But where began the change; and what's my crime?

The wretch condemned, who has not been arraigned,

Chafes at his sentence. Shall I, unsustained,

Drag on Love's nerveless body thro' all time?

I must have slept, since now I wake. Prepare,

You lovers, to know Love a thing of moods:

Not like hard life, of laws. In Love's deep woods,

I dreamt of loyal Life:--the offence is there!

Love's jealous woods about the sun are curled;

At least, the sun far brighter there did beam.

My crime is, that the puppet of a dream,

I plotted to be worthy of the world.

Oh, had I with my darling helped to mince

The facts of life, you still had seen me go

With hindward feather and with forward toe,

Her much-adored delightful Fairy Prince!

********

I awoke.

I remembered.

Memories of a three-sided table, a negotiation and a Deal.

Anyone who has ever negotiated a deal before knows; that for any negotiation to succeed, all parties must walk away from the table having achieved their minimum goals. Everything extra was just gravy to maximize their gains. If they didn't meet that baseline, there was no deal.

Death and I, our minimum goal was simple. We wanted me to have the benefits of the Catalogue.

The Company wanted to make an example out of me. They were already making an exception in their policies just talking to me. They did it because Death was a premium client, but they still needed to set a precedent that one couldn't skirt the rules without consequences.

I had believed that so long as I served my sentence and freed myself from it, I would be free of restrictions from the Company.

The Rep had confirmed that was the case.

He had screwed me in two ways.

The first was the obvious trap, the one he never told me about.

He had stated plainly that I would start in Dark Souls 1.

He had not told me I would be in a cell Oscar would not reach.

Given enough time, that one little change might have driven me to hollow.

If I wasn't a tricky bastard, I might have been stuck there, in that cell, for centuries. Even with my precautions, I would have gone mad even if I didn't hollow. I would have waited for an asylum demon or another hollow to find me. That or wait for the metal to rust enough for me to break the door.

It was only due to my desperation after the incident with Emma, combined with seeing Robin use her Devil Fruit, that gave me the idea of stuffing myself, one piece at a time, through the cell door.

The Rep had told me the second trap, knowing I would not understand the implications.

'Your avatars will be puppets. Controllable from the outside.'

It had even been in writing, in the contract I had signed.

I had thought he had meant that my natural body, the Dragon, would puppet the avatars.

I hadn't realized it had been a trap.

If Emma hadn't sprung it early, alerting me to the landmine, I might have screwed myself before I realized it.

My fear of my personality being wiped away wasn't a concern now that I had my main body back. I was still scared, I think I always would be, but it was manageable. It wouldn't paralyze me ever again.

Anyone I ever bound would be able to control any of my avatars. That would remain until I died or grew more powerful than the Catalogue.

Since I did not control anyone I bound, nor was romance or attraction necessary, I probably would have been very careless with my bite.

I want to heal someone? Bind them!

I want to make someone stronger? Bind them!

Thanks to Death, I would have thought there were no consequences as I could free anyone I bound.

My belief in freedom, not only for myself but for everyone, would be my own shackle. My greatest strength, the reason Death had wanted me in the first place, would become my greatest weakness.

When I realized the problem, I would have dozens of people who had more authority over my Avatar than I did. It would be no different than turning myself into a weapon anyone could use. My mind would be safe in my natural body, but I would be limited to being a Dragon the size of a subcontinent.

Powerful but unable to enjoy life.

Thankfully I was a tricky bastard.

The Company had screwed me, as it did everyone, but I could screw them as well.

Time to Prisoner of Askaban this bitch!

********

My Ascension was nothing like I expected.

In Bloodborne, when one chooses to face the Moon Presence in the hidden ending, and they usurp their position as Great One, the achievement is called 'Childhood's Beginning.' It's a play on Clarke's famous book 'Childhood's End,' and suggests you leave your body behind to become a being of pure mind.

That wasn't the case; my Avatar was transformed, not left behind, but the principle remained the same.

I had chosen to consume all the umbilical cords, slay the Moon Presence, and ascend as a backup.

If, as I deduced, Emma could wake me up by delving deep into my mind and connecting me to the Dragon, then she could have done so as early as her first summoning in the cell.

There was no need to go through all the effort of beating Bloodborne.

I did it anyway for two reasons.

The first reason, and the least of them, was because I could. I had time to kill and liked a few of the characters in the game, so helping to end the Hunt was no extra effort. Slaughtering the beasts was an easy thing for me.

The second and more significant reason was that I wanted insurance.

Insurance in case my plan failed.

Insurance in case Emma tried to do something to my mind. I had hoped that if worst came to worst, she would find a Great One's mind more challenging to shape.

Through considerable effort and force of will, I had convinced myself to trust her enough to enter my mind without control again, but my paranoia was still there.

I had also hoped that if I was wrong, my 'ascension' beyond mortal minds would allow me to have enough Insight to learn more about the fundamental nature of my imprisonment.

As a newborn Great One, I found my previous worries laughable.

It was all so simple.

I knew what I had to do.

I could feel both of my bodies, parts of me like my arms.

Or tentacles, in this case.

I used one to call upon the other.

I disappeared from the Doll's arms.

I reappeared, floating in the void of space. I do not know if it was due to my new form or finally being free, but I felt supremely comfortable here.

I was wrapped in a warm blanket even though I knew this place should be cold and lifeless, so far from the nearest star.

I was in the void between galaxies. Even the closest rogue star was millions of lightyears away.

I, a tiny pale worm, was dwarfed by the massive Demi-plane before me. Shaped like an Island, it hung undefended in the darkness between stars at the edge of an ever-expanding universe.

I could See it all.

I watched my swamps boil and rot.

I watched my drakes fly over my mountains.

I watched my Scourge Beasts tear into a pack of Lightning Rams.

Crystal Lizards burrowed in little dens.

A pair of basilisks were devouring the petrified remnants of a dear.

Familiar animals, environments, and monsters covered my Island, and I could See them all.

I paid all my attention to a mansion at the Island's southern tip.

I could see them.

Twelve side rooms and a master bedroom. Twelve women. All asleep in bed in those side rooms.

Now that I was free, they would wake soon.

I couldn't have that.

The initial plan with Death was to spend the rest of my 'sentence' with them on the Island once I was freed from prison.

I could contact Death to manipulate the sensation of time passing to whatever ratio I desired. Millions of years would pass outside, and everyone would start to get to know each other over the year or two it would be inside.

The plan had changed in response to the Rep trying to screw me over and my ability to screw them back.

I controlled both my Dragon form and my Avatar.

Both were small for now. One, a pale worm the size of a forearm with tentacles for a head. The other was a white-scaled thing the size of a small mountain that lay upon the Island that dwarfed it in size. It was less than five thousand years old. Both would grow with time, but that was for the future. Right now, I needed to get everything in place.

My body, I moved off the Island as it would grow too large in the coming years.

In the Waifu Catalogue, if you chose the dragon heritage, your Tier was decided by how many points you invested in that option. I had invested enough to get to tier 10, the highest I could.

But there were differences even among people of the same Tier.

The dragon's body would grow in size and power as it aged. Right now, it was 'young,' but I wouldn't fulfill my contract with Death and get my defences till it was 'maxed.'

My Avatar would need to stay on the Island, watching over it and controlling the Dream.

For the irony of it, I created a fake moon projection. It was small compared to Ranni's Dark Moon, which had replaced the real moon, but that one would be hidden until it was time.

Once I was in place, I began to weave the Dream together.

First of all, safety.

Someone would find my Island eventually.

I couldn't allow that to happen.

And the best defence was anonymity.

So, to stack things in my favour, I cheated.

I moved myself and the Island. We were there and not there. We were real/fake. We existed/didn't.

It was easy.

As a Great One, time and space did not mean the same to me as they did to others. My Element freed me from all confines. Space-time included.

Should anyone or anything find us here, at the edge of the universe, they would see us but not be able to interact with us. I could not bring us away completely and remain tethered to this dimension, not in my infant state, but someday I would be free of all limits.

For now, it was time to set things in motion.

I encased the Island in a Jewel, the Dream settling over all who lived upon its surface.

A few of the women were too curious for their own good. Things would fall apart if they freed themselves from the Dream before I reached my Tier cap. I would rather not force them to wait for the millions of years it would take me to grow. Different from me, their minds were not adapted for such a long time.

As it was, I had a long, delicate operation to weave into the Dream.

As mentioned, my Element freed me from bonds. Time and space included.

I wasn't at the point where I could casually time-travel, but contracting the sensation of time flowing in my Dream or projecting my Dream backwards to myself was easy enough that I could do both at once.

So, I settled into sleep. Until I grew strong enough to defend my freedom from all who would rob it from me.

Soon, the women awoke in the Dream.

I watched them explore the Mansion, unaware that years had passed in seconds. I compressed time in the Dream myself instead of asking Death.

In their curiosity and trepidation, they uncovered every room in the building and the surrounding area. I only protected one place from their investigation.

The master bedroom was completely inaccessible.

That is where I kept my stuff.

Its contents were too precious for any to disturb until we were free.

Eventually, they grew comfortable enough that I sent Robin to that first fateful meeting in the cell. Power flowed from me to me. The power would alert the 'past me' about their impending arrival. If 'past me' wasn't ready for their arrival, my energy would bounce back.

Since I couldn't actually see those meetings, this was a good way for me to judge when I was in certain phases of my journey based on whether the 'me' of the past rejected the power or not.

My slight OCD was why I decided to send the power at 3-hour intervals. I also sent a Gate back that only allowed inanimate things to pass through. It wouldn't be needed all the time, but the 'past me' needed to know it was there.

Time progressed.

I watched my journey through all five worlds from the women's perspective.

Once I knew Priscilla was 'bound,' I introduced her to the Dream. I felt a bit bad about Ranni, she would remain asleep for millions of years and only wake near the end, but needs must. Until I reached my peak and could do as I wished, I would not gain my Defences, Paradox included.

My 'reward' for reaching the point Death needed me at.

I kept things as accurate as I could with timing. Since I didn't feel the universe collapsing into a paradox, I figured I was close enough.

The Dream reflected Life on the Island, but Life also reflected the Dream.

I needn't worry about the women aging, even after millions of years. The Catalogue took care of that. I was concerned about any injuries they might accumulate in the Dream reflecting on their actual bodies, but that could be solved with a simple reset to the bodies they had when they first entered the Dream.

This would also hide the Accumulation of Mystery that the servants gained as they aged. Medea would notice the change if I didn't hide it. Since there were few people on the Island, it wouldn't be fast, but the change would still be noticeable after millions of years. I expected a full rank in all parameters, at least for all three.

I was slightly surprised when their real forms, still asleep, turned into dragons. I guess the Dragon Blood still carried its effects despite the resets.

The Mansion could adapt to their new size, so I just left them as they were. They would be able to turn back when they awoke.

I grew in size and power, as I knew I would.

I was equal in size to the Island after the first million years. After ten million, I was twice its size. By the time my growth slowed to a crawl, as I approached my 'tier cap,' I was at least five times its size.

Though tens of millions of years passed, I never grew bored. My new nature wasn't one to be affected by the passage of time. More than that, I was with Them. I saw every part of their lives on the Island that year.

And I Loved them.

It was a Mad Love.

I had been correct about that when I discovered my emotions were unnatural.

I had been wrong when I thought the feelings were foreign.

I had, understandably, conflated being forced to follow their orders and my feelings of Love.

That was what every other Waifu-catalogue fiction I had read had been about.

Love and Control.

I knew now they came from different sources.

I loved them, not because I was forced to, but from my nature. My nature as a Great One and my nature as a person.

Great Ones were inherently sympathetic to mankind, females especially.

How could I not love them?

They supported me throughout all my worst times and put up with me in the mother of all Emo phases.

They, my new nature told me, would bless me with Children.

But that was for the future, far away.

I laughed when They laughed.

I wept when They wept.

I cheered as They found love and comfort in each other's arms. As I said, I wasn't jealous, just possessive. Why should I care if They enjoyed each other's company?

They were all Mine anyway.

So I enjoyed a nice long vacation, Dreaming of loved ones and happy times.

It wasn't like no other things of note that happened during my rest.

As I had expected, I was eventually found despite being on the edge of the universe. Indeed, the universe had expanded since I first reached my Island, so I wasn't at the border, but I was still in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere.

I was 'asleep,' but so long as I did not move, I wasn't violating the terms of the Deal. I was free to observe not only my Dream but also the actual space around me.

A handful of times, it was some sort of spaceship that found me.

None were familiar to me, I wasn't an expert on space travel after all, and after they drifted around me for a bit and discovered they couldn't interact with me at all, I sent them away after scrambling their navigation a bit so they never found me again. It was easy enough.

No need to kill them, whatever they were, for exploring.

Once or twice, what found me were beings I had no hopes of matching, at least not yet. They, too, investigated me, but my 'distance' from reality kept any threat they posed to a minimum. Eventually, they moved on.

If I were to say what was the most consistently annoying thing to me, it would be that damn bird!

Around the seven million-year mark, I saw a light growing brighter in the distance. At first, I thought a black hole had gone quasar, as it occasionally happened, but then it got closer, and I got a good look at it.

It was a massive bird made of fire.

It had been larger than me at the time, though now I dwarfed it.

The Pheonix, no other way to describe it, had stared at me then. Its head bobbed in avian motion as it evaluated the image that was my tether to reality.

Then it released a beautiful cry as it dived at me.

It passed right through my image.

The image was my anchor. Proof that I was there even as I wasn't there.

It turned and repeated the process with another cry.

It repeated these actions dozens of times.

Finally, it settled down after its tiny bird brain realized that repeating the same actions wouldn't yield different results.

It didn't leave.

I wasn't that lucky.

Instead, it curled into a fireball and parked itself beside me.

It stayed there for a while.

Thousands. Of. Years.

Wrapped up in my Dream, I could do nothing but remain as far away from Real Space as possible.

The bird brain wasn't the problem.

Most of the time, it did nothing except try and poke me with psychic energy. Since I still lacked my Defences, I was forced to defend myself with only my power and desire to remain hidden. Thankfully my will, tempered by all my hardships and now millions of years as a Dragon/Great One, was enough to stave off even the Pheonix's mental probes.

I told it to shoo.

It ignored me and kept trying to probe my mind. I decided to ignore it in return.

The problem was the traces that followed the Pheonix around. I am not surprised people would want to know where the sapient mass of fire was. I still did not like that it attracted their attention to Mine and me.

Eventually, the Pheonix moved on. To do what? I didn't care. Just so long as it left and took its watchers with it.

You can imagine my exasperation when it came back after a hundred thousand years or so.

Until the day I awoke, that damn bird kept visiting me over and over. One day I would turn it into fried chicken, I swear. A whole host of civilizations were aware of my existence because of it.

Despite all the visitors, my Dream continued undisturbed until it was time to 'wake up.' Once I saw the women start the ritual, I knew it was time.

I gave a three-day countdown for the women.

Firstly, I inducted Ranni into the Dream. She had been asleep for tens of millions of years, but for her, not even a minute had passed since she was bound.

I allowed her to see my true nature in the moon. It should serve as a suitable warning to others about my changed nature.

I didn't want them to be too shocked.

I was a bit bummed when she assumed a Blood Moon and 'hands-on wombs' was normal and didn't ask anyone about it, but I suppose I would have to explain to them when they were free.

Then, at noon on the third day, I dissolved the Dream after sending Emma back for one last time.

I awoke.

I was finally free of the terms of service.

I could travel the multiverse as I wished. Despite the problems with my Avatar, no more chains bound my Body. I could feel my Defences take full effect and a weight lifted from my shoulders.

My Avatars would remain puppets, but that was nothing compared to my exultation.

I was finally free.

I could leave this universe behind. Travel at my leisure. Achieve all my dreams.

I seriously considered leaving Death behind. She had to have known the Company Rep would pull something, and she still let me sign that Deal without telling me.

Then her voice reached me.

Had she tried to order me, I would have left this universe behind.

Instead, she politely asked to meet.

And revealed the 'congratulatory present' in my room.

I vacillated for a bit before agreeing to meet.

At the end of the day, she wasn't the one who had screwed me over. Instead, it was only at her insistence that I was here, achieving my Dream.

And that gift went a long way to making up for all the hardship.

I let out a 'whoop' of joy as I did a barrel roll.

I was gathering some serious speed, my Element freeing me from silly limits like 'lightspeed.' I would have to be careful not to crash into any planets along the way.

The Island, safely encased in the Jewel, was held in my claws.

I could See the inhabitants waking up from the Dream. They were trying to get their bearings; a few had even returned to human form. I would have to talk to them and clear the air once we landed.

As I imagined that conversation, I realized a slight issue.

I had given up my human body when I ascended.

My Avatar was that of a Great One. I wasn't in my infancy anymore, but I was still young by Eldritch Horror standards. I couldn't shapeshift at will.

Not a problem.

I had a few days to reach earth. Plenty of time to figure it out.

So I asked myself the question every Great One asks themselves once in their lives.

How does one Human?

********

"Before we begin, thank you all for coming." Clark couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he looked at the gathering of heroes. Despite the Justice League's youth, many heroes responded to their call. "Though we belong to different teams and have had our differences in the past, I am happy to see so many have responded to our call for aid. I am sorry it is happening in such circumstances. Let us meet under better circumstances in the future."

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There was a smattering of applause, mostly from his fellow league members, but everyone responded positively. Even those who were present remotely, watching from projectors or other means of communication.

The gathering wasn't that large. Most heroes could not operate in the vacuum of space or lacked the firepower to aid in the coming fight. Eidolon, Iron Man, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Thor, Dragon, Supergirl, Captain Marvel, and Green Lantern.

Half were part of the League, a natural result when they dealt with most off-world problems. Other heroes were present, but that handful were the only ones who could be part of this operation.

To the side, there was also a representative of the UN.

This could concern every nation should they fail. Clark was sure half of those present were recording this whole conference.

"We are all busy, so I will let the experts speak."

Superman flew down from the podium, taking his seat near the front. Though he already knew everything that would be presented, it wouldn't hurt to go over everything again.

He also kept an ear out for the murmuring of the heroes present in the room. There was an air of unease. More often than not, the Justice League did not call for aid from other organizations or heroes. It wasn't a full-on rivalry, but there was a disconnect between those government-approved heroes, like the PRT and the UN-backed League. Most team-ups were spontaneous in nature.

"Six days ago, the magic community felt a disturbance." Dr. Fate began. He spoke matter-of-fact, leaving no room for questions or discussion. Clark wished the Lord of Order had a bit more tact. Many of the other heroes were already frowning. Magic was not only a Kryptonian weakness but a problem for many superpowers.

A holographic image appeared behind Fate. In hiding in the shadows, Batman was operating the presentation machine.

"Dragon!" Thor jumped to his feet, fist pumping in excitement. "I have not had the chance to face such a beast. What a glorious day, my friends!"

The image caught the white dragon as it flew through a field of black. Light shone from the jewel it carried, illuminating its form in the darkness of space.

It was similar to the western style of dragons that Clark was familiar with. Four clawed limbs, a long neck, a reptilian tail, and wings. All were covered in white scales. That is where the similarities ended. Rather than one pair of wings, the being had three pairs. It was lithe, skinnier than Clark expected, almost avian in shape.

Superman rubbed his eyes. Looking at the thing always gave him a headache for some reason. Maybe it was how the light hit its spikes? Sometimes it looked like fur, wings, or tentacles.

Like an optical illusion.

Others groaned, like Eidolon, his cousin, and Captain Marvel. They held their heads, turning from the image. Others like J'ohn, Dragon, and Shazam continued to study the image without issue.

"This is a Lord of Chaos." Dr. Fate continued as if he hadn't been interrupted by the Asgardian. "Its existence alone is a threat to our survival."

The room quieted again at his words, and Thor retook his seat. The large man looked serious as he did. He knew how dangerous these beings could be. Others weren't so well informed.

"How is it a threat?" Eidolon asked.

"Lords of Chaos are higher beings of great mystical power. They represent change and anarchy. They act to disrupt anything stable and spread chaos with everything they do." Only his experience with Kent Nelson allowed Clark to notice the worry in the Lord of Order's tone. "This one is the worst ever discovered."

"Why?" Captain Marvel asked. As people looked at her, she elaborated. "Why is this one the worst? What makes it special?"

"Because it is fully manifested." Dr. Fate answered. "As higher beings, Lords of Order or Chaos cannot enter this reality as they please. They either act through intermediaries or use avatars tethered to our plane. Once I sensed its power, I consulted the Sorcerer Supreme about its incursion into this realm. It did not break down the dimensional walls. It has always been here, and we did not know."

"Where is Dr. Strange?" Dragon asked. "He should be here as well.

"He is currently focusing on repelling outer dimensional excursions," Dr. Fate answered. "The walls protecting our realm are unstable. The Lord of Chaos is likely the cause. The Sorcerer Supreme has been engaged in reinforcing them since it manifested and will likely not be able to aid us in battling it."

"There is another problem," Hal spoke up as he stood and turned to the rest of the room. "The image you are looking at was captured by a Green Lantern four days ago. He saw it travelling by chance in his sector. Without a cause to stop it, he decided to alert all other Lanterns in its path."

Green light filled the room as a 3D image of the universe was projected for everyone. A glowing X marked a spot on the map, far from away from any galaxy. From the X, a dotted line crossed the remaining distance. Anyone familiar with star charts would recognize the one galaxy that it intersected.

The milky way.

"It might turn in another direction, but if it doesn't, it will pass through the solar system." His piece said the Green Lantern disabled the projection and sat back down.

"So what?" Clark almost groaned as he heard his cousin speak. She was still relatively new to the League, and if it wasn't for the dearth of space-capable fighters, he would have argued for her exclusion from the meeting. "It shows up here? We kick its scaly ass."

"Well said!"

That is just what he needed.

Kara getting positive reinforcement from the Viking god of thunder.

"We cannot allow the Lord of Chaos near the earth." Dr. Fate said with finality. "Not just because of its power. I cannot estimate its depth from so far away. The real problem is its size."

On the projector, the image of a human silhouette replaced the dragon. Then the image zoomed out, the human shrinking in profile as it stood beside a recognizable building.

"This is the Empire State building." The image zoomed out again. A mountain dwarfed the building.

"Mt. Everest." Zoom out. The mountain shrunk to a tiny hill.

"The asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs." Out again. This time it was a landmass.

"Iceland." For one final time, the image zoomed out. The human, building, and mountain were invisible. The asteroid was a spec. Iceland was a sixth of the size of the dragon.

Tony Stark whistled. "Big one, ain't it?"

"Should the dragon reach earth," Hal explained. "Its size alone could wipe life from the planet's surface. Every movement would cause natural disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes from its steps. That is if it lands. If it keeps flying at its current speed, it will smash through any world that gets in its way. Only due to the Lantern's rings' super-lightspeed capabilities were we able to get a picture. It has crossed half the universe in three days."

"What's the plan?" Wonder Woman, silent until now, asked. She had returned from Thymescra yesterday and was only now being briefed on the situation.

"We will meet it beyond Mars in two days. I will provide transportation for those who need it." Dr. Fate said. "I will also provide records of known Lords of Chaos. Their powers and habits. I recommend preparing as much as possible. Alert your teams. They must be prepared if the worst happens and we fail. If that happens, it would be an apocalypse."

"We won't fail," Superman said as he took the podium from Fate. "We are not trying to kill this thing. With any luck, we needn't fight it at all. It could be passing through, or we could talk to it." Clark saw Fate grimace at the idea, but the Kryptonian would be happy if this could be settled with words rather than fists. "If it comes to a fight and we manage to banish it, great. But our goal is to divert it. It must not reach earth."

Everyone looked severe, understanding what was at stake. Some got up to leave, but a question stopped them.

"What's up with the jewel?" Kara asked, still looking at the picture. "It's pretty. Is it because it is a dragon and needs a treasure to guard or something?" Everyone else looked to Clark or Fate.

"We do not know," Hal answered instead. "The Lantern who took the picture could not get any readings on the creature or what it was holding. It could be something magical. Components for something. It could be a power source. It could be a vanity item. Maybe it just likes how it looks."

"It is possibly its tether to this reality," Dr. Fate picked up. "Most Lords of Chaos are anchored to this universe through a tether. Klarion's cat, for example. This Lord's ability to fully manifest is possibly due to the jewel acting as a powerful tether. Destroying it might banish it. Or it might attract its vengeance upon the earth. I would only recommend it as a last resort."

On that dreary note, the meeting broke up. Most left, returning to their teams to alert them of the possible calamity.

********

Batman watched his monitors from within Mt. Justice.

The group floated in space, far enough away that mars was barely perceivable in the distance. They were ready for the showdown, and Clark was prepared to intercept. He and Hal would be the two primarily responsible for slowing the dragon down enough for the others to take their shots.

Their projections placed its arrival in the solar system in fifteen minutes. It would arrive at Mars thirty seconds after.

Batman knew his most significant contribution to the coming battle would be his mind and outside perspective, but it was hard not to feel frustrated.

This might be the end of the world, and he was stuck on the ground.

The Bat looked at one of the monitors, the only one not showing the gathering of heroes in space.

In it, floating just outside the earth's atmosphere, was the Simurgh.

It was the reason for his grounding. This Endbringer, the newest on the scene, had ensured that any space-capable vehicles were destroyed before getting off the ground.

Most wouldn't have noticed.

But Bruce Wayne was not like most people.

He had noticed right away.

Ever since its appearance a year and a half ago, all further missions into space exploration have faced setbacks. It was subtle. Budget cuts, engine failures, and other minor points of failure that, on their own, looked like sad coincidences. Older machines able to travel to space, such as a few of Iron Man's suits or the Fantastic Four's ship, also managed to get destroyed with enough regularity that something was apparent. It all appeared to be bad luck.

To Batman? Who had access to a wide net of information?

It was clearly sabotaged.

While Ziz did not take action against those who could use their abilities to breach the earth's atmosphere, any type of manned craft was doomed to failure.

Iron Man and Dragon got around this restriction using drones, but Bruce had to scrap many projects due to the newest Endbringer presence.

Included was a plan for a much more secure base for the League.

Right now, the biggest problem with facing the titanic monsters was the sheer lack of knowledge people had about them. They had shown up six years ago and started wreaking havoc. They only attacked once every three months and had been repelled each time, but how to kill them permanently was unknown.

The only thing everyone was sure about was that they were intent on destroying the most prosperous human settlements.

Not for the first time, Batman cursed his limited knowledge of magic. Mystical powers seemed to possess the most significant advantage against the enormous beasts, particularly Simurgh.

Turning from watching the source of his frustration, Bruce refocused on the current mission.

There would be time to continue his study of the Endbringers later.

Provided they survived the day.

Everyone on the mission had at least three cameras, transmitting to Mt. Justice through miniature quantum tunnels. There was no delay in the information relay. Bruce knew the heroes' respective governments/organizations were also watching their feeds.

Usually, Batman preferred to keep information as close to his chest as possible, but he didn't argue this time. It would be better if more people were prepared in case of failure.

Five minutes to projected arrival.

Bruce was going through the info on Lords of Chaos for the sixtieth time while watching the monitors when a splash of blue, out of place in the darkness of space, caught his eyes. It was gone instantly, but Bruce cycled through the monitors to see if it reappeared.

He was the first to notice the new arrival because he was looking for something strange. He rushed to get the words out, making sure to speak clearly, while pressing the button that would transmit his voice to the fighters.

"Wonder Woman! Behind you!"

********

The amazon whirled, sword flashing to block a blow that wasn't there.

What was there was a woman.

She was short, only a little over five feet tall. She wore a conservative white dress, covered by a feathered cloak, and a massive stereotypical witches hat sat atop her head.

Had that been all, Diana would have thought her a human woman in a costume. But other aspects stood out more.

Her blue skin and four arms clearly demarked her as an alien. More than that, what skin that showed was cracked. Like shattered porcelain.

"Curious," the blue woman said. She stood not even twenty feet from Diana in the void of dark space. Her piercing blue eyes evaluated the amazon, memorizing every feature and looking further. Deeper. "Thy art identical, though considerably weaker. Thy also lack our Lord's blessings. Twins, perchance?"

"Who are you?" Wonder Woman asked as the rest of the group surrounded the woman.

'I cannot sense her mind,' J'ohn communicated to the group telepathically.

If being surrounded bothered the four-armed alien, she did not show it. She did not even look at the others, staring at Wonder Woman.

"I am Ranni, Goddess of the Chill Moon." She said the words simply. Not bragging but stating a fact.

"And I am Thor, God of Thunder!" Ranni did not look at the Asgardian as he introduced himself bombastically.

"Bit small for a goddess," Tony said, his voice coming from the speaker on one of his three drones. The self-proclaimed goddess did not react to the man's words, so he continued. "Like a big blueberry, really."

The fact that they could hear each other in space, where no sound should travel, meant that something was going on that the heroes weren't seeing. They had been communicating through telepathy or, in the case of the drones, messages to the insulated earpieces everyone carried that kept them in contact with Batman and Earth.

"She is a Lord of Order," Dr. Fate said, silencing Iron Man's following comment. The sorcerer was one of the least inconvenienced by their current location, protected by his magics. "Look up. We are already in her domain."

Indeed, above them, providing a pale blue light, was a moon unlike Diana had ever seen.

It was like someone had taken earth's moon, blown it up to five times its size, and then hollowed the inside using a black hole. Snowflake-like particles floated into the center. In that dark void, golden lines and rings glowed. They formed a complicated pattern that Diana did not recognize.

"What the fuck?" Supergirl asked in shock. "When did that get there?"

"More importantly," Eidolon had not taken his eyes off Ranni. "Why are you here, and what do you want?"

"Are you here for the Lord of Chaos as well?" Clark asked.

It was possible. Opposing Lords were like oil and water. If Dr. Fate was correct about the dragon being a fully manifested Lord of Chaos, it would attract almost every follower of Order in the universe.

The blue woman turned her attention from the amazon to look at the Kryptonian for the first time since her arrival.

"I know not of what this Lord of Chaos is. Perhaps the Three Fingers have reached here with their burning touch?" The goddess took a moment to look around her, eyeing the gathered heroes for the first time. "T'is irrelevant if such is the case. My Lord Husband would not tolerate their existence. I am here as his Guiding Moonlight, illuminating his journey through the great beyond. The others remain with him, acclimating to their new states. I ask of thee; Why hath thee gathered here? What is thine intent?"

"We're just trying to protect our home planet," Shazam said, smiling down at the woman.

"A fine goal, though; why are thee here? In this place?"

'Keep her talking,' Bruce piped up in their earpieces. 'Something's not right here. Why is a Lord of Order showing up now, where we set up? The more we know, the better. Hal, keep watch for the dragon and alert us when it reaches the outer rim.'

"Whose your husband?" Captain Marvel asked instead of answering. The 'goddess's' face remained blank and expressionless even as she tilted her head at the question. The way the blue woman moved set Diana's teeth on edge. It was so deliberate. Unnatural. Like a puppet being marionetted around. "You're here to guide him, right? He must be nearby."

"I do not guide him," Ranni corrected. "I merely illuminate the path on which he had decided to tread. No person or force may compel him to follow a course he has not chosen. Such is his nature."

"Who is he?" Captain Marvel repeated the question.

"My Lord Husband is Elden Lord." She said the words like they were all they needed to know.

Space was empty.

Water was wet.

Her husband was Elden Lord.

Whatever that was.

"Not telling us much, Blueberry," Tony said sarcastically. Ranni stared at the man.

"What my friend means," Clark interjected before things escalated. "Is that we are not familiar with the term. What is an Elden Lord? Is it similar to a Lord of Order like you? He's on his way, right? We could use some help against a Lord of Chaos that should be arriving soon."

"This is one of thine 'Lords of Order?'" The goddess was looking at Dr. Fate with intensity. "I see but the barest fragment in the body of a man. I sense nothing of thine Order. Is this 'Lord of Chaos' of the same ilk? My Lord Husband would aid you, should you request it of him. Though he would free the man who you control in the process. He loathes those who puppet others. Should thy attract his intention, he might slay you instead."

"The man is lending his body to Dr. Fate willingly," Shazam said, also trying to keep things civil. "We don't know if the enemy is possessing a body or not."

"Petition for his aid. Though he is a stubborn and tyrannical man, he is not without his mercies. More so that one of thine party would be of interest to him." The small woman was staring at Wonder Woman again. Her words drew a question from the amazon, hands tightening on her sword.

"Tyrannical?"

"Indeed. My Lord is the worst sort of tyrant. He follows but his own whims, disregarding all that is conventional or sacred. He laughs at cardinal sins and blasphemy. Should thee receive his favour, then nothing will bar your way. Should his whim fall against thee, or should thee attract his ire, nothing would stay you from his judgement."

'Doesn't sound like a Lord of Order to me,' Kara said sarcastically, her mental voice transmitted to the group.

"You never answered the question." Dragon, her only drone silent till now, pointed out. "What is an Elden Lord? What does it mean?"

"He is Elden Lord by virtue of might." Diana tried to place what was bothering her about Ranni. Her face did not emote, nor was her voice inflected with any emotion. Something was bugging the amazon, though, something familiar. "He arrived in the Lands Between with no arms nor armour. Unclothed and unaided. With his skill and mind, he slew all who stood between him and the Throne."

The group of heroes tensed.

"Armies and countries stood before him, and he remained undaunted." Far from being concerned with their rising tension, the blue woman continued to talk. "He brought Destined Death to the land. Omen King Morgott. Starscourge Radahn. Malenia the Undefeated. Demigods all! He slew them, claiming their power and Great Runes for himself. Even previous Elden Lords, Radagon of the Golden Order, Godfrey, and Dragonlord Placidusax fell to his blade. When the Greater Will itself tried to oppose my Lord Husband, he cleansed it in an unending tide of fire and lightning!"

It suddenly dawned on Diana what was familiar about Ranni.

Though her voice was monotone and expressionless, she talked like one of those women who bragged about their family. Whose husband was the CEO of this Company or whose child was the next Reed Richards.

It didn't make her words any less terrible.

"So your hubby is something of a conqueror?" Though Iron Man tried to sound relaxed, everyone could hear the grim undertones of his voice.

"Indeed." Diana could almost imagine the small woman puffing up with pride. "Including my own, five worlds have already fallen to him. Their gods tried to put up a resistance, but he slew them too. It mattered not whether they be deities, demons, or dragons. All who opposed him were laid low. I act now as his Guiding Moonlight, so I may illuminate his path towards wheresoever his journey takes him. Should thee wish to meet him and petition his aid, my Lord Husband will be here momentarily."

"He sounds like a fine warrior!" Thor said, grinning. "I should be glad to meet him." A part of Diana could understand where Thor was coming from. The part of her that respected strength and enjoyed a good spar.

The 'conquered worlds' part sounded too like a villain for the rest of her to get on board with that part of her.

'The dragon just passed the Oort Cloud!' Hal said in their mental communication line. His ring was the only thing with enough range and power to sense that far away. 'It's going slower than projected and slowing down. We have two minutes till contact!'

"He wouldn't happen to be a white dragon? A country or two in size?' Captain Marvel asked the question on a few of their minds.

"That is his current form, yes." The large hat bobbed as the small woman nodded.

Thor's grin fell.

Diana readied her sword.

Others armed themselves and prepared for a confrontation.

The worst reaction was Dr. Fate.

"A Lord of Order serving a Lord of Chaos? Impossible!" He exclaimed. For the first time ever, Diana heard the mage sound unnerved.

"I see," Ranni glowed blue, a shimmering field around her. "Thou seek to impede his path. I shall not allow such a thing. I shall caution thee. A few others have attempted to halt his progress. None remain. Cease this foolishness, beg for his mercy, and he might grant it. Fail to do so, and I shall slay all but this woman. She will be brought to the Island. I imagine Medea would like to study her nature or one of the others interrogate her. Perhaps my Lord Husband would bless thee or take thee as another consort, should thee prove amenable. He is a letch like that."

Diana readied her blade, even as others placed themselves between her and the 'goddess.' Medea? Wonder Woman had never met the infamous witch and hadn't even known she still lived, but if she was anything like her aunt Circe, then it would not be a meeting she enjoyed.

Also, 'another consort?' The sad part was that Diana wasn't even surprised that the Lord of Chaos was a rapist and kidnapper.

"We're just trying to protect our home," Shazam repeated his earlier words, trying to forestall the conflict. "If your husband would just go around and leave us alone, we don't have a problem. Easy right? We don't need to fight. Peace is possible if even Lords of Chaos and Order can be married."

"Fight?" Ranni looked at the man blankly. "T'is is no fight. Should thee attempt to stop my Lord Husband with such insignificant strength, he would swat thee as flies. I merely save him the bother. Thy mistake has been evaluating us upon thine own scale. Thine 'order,'" the woman goddess gestured at the agog Dr. Fate, "is but a pale imitation of mine own." Her hands, glowing blue with power, were lifted to the chill moon, inlaid with golden rings. "That thee would claim his Freedom is mere Chaos, is perhaps the greatest of offences."

Then everything exploded into pale ice.

********

The fight began as a burst of pale ice exploded with enough force to kill anyone here, like an iceberg hit by a missile.

The gathered heroes had been prepared, so no one was seriously hurt, dashing away from the blast. It did break up the formation surrounding the woman giving their enemy time to cast their following spells.

Where once was one small blue alien now stood a few dozen. All were glowing with power.

The red light of Superman's eye beams tore through half of them. The energy did not hitting them but passing through as if they weren't there.

'Illusions!' The Kryptonian said over the mental link.

A few more were destroyed by the concentrated fire of Stark's or Dragon's weapons.

Then everyone staggered forward as their backs exploded in pain.

The two Kryptonians, weak to magic, cried out in pain. Diana, Shazam and Thor were magically resistant, and Dr. Fate, Green Lantern and Eidolon had shields protecting them. Captain Marvel was lucky enough to have dodged the blow from behind.

The drones were torn apart, shrapnel flying as dark blue darts blasted through their backs and chests.

Shazam, Diana and Thor flew forward, intent on closing the distance. Eidolon blasted an energy beam of his own, covering their approach. He was limited to only one power at a time for the fight. The other two slots were dedicated to keeping him alive and maneuverable in the void of space.

Diana and Shazam slashed at one of the illusions each, passing through.

Thor's blow, his hammer clad in lightning, was met with a long sword made of magic.

'The true one!' The god of thunder exclaimed as he tried to blast the small blue woman. He looked like he would overpower the goddess, Mjolnir bearing down and cracking the magic blade.

'No!' Dr. Fate exclaimed.

Behind the Asgardian, another blue blade appeared, ice wafting off it. It swung, cutting through the man's back. Only due to his magic-resistant nature and his armour was his life spared. Still, a bloody line tore through the man, not deep, but the wound froze, preventing it from healing.

Another Ranni appeared, holding the handle of the magic blade. She swung again, intent on killing the blond god, but Diana managed to block the blade with her own sword.

'Some illusions are real,' the Lord of Order explained, even as he exchanged magic with another Ranni. 'They are mixed in with the fakes, and some are invisible.'

Diana overpowered the woman, her sword shattering the magic and cutting her head from her body.

Instead of blood or flesh, the amazon saw a main frame in the neck, wrapped by tightly corded wires and covered in pale porcelain.

"Futile," the decapitated head said. It stared at Diana, face impassive even as it floated away. "I have supplanted Queen Marika the Eternal. My Lord bequeathed me the Elden Ring on the day we were wed. His consorts have released the shackles of my soul. No matter how many of my dolls thee destroy, all shall fall before our combined might."

The amazon watched Shazam punch another doll to pieces, even as Hal crushed another between two plates of green energy. Dr. Fate weaved fire into a snake, lashing out and burning two more. Eidolon, discarding his blaster power, formed a wall of force. It protected the Martian Manhunter from a rain of dark blue crystals.

In the distance, Superman and Supergirl crashed into one another, purple lighting covering their forms. They had been manhandled this entire fight in one form or another. Never able to properly take advantage of their speed.

A Ranni doll gathered magic in her hands, forming an enormous bow. Dozens of arrows glittered with power, ready to blow the Kryptonians to pieces.

The spell fizzled into nothing a Captain Marvel flew through the doll with a roar.

Thor, still wounded, released an enormous blast of magical lighting, dissolving dozens of illusionary dolls. An invisible Ranni appeared behind him, magic blasting forward to finish the Asgardian off. The hero had learned from the previous bout and dodged to the side, Mjolnir destroying the doll with his movement.

"I believe I shall call use Medea's suggestion to name this semblance; Diorama," the floating head said conversationally to Diana. Its voice was still monotone, uncaring for the fight. "It captures the essence. More elegant than the cat's 'Doll House.'"

Diana smashed the head to pieces as she flew to engage another Ranni.

The endless tide of Ranni dolls fought the gathering of heroes. Tens were destroyed, but even more replaced them. Ranni did not seem bothered to cast large spells, focusing more on targeted attacks. They still took wounds.

Eidolon fell to a Rain of Stars. He survived but was stuck using his third slot to heal.

Green Lantern was taken unawares by a handful of glinting daggers. He protected his head and torso, but his limbs were punctured.

The two Kryptonians, bound by purple gravitational power to each other, had been flash-frozen by a mist of ice.

Others were sporting bruises and a few lacerations from either magical blades or masses of crystals.

'It's past the Oort Cloud!' Hal's voice rang in their earpiece. 'It's going slower than before. We have twenty seconds!'

'She's distracting you,' Bruce's voice was calm, even in the face of calamity. 'We can't intercept as we are. Diana, free Superman. The rest; block.'

Wonder Woman wasted no time following the instruction. She had taken the least damage, likely due to Ranni's desire to preserve her.

She smashed the iceberg apart in a few seconds, freeing the Kryptonians. Though they were weak to magic, they hadn't been hurt enough to disable them.

Kara looked pissed.

Clark looked serious as he turned from the fight, ready to fly and try and intercept the dragon.

Ranni appeared in front of him.

"I cannot allow thee thy freedoms," she said, her voice steady. "I hath tried to show thee the errors of thy ways. No more! Perish for my Lord!"

She floated into the air, curling into a ball as she glowed in the familiar dark blue light representing her Order.

The power that welled up in that five-foot image was enough that even the most magically inept of those gathered could feel it.

'Stop her!' Dr. Fate cried in a panic.

With the Wisdom of Solomon, Billy Baston knew what he needed to do.

The Dark Moon fell.

"Shazam!"

Divine lightning tore through space, seeking the boy-turned-man.

It detonated the spell before it had time to escape Ranni's hands, reducing her doll to ashes.

The blast was apocalyptic.

Reduced by being ruptured too early and its encounter with lighting, it would still have been enough to kill many defenders and severely injure the rest.

But something Strange happened.

'Sorry I'm late,' the Sorcerer Supreme communicated as he appeared within the group of heroes. 'I managed to displace everyone at the last moment. That's all I can do. That spell was Anti-Magic. I am having trouble keeping myself protected.'

'You did enough,' Clark responded. 'Can the rest of you keep her busy?'

'We have her,' Diana responded. 'Be careful. If she is this strong, her husband will be worse.'

'I know,' Superman said with grim finality. 'I won't give him any chances.'

Barely had the blast passed did the Hero of Tomorrow take off into the distance of space.

He didn't need to go far.

The rest of the heroes remained to fight the Goddess of the Chill Moon, but even they could see the white dot grow as it approached. Those with better eyes could see more details. Gleaming white scales. Six wings. An enormous Jewel, glittering with all colours imaginable.

An eye blink later, the dot was the size of a head.

Blink. The head had become a house.

Blink. The house became a mountain.

Superman met that mountain.

He flew at top speed, fist extended. He did not have access to the Speed Force but damned if he didn't try and match the Flash at that moment.

He aimed for the Jewel, ready to carve through it and, hopefully, the dragon beyond.

His fist met that glittering light.

The dragon, flying faster than light, met Superman's top speed.

And nothing happened.

The Kryptonian flew through the Jewel, then the dragon itself.

'Another illus-' Clark thought to the group.

The dragon was suddenly there, flying by the heroes throwing themselves at Ranni's dolls.

Diana saw it all in an instant.

She caught the full Majesty of the Dragon between one heartbeat and the next. Far enough away that she could see its whole being in all its Glory.

Its great eye, more enormous than cities, saw the gathering of heroes.

Saw her.

In that one frozen moment, Diana could feel its attention. Feel the millions of years, the eldritch mind and the abyss of power evaluating them.

Judging them.

It found them wanting.

But it did not smite them.

Just as Diana knew her own name, she knew the Dragon could have killed them at that moment but chose not to.

Then the moment was over.

The Dragon was flying away.

'-ion,' Clark's message finished.

'It's not an illusion!' Stephen Strange denied the Kryptonian's words. 'It's dimensionally shifted. It can be as solid as it wants to be! Everyone, to me! Fate, I'll need your help for the power.'

Wasting no time and not giving up, the group gathered around the magicians as they channelled power to open a portal.

Ranni watched them, no longer trying to stop them.

"Rejoice! My Lord has chosen to spare thee," she said simply. Her bodies were vanishing into motes of light. The symbol of her Order, the Dark Moon inlaid with Golden Rings, disappeared. "Heed this warning, mortals. My Lord Husband is merciful. His consorts and I are not. We will tolerate no more actions taken against him. He has suffered enough."

With those ominous words, Ranni vanished.

The heroes could not respond as they were also whisked away by a magic portal.

********

They reappeared above the earth. They were well outside the atmosphere's range and floating somewhere over the pacific ocean.

The moon was visible, far into the distance and to the side.

'Three seconds,' Hal reported.

'Strange, and I will lock it down,' the Lord of Order said quickly. 'Hit it with everything.'

'It shall taste my hammer!' Thor answered.

Then the dragon was visible once more in the distance.

It was going much slower, well below the speed of light. It still filled their sight, but they could at least respond.

Even before the magicians had cast their spell, Eidolon was the first to fire, still bleeding from partially healed wounds. A bar of energy, a meter wide, flew from his hands. It pulsed and throbbed in strange ways, colours shifting oddly. It flew for kilometres, rushing to meet the oncoming dragon.

And the dragon... dodged!

The Lord of Chaos changed its flight plan for the first time since it had been discovered. It shifted to the right, angling itself eastward.

'Again,' Batman urged the man.

Eidolon was already on it.

He flew after the dragon, trying to compensate for its new trajectory.

His blasts missed, falling behind the beast's speed.

'Hit it if you can,' Superman said, flying out to try and intercept once more. He was followed by the rest. 'If not, steer it at an angle away from the earth's atmosphere.'

Strange and Fate teleported above the US, the angle the dragon turned setting on passing through the Northwestern hemisphere. They gathered their magic, casting a complicated ritual together to anchor the Lord of Chaos to this realm and make it vulnerable.

For thirty seconds, any residents of the pacific islands could look up at the night sky and see a white dragon flying in the distance, a massive Jewel in its hand. It was pursued by pinpricks of light, lashing out with beams at its enormous form.

Had this been five centuries ago, a new religion might have started then and there.

Since this was the twenty-first century, the video was uploaded to the internet almost instantly.

Nor were pacific islanders the only ones who saw the sight.

The dragon was high enough and large that anyone between 0 and 40 degrees north of the equator, between Hawaii and Venezuela, saw at least part of the Dragon's flight.

Its image would have been practically invisible in the day sky if the sun had been up.

Since it was night, the glittering jewel and its protector were plainly visible against the black backdrop.

'Now!'

Two things happened almost simultaneously.

First, magic fountained from two of the most powerful mages in the world. It reached out and enveloped the titanic Lord of Chaos.

The Dragon's wing beats stuttered slightly.

Second, Eidolon fired his most significant attack yet. Tens of meters wide, the multidimensional power tore through the night sky.

The blast hit!

And, like Superman before, it passed right through.

'What!' Eidolon exclaimed in shock and fury.

'No!' Many heroes cried out in fear as they realized the Dragon was not only not vulnerable, but it did not fear Eidolon's power in the least.

'If it wouldn't be hit anyway, why did it change course?' Supergirl asked.

'What's in that direction?' J'ohn asked.

'It's too far south to hit Washington or New York without changing its flight path again.' Hal responded.

'Britain,' Clark said with realization. 'It will pass over London!'

'That's not its target!' Batman exclaimed in their ears. 'It's heading for the Simurgh!'

********

Enough people and organizations dedicated observations to the Simurgh, the easiest Endbringer to track, that the video of what happened next would be all over the world within an hour.

A gargantuan dragon, so giant as to eclipse the sky in most feeds, descended upon the multi-winged woman. Its jaw opened wide enough to swallow smaller countries. Its teeth were in no way inferior in size to the Himalayas.

Despite its purported omniscient clairvoyance, Ziz took no action to defend itself.

It was like it could not even sense or notice its demise approaching.

White fangs closed around the Endbringer as the Dragon swallowed it in a single, mighty gulp.

Having consumed the winged woman, the Dragon turned into a dive.

The heroes watched, helpless to do anything, as the Lord of Chaos breached the atmosphere.

They had failed.

But their worst fears were not realized.

The Dragon did not crash through the earth's crust in a destructive collision.

It did not ignite upon entry, despite its considerable speed and size.

It kicked up no tsunamis or hurricanes when its titanic body met the ocean.

For a moment, many dared to hope that this being, this Elden Lord, would pass through the earth as it had their attacks.

Leaving it behind, unspoiled.

Their hopes were not realized either.

********

People in the western hemisphere awoke to a changed world.

The disappearance of the Simurgh was the least of the changes.

Some noticed immediately, especially those who awoke before sunrise or never went to bed.

Others went about their day for hours without noticing.

But eventually, everyone knew something irreversible had happened.

A Dark Moon, inlaid with Golden Rings, hung in the sky.

No matter your place on the planet.

No matter the time of day.

No matter the weather.

When you looked up, you saw that symbol.

Distant yet ever-present.

Another change happened.

Less noticeable, perhaps, to most who called earth home.

But this was the most crucial change for those who knew the truth.

South of St. Johns.

East of cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington.

North by northeast of Bermuda.

In international waters.

An Island had appeared.

Shaped like a vertical eye, south to north, it was a third the size of the British Isles.

Surrounding the new landmass was a chain of white mountains jutting up from the sea in a circle.

At its southern tip, an observant flyer might have noticed the oddly triangular shape of the largest mountains and how it might look like a dragon's head if you squinted and tilted your head.

The ramifications of the presence of the Dark Moon and the Island would be felt for centuries.

For the inhabitants of this new landmass, the consequences of their presence did not matter in the least.

Something far more important was happening.

********

I formed my body in front of the glass doors of the Mansion.

I was small, barely three feet tall.

Nothing I can do about that for now. I was still young by Great One standards.

I was also only vaguely humanoid.

Too many tentacles, too few features.

My reflection in the glass door showed a pale white, squidlike child. I had done my best to look a little less horrific and a little cuter.

I hoped to have a new body soon, but that could wait.

I needed to do this first.

A tentacle curled around the door's handle, opening inward.

I would have time to admire the beautiful furnishings, tasteful decorations, and luxurious furniture later.

I rushed through the lobby and up the stairs as fast as my stubby tentacles could carry me. I tripped a few times, but it didn't hurt.

"My Lord!" I heard Ranni exclaim. I have no idea how she recognized me like this, but I didn't have time for her.

Nor did I have time for the other women attracted by the woman's cry.

I reached the double doors for the master bedroom in moments.

These doors, closed for millions of years and unmoving for any of the Island's women's efforts, parted for my tiny tentacles.

The room was large and impressive, but I saw none of it.

I only had eyes for the bed and its occupants.

I froze, even as two pairs of blue arms picked me up, and I found myself surrounded by the most beautiful women I had ever had the pleasure to see.

If I could cry, I probably would have.

Upon a mattress large enough to house a dozen bodies.

Curled around a cat I had not seen since before I was put in the cell in the Asylum.

Was Melina.

There was still so much to do.

Introductions, explanations, and experiments.

I needed a new body.

I needed to know more about this world.

I needed to talk to Death and thank her.

I needed romance the fuck out of a baker's dozen women.

But that was all for the future.

I had done it.

I got my happy ending.

I was Free.