"W-what..?" Ben was baffled at this, formerly stuck in place from his soul being crushed between the invisible fingers of God's Hand, had now started to rise, as per Almighty's command with a simple flick of a
"Gods should not be as flawed as humans, I, Zeus, Odin, all incarnations of me are, without a doubt- biased. Zeus would cull the humans to make those women his slaves and sex toys, Odin would rather live without them, and I… I don't have the gall to do this. Sacrificing the lives of a lofty sum is inconsequential compared to the genocide of trillions. Humans were birthed from me, they are Subjects of Noah, Noah, like you, is my son. I will create a sole world that evolved into the future, and you have to make the choice. Destroy all the other worlds and cast the Black Moon's souls to that world, or don't. Let things return to the way they are, and live on with your life the way it is now. I will be gone, and the world will be without its Creator. In the end, it is all your choice," As Almighty stepped back, He and Ben had now switched places, the Emperor now in front with The Author behind him, Ben overlooked the planetoid below his chin… what a rather magnificent sight.
As the Earth's cycle around the sun accelerated, Rivera witnessed the flow of time before his very eyes, the Moon, the Earth, infinite knowledge, eternal sight, unlimited power- it was all there before his eyes as it was granted to his soul. Every secret kept hidden in God's vault, every mystery not known to humans… every single bit of knowledge had been gifted to him. It was right there, as he soared past the planets and the nebulas' colors changed in a neverending spiral, he entered a gateway opening to another galaxy, where he was met with Celestial beings locked away in the vastness of the Universe's depths. Those roaming around without caring as they strolled around the never-ending void below them, seemingly walking against the nothingness beneath them, Ben… like Azazel was when he touched the Key, way back when, had done nothing more but a glimpse at Eternity's infinite power.
A human with the power of God, achieving a higher status of ascension further than any mortal being in the history of the World, Ben's soul SHOOK to its very foundation. The truth of not only every world born from mankind's collective consciousness but of every secret and unknown in every possible Universe; what more could someone do? After all, before ascending to Godhood, he was a mere superhuman, though with the power to wipe out worlds, the human side had torn apart at these revelations, and he was forced to finally fall to his knees, powerless to everything.
In the grand scheme of the Multiverse, his mother didn't matter, neither did his brother or sister, his sons, his daughters, it was all this moment right here. Because of his father, he was born into this world with a duty to uphold as the Chosen Grandchild of the Almighty Allfather. But what was that duty, and who was he, beyond this specialty, what did the name 'Ben Rivera' mean to the world, and why did it matter?
He was alone in the Void, only the voices of those he'd loved came to him, standing alone as the spotlight shone against his body- a shadow cast onto the ground behind. The Chosen One, the Blessed Emperor of Longing, the Sixth Holy King, Requiem Emperor of Time. In the end, those aliases were nothing but imitations of the true self, a person who had a mother but lost him at 16, with no father until he was 23, isolated from the world for six years after his mother's demise, even more so after Ryder Karlo's supposed death. Why did you run away?
"I didn't… I didn't run away,"
You ran away from everything painful in your life and returned to solitude, you tried to have children, make your own family, and further your lineage, but even that couldn't make you happy. Why was that? Why were you never satisfied with the children you helped give life to? You never realized the true potential of your offspring until it was too late, and you lost the only son you'd ever have. Why did you act so ignorant… and after his death, why did you run away for the third time?
"As I said, I didn't run away!! And… and even if I did, what does it matter..? We all saw the damage I did when I tried to make things right so why should I stand and look at it when I could be away; protecting everyone…"
That is a mere lie you've told yourself to convince your conscience that you were in the right, but in actuality, you hated yourself, more than anyone. You told yourself you did the things you did to protect everyone, ensure they never had to go through something the way you did, but that was just a ploy. You hated yourself so much you couldn't bear to look yourself in the eye, after everything that'd happened, you ran away, you couldn't understand being powerless. Because if you had all that power, why could you do the things you do? What point was there if you couldn't even save your very own mother..?
"SHUT UP!!!!! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!!!!!"
Face the truth. There was nothing you could've done, you couldn't believe that, though, you wanted to make up for your weakness so you looked at other people, you deluded yourself and brought about your downfall. You saw your mother in Ryder, how far he'd fallen because of you, but when he passed on, that was his punishment, it was unfortunate for Ella and you, but that was a rightful ending to his pain. In the end, you couldn't live with that ending, and blamed yourself… even with Henry, Ella, August, you couldn't save any of them. All along, you were just a scared child blaming yourself for something that was entirely out of your control. Your mother's murder was not a result of your weakness, you were scared, paralyzed with fear, you expected yourself to be better but unfortunately, you didn't know… you were just a child,
"You're wrong. I… I… I should've done more..! I should've saved her when I had the chance… if I did, none of this would've happened,"
If you believe that- then bring her back, you have the power. You're now equivalent to God Himself so do it, return your mother to this astral plane and live out your life freely with her. If that is the ending you want for yourself, then you can will it into existence, no one can stop you now, so why should you have to bow down to anyone?
"I…"
You could always go back to the past, travel between alternate universes' past timelines even before God gifted you His strength. So why didn't you? Did you know that you'd want to live with her forever if you went back to see her again? Is this the truth you were running away from but were trying to avoid so hard you started a chain reaction leading to the end of the world…
"No… that's not it,"
You contributed to the infinite cycle of chaos mentioned by The Lord earlier, do you not remember? You had been oppressed as a result of His employment of the Kingdom's services after He influenced Empress Thanatos, and as a result, you, your brother, and your sister laid waste to the pure souls, the population of Heaven. In the ruins of that Dimension, the living Angels repopulated gradually, but the souls that died in the time they had on Earth didn't choose Heaven as the resting place they'd rather stay in eternal nothingness forever waiting for a time that won't arrive in Purgatory. Did you not go back as a result of some righteous ideology? Why did you play into the future God had written out for you, and why didn't you deviate from that path?
"…"
You are now the Allfather, you have access to infinite time, there is no one to judge you, the only ones watching now are your father. But he left you with his final words, and you know, that more than anyone, he has no right to judge you. Do not be afraid to speak your mind, tell the truth; and bring about Happiness to yourself.
"I don't… I don't know how to express it. But… you're right. I was just a child, all this time, through all these years, I've been blaming myself, using it as an excuse for my crimes. But it wasn't my fault, I had a right to be shocked, I'm not the guilty party here- He is. Now, I exist outside time, beyond the threshold of Fate… I can do whatever I want. I could bring her back, succumb Him to an infinite amount of torture, destroy all other worlds, live out my fantasy life with my friends, my family,"
Is that what you truly want? To live out the rest of your short life with the people you love, those you've lost? If that is what you want, then will it.
….
…
Why aren't you doing anything? I thought you wanted to have a perfect life, why are you still here..?
"I'm... I'm so tired,"
Ah, I see. The choice is yours, Mr. Rivera, to bring about the end of the Multiverse and control only one world, the New World. Grants the souls of the absorbed to one world while you watch over as the Creator or don't. In the end, you could do anything you want, with no chains tying you down. The choice… is yours.
As I rose from the ashes of my weaker self, I emerged as the New God of the Old World with my predecessor standing before me, watching as I stood up tall, and proud. I looked down at the Earth, my home, a planet birthed out from the masses' collective consciousness times infinity, and with the power, I held in the tips of my fingers, I stared right at it. The power of God, right in my hand, and as I thought back to the World I'll be leaving behind, the memories I'd made along the way. This was the foretold ending for my story. We are all free from the moment we are born, and none of us are special, no one can tell us our destiny in life, the future is always being written so you have a chance to change it before it's completed,
I stared ahead at my other self, the true self I'd been hiding all along, a reflection of me I'd been hiding for all this time; it was like a mirror. The Universe's end was at the tips of his fingers, all it took was a simple will, the will of the Requiem Emperor of Time; and it could be over. They ran ahead at one another, readying to clash, the Emperor and the Superior fought against one another... for a final time. The Lord was witness to this phenomenon from the sidelines, as He was a mere bystander, He watched on with arms against His back...
"This should be entertaining..." Thought the Former Allfather of Creation aloud,
Their arms clashed together to unleash a shockwave, leaving no effect onto the Void they stood on, Ben jumped back, the Superior flipping in the air momentarily. Clenching his fist together, he charged his soul ablaze with Requiem energy, running right ahead to conjure up a construct to harness the overwhelming surge of radiation. The Requiem Emperor dragging it along the floor as he ran toward his opponent rapidly moving his fingers, the Superior went from Boar to Tiger, puffing out his cheeks expanding his skin on his face, he invoked the Ancient power,
~Ancient Demon Art: Bygone Era!~ A roaring flame had burst out from his mouth in the form of a Hellfire dragon chaotically twirling having been formed from the lit-ablaze air in front of his lips, Ben easily moved out the way.
Jumping right into the air then spinning his body gaining momentum with each passing rotation, he collided his hand with the lengthened grip of Asmodeus, the signature ax conjured from the Superior's demonic blood. Bolts of that energy bouncing outward from his palm, Rivera gritted his teeth feeling the sweat reveal itself from out his pores, the Superior widened his eye only barely- warping out of sight. Ben landing onto his knees, another bolt surged outward from his fingers pushed together harnessing Requiem's chaotic stream, The Superior switched places with it right there,
"Those eyes..." Observed Ben then raising his right arm to block his face, the Superior widened his very own eyes- in shock to see the very sight before his Six Eyes of Sin abruptly awakened.
While he had been very adamant about swinging the end of Asmodeus so it could end up stabbing his other self on the front of his face, it seemed, out of nowhere, the weapon had been switched to the blunt end. Ben had suffered no damage and as a result of this, he had been able to take advantage of this opening, warping behind the Superior, then entangling him into an easy headlock. Falling onto his bottom, he started choking out this illusion... but as he remembered who he was speaking to earlier, he recognized the voice. Could it be? The Superior had been convincing him to forgive himself, but why...? Why would this demon try to make him do what he wanted, tell himself that he mattered in this world when he did so much to hurt him-?
Because I am the manifestation of your true feelings, the version of yourself that had grown tired of humanity's insolence, and gave up with trying to make things better; thereby eradicating mankind and reducing the World to a shell of its former self. I was born from your consciousness, just as the Multiverse was birthed out from a singular world's uncertainty. We are not the true selves, neither is the Former Allfather over there his true form, we are but incarnations of our will. You are the incarnation of your on-the-top persona, while I am that of the consciousness of your true self. The reason the blunt end of Asmodeus hit against the back of your palm instead of the sharper part is that you willed that. You wished not for me to defeat you but for you to defeat me, furthermore, I am trapped in your grasp once again, forever pushed down and locked in a vault of lies you tell yourself not only to make yourself feel better but falsely inspire those around you.
"But... but why are we fighting...?"
What were you going to do when I told you that you had the choice to do whatever? Bring back your mother. Unfortunately, that is something that you can't allow, for it is our will to allow the past to be as it is. You're tired, but not in a sense that you wish for everything to return to the way it was before October 16th, 2012, but in a sense, you want to rest. Ensure the future for mankind, protect the generations to come for eons... finally, you will be able to rest, once and for all. Bring an end to the Multiverse, let your children live the lives they so desperately desire, the ones they deserve... that- is what we both want, isn't it?
"I can't run away anymore... can I?"
As I released my hold on the Superior, I found myself with a sword in my gut, but there was no blood squirting out from the thrust, instead, I stared up at the Incarnation of the truth right in the eyes. This was the End. The Void faded to nothing, and as I stood up from my knelt position, the Former Allfather watched with curiosity visible in His eyes,
"I'll do it... my way,"
The Former Allfather sensed an alteration in his successor's soul, something that should not exist, a conclusion to a story that should never end, the climax to a cycle seemingly neverending insight. But as he reached out with one hand to the New Emperor of Creation, he was wiped away from this world, all with Him not even bothering to face him- there was nothing left of the Malevolent God now. All that was left, was to end it,
"I've never cared about right or wrong, justice or peace, in the end, it was all the same to me, that was what I believed. For some random kid whose mother was dying to be granted the power to alter reality... I'm sorry I can't bring you back, Mother, I'd do this with you, but if I were in your arms- I'd never want to leave again, I can say that without a shadow of a doubt. I need your help, everyone- please," As he willed them into reality, they were all granted vessels to exist here with him, the number of those he'd lost was insurmountable, so he limited it to a certain number.
August, Rose, Ryder, Jason, Madi, Ryder, Alex, Kristina, Azazel, who had been absorbed into the Black Moon had now been surrounding him. Though their personalities differed in a lot of ways, there was one constant through it all, and that was their relationship to this man, the New Allfather of Reality, and as she laid her eyes upon him, Madi gasped. She and her brother ran at the same pace, then embracing their younger sibling, arms interlocking around his neck, Ben chuckled heartedly at their right embrace, rubbing their backs,
"You're alive!" Madisyn cried with sobs audible in her broken voice into her brother's shoulder, whimpers muffled,
"We thought you'd died… thank god you're still here," Jay admitted with tears invisible squeezing out his eyes to drench his corners, pulling back with their sister so Ben could admire their faces, nervously chuckling,
"Unfortunately, brother, we are all dead, technically. I just.. basically killed God after he gave me his power. Turns out, someone like him who was biased about killing humans was unable to do it so- he chose me. I know what to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it," Ben told them all, not only his brother and sister in his arms right now gazing upon his face, but everyone there.
Azazel looked to Ryder, and Ryder to Rose, they were mere bystanders, what more could they do in the face of such unimaginable power? So, Rose pushed Alex forward, and Azazel with August, Reaper, and Judge tumbling onward, their foils gave them a wave, and some last words to go along with it,
"Save the world, Al!" Said Rosey as she jumped to the air, arms spread above,
"Make Celine proud, August," Stated Azazel calmly with his arms crossed over his chest, revealing a soft smile over his lips, Kristina ran on over to her lover.
Giving him a fat old kiss on the lips, Aug couldn't help but happily chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her waist, then watching as he pulled back, their heterochromatic eyes opening. Kristina whispered a phrase into his ear, to which August smiled in response, turning back for just a second to stare at them all… though they weren't here physically, he couldn't hug them, they watched. The ghosts of the friends he'd left behind, gazing on to see what world their precious souls would be implanted within,
"You see them too, huh?" Asked Alex worriedly, his life had ended so prematurely, just staring at them- he knew they wouldn't have a chance to further their lives,
"They're not here. But at least they're resting," August comforted his former pupil, one hand on his shoulder, a gentle tone of voice and all, Amara smiled at this new perspective and walked forward.
Near the back, after Kristina had plopped down onto the floor resting her chin on her knees in front of them, Ryder, with his arms crossed- looking to Azazel to his left. For someone who'd lost his child and wife in one, he seemed so nonchalant and uncaring, he couldn't understand this way of thinking,
"Aren't you upset? Your child, your wife, everyone you know is gone and… you seem fine," Ryder inquired of his younger son, to which Karlo chuckled at the question and smiled,
"I pushed August up for a reason, Old man, I… have faith he'll ensure a proper continuation for their story,"
As August and Alex reached their Requiem relatives, Madi pulled Alex closer with one arm wrapped around his neck, while Jason patted his nephew's shoulder. As they smiled staring upon their father and brother, Ben nodded, turning his body, his hand faced the Earth,
"Until we meet in another world, this is the last time. Goodbye, all of my legacy… Neon Genesis- BEGIN ANEW!"
The Old World, with one simple phrase spoken out from his lips bellowing out his throat, had been turned to dust. The remnants of the Empires risen in the New Era had crumbled, Acheron, Hana's legacy, the Requiem Empire, Renken's final resting place, all of it had fallen. However, the fate of destruction is the joy of rebirth, as Ben had destroyed every other world in the Multiverse thereby eradicating any alternate timelines and possibilities, he turned to his brother and sister. He, Madi, Jason, Ryder, all of them engulfed by that signature golden glow, but as their children and witnessed this before their eyes, they smiled. Smiling as his son, he embraced him into his arms, Madi joining in, their elder forms reverting to their younger selves, Alex had been squished in, and now Jason as well.
Ben's glasses had fallen off his face to burn through the space below, the Ketsueki had followed after, and Madi's strand of white hair, August, Alex, Azazel, Rose, Kristina, all of them soon engulfed by that same white glow. The remnants of their influence fell it to the New World before them, heirlooms of a past life, but it wasn't just them. Those who made a mark on this world had their seed of life spread through the primordial beginnings of Life… and as those glasses landed onto a single forest, Ben, Jason, and Madi turned their heads to see before them… their mother and father. What they said next, something all of them had been longing to hear for so long, the dream of hearing her voice again had finally become a reality,
"You made me proud… my Children."
Goodbye, All Requiems… until we meet in another world; forever and always.
The End.