-Aku-

I was seated with Snowball on the smaller thrown reserved for the princess, which was me. We were watching the fight papa was having with uncle.

“Get him papa! You can do it! Right Snowball?” I cheered.

“Screw Isaac! He let me burn! He could have stepped in whenever, but waited until I was already crispy!” Complained Snowball. She was wearing a mint green dress this time.

“Papa was being bullied too. You can’t be mad at him. Did it hurt?” I said stroking Snowball.

Snowball crossed her arms. “Not that much. Actually not at all. I don’t have any nerves in that body, so I can’t actually feel anything.” Said Snowball.

“Oh…. Then why were you screaming so much? You really scared me!” I scolded.

“I was playing the part. Your dad wasn’t gonna come out unless you were really upset.” she explained.

“That’s really mean! I thought you were in pain!” I said.

“I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.” She apologized.

“Okay, I forgive you.” I said.

We went back to watching the fight. Papa took everything Uncle could give him and tossed it back in his face in a much more focused attack. Papa was like that Kung pao panda guy I saw in his brain soup.

This needed snacks. I pulled some quintessence from my hair and used it to create a plate full of cookies and a tall glass of warm strawberry milk.

I got half way through the glass of milk and ate most of the cookies, before a golden light came down onto the king’s thrown. From the light Papa materialized. I was surprised to see him here. Especially since he was also fighting out there.

“Hey kiddo.” Greeted papa.

“Hi, what are you doing here papa? Shouldn’t you be focusing on the fight?” I asked.

“I am, but first I need to tuck you in.” Said papa.

“Tuck me in?” I asked.

“Yup, it’s nap time. You need it so you don’t fall asleep later. I’ll even stay with you until you’re sound asleep.” Said papa.

“Really! Okay!” I cheered. Papa rarely spent time with me. He was gonna tuck me in too. I couldn’t believe it.

Papa hopped off the thrown, his gray hair swaying as he landed. I got up too. He lead me out of the thrown room and even knew where my room was despite only seeing it once.

We headed inside. I was a little embarrassed because all my toys were thrown around. Even my clothes were a bit scattered. “Oops, I forgot to clean.” I said hiding my face behind Snowball.

“Really, well it cant be helped. Lets clean up a little.” Said papa.

I didn’t really want to. “It’s okay papa. I can do that later.” I insisted.

“No. You need to clean your room. You cant sleep in a messy room. That’s how you get little goblins under your bed.” Said papa.

“Goblins!” I panicked.

“That’s right. Their little green monsters that live under your bed and in your closet. If you don’t keep your room clean they’ll move in.” said papa.

“I don’t want that.” I cried.

“Don’t worry let’s clean up and it’ll be okay.” I said.

“Okay, papa.”

It didn’t take very long to put all my toys away in the chest at the foot of my bed, and the clothes were easily hung up in the closet. I gave the room a quick sweep getting all the little trash up.

“Alright kiddo, time for a nap. Do you have anything to sleep in?” Said papa.

“Yeah, I do!” I nodded. Then ran to my closet and pulled out my favorite white nighty.

Papa helped me get dressed. He told me to lift my arms. Then he pulled my dress up off my shoulders. Holding the nighty up, he fed my arms through. “Good job. You’re such a good girl.” He said ruffling my hair. It made me really happy.

With that done papa tucked Snowball and I into bed. Then sat on the edge. “So I just need a nap?” I asked.

“I’ll wake you up before you ruin your sleep schedule.” Said papa. I hugged Snowball as papa stroked my hair.

“But what about uncle?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of it.” Said papa.

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“I know you will. Papa is the strongest.” I said proudly. I got a little nervous because I wanted to ask papa for a favor. “Papa, can you tell me a story.” I mumbled tiredly.

Papa sighed and started telling me a story about a beautiful girl found in a glowing bamboo stem. Her name was Kaguya. She was a moon princess.

I couldn’t remember the last time I got this sort of treatment. Maybe when I got to meet shadow that one time. That was nice. Oh, there was also the time when Cosmo visited me.

I actually felt kind of sleepy now. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept.

-Isaac-

Cain fired off one lightning bolt after another. He was done with me and decided spamming lightning was his best shot at winning.

”Stop dodging! That’s cheating! I’m stronger! You can’t just dodge everything! It’s not fair!” He yelled as he continued to spam.

Slowly, I gathered the Qi he spilled, applying the lightning aspect to my aura. I didn’t like the concept it carried, so I did my best to Zero it out. This turned my lightning aura white instead of red.

As far as I could tell lightning aspect was way better for speed. Not only did it make me faster it also gave my movements destructive power. It was no wonder Cain was the way he was. This feeling could make anyone drunk. Then again he's always been that way.

Cain was burning up his Qi like there was no tomorrow. It was like watching a child throw a tantrum. I did that too once while fighting Zubu. Though mine was just a pillar of Qi shooting off into the sky.

“Cain you idiot! Don’t you dare loose! Show that whelp what true power is! I hereby release your restraints!” Yelled Ribdena as a full body tattoo rendered over my brother’s entire body. It looked like a chain and seemed to glow even through the armor and fabric he wore.

I didn’t understand what was going on, but Cain looked really happy about it, as the markings began to glow like red embers. “Hell yeah!” said Cain, as the chains began to burn away like the lit tail of a cigar.

Immediately, I saw Cain’s dantian grow twice it’s size as his body began to bulk up. Not a lot, but it was very noticeable. This was bad. That meant his aura would make him even stronger. Before I could panic I took a deep breath.

It didn’t matter how strong he was. I am the river through which reality flows. No matter how much power he had, I'll take it all and throw it right back into that stupid face of his.

Cain started floating as the lightning aspects mixed with the air around him. He released a burst of lightning into the sky. I watched as it came back down over my head in a volley of multiple streams.

The bolts were so fast, but I felt it coming. It hit lighting up the ground in a blinding red flash. My brother laughed happy to watch me burn, but I didn’t get hit. I weaved in and out of their path. Not just avoiding them but drawing in fractions of their power.

Running around the beams, I unleashed a white bolt of my own. Not expecting the sudden burst of light my brother took it in the chest. However, because of his affinity for lightning it did very little. That was what I was expecting.

“Dumbass!” he yelled releasing a giant blast of lighting at me.

I had enough lightning aspects now, so I expanded them into the air around me creating a magnetic field. As I did that I performed one of my kata positions just as his massive lightning bolt reached me. Then changed forms guiding the blast around me and back at my brother.

The power slammed back into him burning his chest. I closed the distance between us hopping up into the air and scissor kicking my brother in the side of the head.

His floating body was sent crashing into the ground. I gathered heat, wind, and momentum, creating another Solarball. The golden fireball floated above my head ready to be released.

“How are you doing this!” Yelled my brother before releasing another bolt of lightning, before he was even on his feet. He was afraid.

I did the same as before, using part of the lightning aspect I had to guide the lightning back at him. It hit him again but this time I released my Solarball as a follow up attack. The lightning burned his body, but the fireball created a large explosion surrounding my brother in flames.

I didn’t stop as I dashed forward with a double Qi pulse charging through the flames and slamming my fist into Cain’s face. My attack knocked his burning body out of the flames. His upper half was now naked. The lightning aura I had was enough to keep myself from being burned. Thanks to its speed boost I was able to move behind my brother casting a blank range fireball.

I pressed the fireball into his back controlling the explosion by using my flexible aura as a chamber. The force was enough to blast a hole through my brother’s back. He screamed in agony as he flew forward - due to the force of the explosion - falling on his face.

The blast caused me to lose my fingers, but using a combination of both our blood I was able to make a weak healing aura. The pain was the last thing on my mind. I was too focused on the trash in front of me.

It wasn't enough. I needed more. I needed him to know never to come after me or my love ones again. Lifting my hand I chained three platform spells together creating a hardened wind whip.

Then, channeling a combination of my Brother’s stolen Qi and what I could re-gen — I created a diamond spiral pattern within the spell construct, giving it an aura. Finally, I injected lightning and punishment aspects into my weapon, turning its aura into a buzzing white whip.

Cain looked back and saw me approaching. His eyes went wide. He quickly drained the life aspects out of the grass and his own blood, in an attempt to make a healing aura. “Heal! Heal! Come on! Why can’t I heal!” Yelled Cain in a panic.

“They’re called punishment aspects stupid! I’ve been pounding them into your body since this whole thing started. There’s so much of it inside you that it’ll take a really, really strong cleansing aura to fix it.” I said as I slowly approached.

“What? Why?” He panicked almost in a crying tone.

“I’m done showing you mercy. I’ve been letting you get away with everything since we were kids. It’s about time I actually fought back. You always thought I was weak, but really I was protecting you from me. How about I show you what our mom did to me.” With a flick of my whip, I cracked it on his chest.

He cried out in pain as a red bloody line branded itself on his skin. Again! Again! Again! Again!

“Stop! It hurts!” Cried my brother as he tried to draw himself away with one arm while holding his organs in with the other.

“Oh! It's not that bad! Man the fuck up!” I yelled throwing his words back at him. I brought it down again and again until his cries were no longer intelligible. I thought about stopping there. About showing mercy, but when the hell had anyone else showed me mercy.

Besides, my heart was still burning. I held my whip high and was about to bring it down again. When someone grabbed my arm. I was so angry that I almost lashed out at them. Until I realized it was just Mr. Brutus.

“That's enough kid. You won. Cool the fuck down.” He said.

I looked back to my crying brother. He was all curled up on the ground. sobbing as his intestines pushed out of the small hole through his midsection. There was so much blood. He actually managed to drag himself quite a few feet. It was made evident by the trail left behind. I had it on my clothes too and my hands.

Looking back at my brother, I got a sudden glimpse of my crying beaten body in a dark basement. I felt so nauseous all of a sudden. My aura died down and my whip vanished right before I hurled on the grass and started to cry.

What the hell is wrong with you? Just be normal Isaac.