Act Ten - The Shattered Sky

> Kira PoV <

“Think we should be doing this?” (Ellie)

“Absolutely! The sooner we know, the better!” (Kira)

“But Kira… I’m a bit scared… We haven’t done it ever since we found out you were pregnant...” (Ellie)

“It’s okay! Skittles said she fixed us up so we should be completely good to go, right! It’s bound to be even better than it used to be!” (Kira)

Ellie looks around worriedly. We’re already naked and under the covers, so I don’t see why she’s being hesitant. It’s not usually like her. Come to think of it, the stress of having to be harsh towards the other me is a bit too much for the dutiful Ellie. She probably thinks herself undeserving of me since she had to hurt someone with the same face.

Or rather, I’m sure that’s the case. I can basically read her thoughts with the way her eyes dart away from my face and how her lips curl up a bit whenever she looks towards my arms and legs. Alright, let’s give her a gentle push!

“You did promise me four hundred babies, right?” (Kira)

Her eyes widen in shock for a brief moment before she makes a tired expression. She may have blurted it out without thinking, but a promise is a promise. And I have every intention of making her keep this one ~♡!

“Me and my big mouth… Alright.” (Ellie)

It was a bit mean of me, but she’s a bit too serious for her own good sometimes. Besides, I’m really curious if this will feel even better than before! After all, Skittles’s treatment left both me and my wife more in tune with all our senses.

I put a hand on her cheek and she mirrors the gesture. We press our foreheads together. Just thinking how good the regular lovemaking has been lately makes me quiver with anticipation. This next bit is bound to feel amazing! I just have to be careful I don’t break from the pleasure ~♡!

““--------- [Unity]”” (Kira and Ellie)

The eyes in front of me flash purple as I feel our minds merging together.

Woah!

This feels way more comfortable than before!

Kira was right, Skittles’s treatment had a really good effect on this!

Fufufu, of course! Welcome back into my head, Ellie ~♡!

Ah, Kira!

Then, shall we get started?

Yeah!

She sure is awfully enthusiastic about this whole thing all of a sudden, isn’t she?

Why wouldn’t I be?!

I get to be the intimate with Kira on a whole other level!

Thinking about it logically, I’d be a failure as a wife if I refused it any longer!

Now there’s the Ellie that I know and love ~♡! You know you’ve been acting weird ever since that whole Yuri thing started. You know you don’t need to beat yourself up over it that much, right?

Of course I realize that.

Yuri is her own person and not actually my wife.

But the heart does what the heart wills.

Fufufu. Then shall we get started? You still remember how to do this, right?

Yeah!

Okay then. On three. One. Two. Three!

> Kirellie PoV <

We gaze into the eyes of our other selves. They’re glowing with a steady, unshakable purple light.

““Great success!”” (Kirellie)

{I really wish you two would warn me you were going to do that.}

““It’s not like you didn’t see it coming, Nano.”” (Kirellie)

{I suppose that’s true. Well, I’ll leave you to your fun. Good luck with the whole babymaking thing.}

““Mmm...  We’ve been looking forward to this ~♡!”” (Kirellie)

We feel our bodies with our combined hands. Being able to both fondle and be fondled at once always felt nice. But feeling the combined sensations from four hands and four breasts is exhilarating! Our bodies are already going into high gear! We move in for a long kiss. The combined sensations of both our bodies are almost overwhelming! As expected, we this is way too good! We might seriously lose it if we go too far with this ~♡!

Ah, excuse me, but is this a bad time?

And the mood disappeared. Still, there must be something really important going on. Otherwise Nano wouldn’t interrupt our very special time together.

““What is it Nano?”” (Kirellie)

{Hmm?}

““You wanted something, right?”” (Kirellie)

We just hope it’s not something catastrophic like that Mana Engine prototype exploding. The burnt patch of our front lawn is still not fully grown back!

{No. Nothing that can’t wait, at any rate.}

Is this thing on? Hello?

““... Why are there two Nanos?”” (Kirellie)

{Pardon?}

Pardon?

There it is again! A second voice that sounds exactly like Nano’s! Wait, this one isn’t coming from our ears! If it was, we’d have the weird feeling of hearing it twice! It almost feels like when we use Telepathy to communicate remotely!

Oh! So you can hear me! Good, good. It’s the first time I’m trying something like this.

…

Don’t be like that. I’m not here to hurt you. Why would I ever hurt two of my most promising applicants? Or is it one? Bah, details!

Who… are you?!

You may call me the Voice of the World.

Okay… and why do you sound like Nano?

No idea. Every being perceives me differently.

Alright then. What are you?

Very good question. To begin with, I’m not actually a person. I am the manifested will of this little corner of reality we call home. I keep an eye on every living thing that walks this world. And a number of others beyond it.

Oh wow! You’re almost exactly like Nano!

Yes, so I’ve gathered. I have felt the ripples of this Nano, but as a being with no soul it is… outside my perception.

{What’s going on? Why did you two suddenly go quiet?}

There! Nano just spoke. Did you at least hear that?

Nope.

Right… this will make things awkward. Do you mind waiting a second, Mister Voice?

No problem. I’m in no rush.

““So uh… there’s this Voice of the World thing in our heads. It sounds exactly like you do. It’s a bit freaky.”” (Kirellie)

{Ah. So it really did happen. Draglael warned me it might try get in touch with us.}

““What?! You knew about this?! You could’ve said something earlier!”” (Kirellie)

{She shared a secret with me in private and I promised her I’d keep it until the time was right. I’d be a failure as a person if I broke her trust like that. Ah, even though I’m not a person.}

Ah. We see. We’d probably do the same. Must have been hard on Nano since we promised not to keep big secrets like that from each other.

““Why does it sound like you, though?”” (Kirellie)

{Not sure. Come to think of it, Draglael said it’s a trustworthy all-knowing invisible thing. That’s pretty much how you two see me, right?}

““We suppose that’s true. Nano is really excellent after all.”” (Kirellie)

{I appreciate that. I’m not omnipotent though.}

““Yet you still somehow find the answers we need.”” (Kirellie)

{Haha. Can’t argue with you there. Anyway, this is probably important so I’ll let you three talk in peace. Just call out if you need me.}

““You got it. Thanks Nano.”” (Kirellie)

Sorry about that, Mister Voice. We’re ready to listen to anything you have to say.

So this is what hearing only one side of a conversation feels like. Wow, that was weird!

That’s rich coming from the so-called ‘manifested will of the planet!’ Do you even realize how absurd that idea is?!

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

And yet you two seem to know of a being that’s pretty much exactly like me. Albeit on a much smaller scale.

… Okay. You’ve made your point. What do you want with us, anyway?

Allow me to explain from the start. To begin with, it was my doing that brought the two of you to this world.

What?! Why? How?!

It’s one of the things I do. I peer into other realities and pluck promising individuals out of the jaws of death, bringing them here to safety.

So… we’re both here because we almost died? And you saved us?

That is correct.

We know about Ellie’s situation, but why was Kira’s life in danger?!

She was sentenced to public execution in her old world. She was still a toddler at the time.

… We were almost killed as a child? What sort of horrible people would do such an unspeakable thing?!

Her former world did not actually possess mana or magic, but the ignorant masses did not know that. They feared her unnaturally bright red hair was a sign of ‘the end times’ and condemned a child to death over superstition. They tied you up to a wooden stake on top of a wood pile and set fire to it while cheering. I summoned her to this world before the flames reached you. To this day that vicious crowd believes she turned to ash.

That’s monstrous! Where are those people?! We’ll show them a thing or two about threatening our wife!

Easy there, us. We need to calm down or we’ll desynchronize. We appreciate the sentiment, but that’s all in the distant past.

Right. We’re sorry Mister Voice. We have just one question. What was that little girl’s name?

Juniper Frostvale.

We see. This is one of the things we’ve been wanting to know ever since we found out about our origins. Thank you. For that. For saving our lives and bringing us together.

You’re very welcome. Although that last bit was an accident.

What do you mean an accident? You didn’t orchestrate our meeting?

Of course not. I had no idea Ellie was Kiressara’s mirrored soul from another reality until I actually brought her to this one.

But what about that ship that flew directly over the city?! Wasn’t that you basically telling us to find outselves?

Uhm... There was interference with the transfer. That so-called Jump Drive activated at the same instant that I sought to summon her through the Gate. It created a bigger hole than I was expecting and threw off my aim.

Are you sure you’re qualified to be ripping open holes in reality?

Of course I am. So what if I mess up every few millenia years or so? Nobody’s perfect. Besides, it’s highly likely you would’ve crossed paths with each other sooner or later. Promising individuals are inevitably drawn to each other, you see.

We suppose that’s true. But why did you deem us ‘promising?’

Because souls that escape death and overcome adversity often attain a certain strength beyond their means. And you two showed some promise even before I brought you here. Must be part of your soul-line. Even your counterpart who was born here seems destined for great things. Really top-quality stuff! I’m tempted to bring even more of you here, to be honest!

Please don’t do that! We don’t think our hearts can take much more of that sort of thing!

I can’t promise that. If I deem it necessary, I will summon them here.

Haah. If you must, then please at least tell us if that happens, okay? The least we can do is prepare and educate them properly.

Understood. Then I shall be counting on you two to guide them when the time comes!

You seem awfully sure it’ll happen. Then again, with our track record...

Now then! The reason we’re actually speaking is your souls have begun to change and evolve.

Is that bad? That sounds bad.

It isn’t. Change is always good, even if it’s a bit scary sometimes. It also keeps things interesting.

Right… So what caused it?

You’ve unwittingly completed two out of three Trials of Creation. That’s something that has only happened once before, you know! As a result, whether you like it or not, this world has recognized your value and has accepted your applications.

We’re sorry, trials? Applications? What?

Right, you haven’t heard of them. Basically, if someone passes all three Trials, they are given the option of ascending to a Titan.

Wait, you’re telling us we’re going to be Titans?!

I am telling you that you posses the potential. Whether you have the determination to achieve it is something else. Just keep in mind Titanhood isn’t something that is forced on you. It is something you must seek out and work towards, then ultimately accept. It is within every applicant’s right to abandon this pursuit should they wish to do it. There are those who have earned, but refused it.

So it comes with some strings attached after all? We always thought those Titans were a bit too loopy. Right, before that, can you tell us about these trials? We want to know exactly what got us into this situation.

Very well. The first one is called the Tribute to Gaia. To put it simply, it is a gift which influences the world at large. Something that inspires and elevates its residents to new heights. Something that breeds change. And change is always a good thing.

Did we do something that grand?

Oh, but you did. This Mana Engine of yours is a fitting Tribute.

Really? Something that small?

The object may be small, but what it represents is immense. A harmonious fusion of science and magic nobody had ever been able to accomplish before. Much like everything else you two have done in the last year, it has caused many to doubt what they know to be true and reevaluate what they thought to be false. To seek deeper understanding of the world at large rather than rely on the convenience of magic. You have reignited the long-dormant Fire of Knowledge. And it is spreading wonderfully!

So… We made people mind things too much, so we got volunteered to be Titans?

Basically what I’m saying, yes. I’m honestly looking forward to the next absurd thing you’ll show me!

You sound like you’re having fun.

Of course I am! It’s been too long since someone as interesting as you two has shown up! Most of those other guys offered a Tribute by creating a continent or building a nation at the bottom of the ocean. Extremely uninspired.

Other guys? You mean the current Titans?

That’s right.

We see. So they really did go through such things. Out of curiousity, what did Skittles do for her Tribute?

She created a sanctuary. A repository where lost souls may find the rest they seek. I believe she explained how she came to be what she is.

Right… Sorry, but that seems a little… weak? We’re sure it’s amazing, but how does that breed change, exactly?

Alright, I may have bended the rules a little. Sometimes you have to cut through a bit of red tape, okay?

Is that okay? You’re supposed to be in charge of the whole world and its Titans, right? Is it really okay to be this casual about stuff?

Of course. Besides, it’s not like you two didn’t benefit from her appointment. Or would you rather that this world was left without a Soulforger that could save your daughter?

Geh! That’s right, isn’t it? We really should apologize for doubting you.

Don’t worry about it. That’s the sort of attitude I expect from you to begin with.

Then we can at least thank you for saving our daughter’s life, yes?

Thank Skittles, not me. She’s the excellent one. Ah, speaking of your daughter, that brings me to the second Trial of Creation, called the Breath of Ahwa. To pass it, applicants must give birth to their kin. An entirely new species of sentient beings. Your daughter, the first Archon, is yours. And you don’t need to worry about her well-being so much. This world has already accepted her as one of its flock. She was born here, after all.

We see. We’re glad. We don’t know what we’d do if our daughter had to be cast out just for being different. Wait, so are all the other races made by Titans?

Most of them. Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Avians, Salamanders, Mountain Giants, Cat-folk, Mermen and Arachni. These nine. They all trace their roots back to a Titan.

And they were all born here, right? On this world?

Of course.

Then why is it that our daughter is so completely different?

What do you mean?

From us! She’s a completely different existence from her own birth parents! What are we supposed to tell her when she asks us why she doesn’t look even remotely human?!

You can proudly state you created her without cheating.

… What?

Think about it. A lot of these races look largely Human, right? Some have scales, others are shorter or with pointy ears, but the face and general shape are almost overwhelmingly human.

Now that you mention it… Are Mermen like that too? We’ve not seen any of those.

They look completely human apart from the gills and webbed feet and hands.

What about Skittles, though? She’s the most non-human living thing we’ve seen! Aside from monsters, that is. Come to think of it, cat-folk look absolutely nothing like humans. Even their bones are quite different.

Because their creators didn’t cheat either. Enuri made Humans entirely by his own strength, much like Khamis when he created the cat-folk. As for Skittles, her kin is basically herself and those inside her.

That… can you have a race of just one person?

You know her shape shifting body is perfectly capable of splitting apart, right? They just choose to stick together because they can never rejoin her if they separate. Also, the way they reproduce takes a long time, but they can still reproduce, so they qualify.

So what about, say, the dwarves? Didn’t Draglael create them in her image?

The Steelmother lacked the strength to recreate her people. She was originally a dwarf from another world, you see. She yearned for her lost home, but sending her back was not an option. So she set out to become a Titan and recreate her people and culture right here. But since she lacked the strength, she had to get help. And because Enuri was the co-creator of the dwarven race you know, they ended up looking quite a bit like his own kin.

Huh. How were these dwarves different from Draglael?

For one thing, their lifespans are much shorter. The Steelmother’s original body lived to be over 400 years old before it gave out. Also she had a beard. Something her ‘daughters’ didn’t quite inherit. At least their rather unique character had been passed on, so she was satisfied even that much was present after she cheated on the Breath of Ahwa.

Wait, so by ‘cheating’ you mean getting help from other Titans?

Pretty much.

But we borrowed Khamis and Skittles to heal our daughter. That doesn’t count as cheating?

You already had a daughter at that point, did you not? Besides, if I had done a better job at bringing you here, then their assistance would not have been necessary in the first place. I did say this world desperately needed a Soulforger, did I not?

Ah. Come to think of it, why are you only speaking up now? Didn’t all that stuff happen a long while ago?

I was waiting for you to two to use [Unity]. It makes communicating with you much, much easier. Great spell, by the way. I’m sure you two will clear the final Trial with flying colors.

… And what would this final Trial be?

The Gaze of Magnus. You have to create a completely original school of magic and pass it onto your kin.

But didn’t we already do that?

Oh no. These Telepathy-based spells stem from your humanity. It’s not something you can pass onto your daughter. You have to transcend and go beyond everything you know and understand to create a truly new school of magic. You don’t have otherworldly magical knowledge like some of the others, after all.

That sounds… incredibly complicated. We wouldn’t even know where to start. And besides, wouldn’t only one of us get to ‘ascend’ anyway? We don’t think we could bear an eternity without our wives…

And who said I was talking about you separately?

Huh?

A multi-souled Titan isn’t unprecedented, you know. Skittles and Dorr are both beings like that. Oh, I see. You two are misunderstanding something.

We are?

Becoming a Titan is very different from what you’re thinking. Applicants who pass the Trials of Creation do not get transformed into another being or a different race. Titanhood is, essentially, an appointed office. It doesn’t change who you are, it just saddles you with a bunch of responsibilities and gives you access to certain perks to compensate you for your troubles.

… Is there any paperwork involved?

A little. Just an audit once every hundred years or so. Maybe a few forms when you need a holiday or sick leave. Ah! If you see Skittles, do remind her that her vacation days are almost used up. Those kin of hers have a bad habit of not relaying my messages to thier boss. I need her to get back to work soon.

Work? What sort of work?

That is something you’ll find out if you manage to clear Trial number three. Don’t worry, all the details will be in the contract with only the tiniest amount of small print. Anyway, that’s more or less all I came here to say so I’ll be leaving now.

Wait! We haven’t even said we wanted to become Titans in the first place! And how do you know we wouldn’t just abuse that sort of power?!

Do you honestly believe anything can pull a fast one on the Voice of the World? I know you better than you know yourselves.

You don’t know Nano though.

Uhm. Uhhh... Huh. Okay. I stand corrected. Anyway, I can just fire you if you breach your contract, so it’s no skin off my back. Not that I have a back. Or skin. Absolute worst-case scenario, I purge the surface and start over from scratch. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Wait, what?

Speaking of time, I really should be going now. Toodles!

Purge the surface?! Hey, don’t just say ominous things like that! HEY!!

…

It hung up on us! How rude! Well, nothing we can do about that now. Not like we can force it to appear if it doesn’t want to.

So where were we? Oh, I see we’ve been sneakily caressing ourselves to keep us in the mood! Good job, us!

Hehehehe! We got praised!

We deserve it though, we’re quite wonderful after all!

Ah, but we’re far more wonderful than we will ever be! And beautiful too!

Stop that, us! You’re making us blush ~♡!

We’re about to make us do a lot more than just blush!

““Haaahnnnn!”” (Kirellie)

{I sincerely hope that means your conversation’s over.}

““MMMnnnn… Yaaaahn ~♡! Haah, haaah, haah, haaaaaahaahn!”” (Kirellie)

{Sorry, I’ll just... Yeah.}