... And what was that power."
Hero let out a groan as he stared at her. Then slowly he turned to look at the bag of clothes before cracking a smile. "You know." Hero said slowly sitting up. "I don't really get it either."