POV: Kei

I watched silently as Grandpa threw the four seeds out into the Primordial Chaos, the Chaos surrounding them immediately beginning to seethe. It wasn't very noticeable considering the Primordial Chaos is always seething in some way or another, but after having been looking at it for all my life, I of course was able to detect the change in the patterns. The seeds were absorbing the Primordial Chaos, quite rapidly at that. The Four Realms thirsted for growth, and thus was aiding in any way it could - namely by speeding up the growth of those seeds. 

With a small whistle I vanished, reappearing in the throne room of Elvira's Palace, where Elvira and Gilles were flirting with each other. It was sickeningly sweet. Thankfully I had appeared behind the throne itself, so neither of them detected my presence...that will make this next part even more entertaining. 

"Boo!" I cried, popping out of the shadows and throwing my hands into the air childishly, startling the both of them and nearly getting myself blasted with bolts of energy. 

"Damn it, Kei! How many times have I told you not to do that?!" Elvira shouted as she leapt to her feet, prepared to blow me to kingdom come and making me giggle. I ignored Elvira's threat and instead plopped down in the throne Elvira had recently vacated. It wasn't very comfortable. Why would Elvira make it with stone? It should be made cushions and plush toys...that's how I would make it. 

"I got tired of watching you two flirt. Plus, I laid a trap for someone and wanted front row seats to when it goes off." I explained, electing to ignore Elvira's protests. 

"What trap? We are expecting -" I cut Gilles off with a shit-eating grin. 

"I know. It's for one of them. Even if it doesn't hit the one I'm aiming for it'll still be hilarious!" I cackled, turning my eyes eagerly to center of the throne room, where I expected Grandpa to appear with his new friends in tow. He always appeared there. And He did not disappoint. With hardly a ripple of power, an impressive feat considering the number of beings being simultaneously teleported, Grandpa and His merry crew appeared dead-center in the middle of the throne room...with Reilly right to Grandpa's right, just as I predicted. 

With a small crackle Reilly, that stupid deity, suddenly found himself covered in pink paint and glitter, crafted for use against divine beings and hidden mid-air by my strongest illusions, the paint staining his clothes and glitter making him stand out even more than a disco ball. (Lovely invention that. I love disco balls. They're so...shiny. Mortals really do come up with the greatest things. I've pilfered at least twenty eight from various mortal worlds.) 

"What the - YOU!" Reilly shouted dramatically, practically fuming as he pointed at me. I just cackled gleefully and teleported out of the way of whatever retaliation Reilly had planned, which turned out to be throwing his dice at the throne. 

Hard enough that the two cubes completely obliterated said object. I just cackled, uncaring that the target had been me. That body was an illusion anyways. It's not like he could've hit me. 

"KEI!" Elvira roared, her wings flapping violently in an attempt to get the dust of her throne out of her feathers. OOOH! Two for one! Go me!

"Yes?" I asked innocently. Elvira's rage-filled eyes focused on me and I immediately made the wise decision and opted to bug out. It was the right decision too, seeing as how not but a nanosecond after I teleported away Elvira completely obliterated the illusion I left in my place with a beam of white energy, blowing a hole in the ceiling of her palace. I, of course, was safe hiding (literally) in Grandpa's shadow...a trick I learned thanks to my natural affinity towards all elements, including shadows. Perhaps only Keilan, Gilles, and Grandpa could really find me like this...

"WHERE'D SHE GO?!" Elvira roared. 

"Calm down, dear. That's my fault, I was told that the foxy brat would retaliate for touching her tails and reacted poorly." Reilly explained, sighing and pouring divine power into the paint in an attempt to get it off. It started to drip off of his body and down onto the floor as a result, but his clothes would remain pink and sparkly for all eternity unless he wiped them out of existence. Reilly just sighed upon realizing this, glancing at Grandpa's shadow, at me, with promised retribution in his eyes. Oh, this is going to be a fun one! "Here, allow me to fix your throne." 

With a wave of his hand Reilly's power converged, creating...a giant bean-bag, large enough for both Elvira and Gilles to lounge in. "There you go. I call it a love-seat. Now you and your shadowy lover can flirt in front of aaall your subjects, while being comfortable too!" Reilly announced, bowing with a flourish. I snickered. Oh, I'm liking him better already. 

"SHUT UP, SPARKLES!" Elvira bellowed. I barely withheld my laugh at that one. Elvira comes up with the best insults when she's angry! Well, maybe they're not quite as creative as Tian's are, but...they're entertaining nonetheless! Reilly chuckled and looked at Grandpa. Gilles then appeared out of the shadows (when did he vanish?) and attempted to placate the raging deity. She really doesn't like it when her throne gets destroyed, despite how often she complains about the stone chair. 

Which is why I've managed to obliterate it, sometimes while she's sitting on it, at least fifteen times. Her reactions are too great. 

"Care to introduce the lovely lady?" Reilly asked innocently. 

"Quit antagonizing Elvira, you." Grandpa chided, speaking to both Reilly and myself. I shrugged my shoulders in response and Reilly just smiled, earning a sigh from Grandpa. "Shall we continue then? This is Elvira, the protector of the Heaven Realm, and her husband Gilles, the Deity of Shadows. Elvira is the de facto leader of most deities. She keeps them from going wild and helps to guide them to where they are needed most...I imagine she'll have more on her plate once the Four Realms grow bigger." Grandpa explained casually. 

"Indeed she will. Does she have any advisors?" Yueya asked with a cute tilt of her head. I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful pointy-eared being as she twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, oblivious to the way she attracted everyone's subconscious attention....gah, she's a dangerous weapon. And she's just waltzing about, without a care in the world! 

"Not officially," Elvira said slowly, shaking her head. 

"Might want to consider that once things start taking off." Yueya added. I yawned a bit and blinked blearily at the ceiling, where the hole in the roof from Elvira's attack at me was slowly mending itself. Hmm. I'm getting bored...

With a slight sigh I teleported out of Grandpa's shadow, reappearing in the Mortal Realm. There were always things to keep me entertained in the Mortal Realm. 

POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian

We stood over the Karmic Realm, everyone but me silently contemplating the enlightenment to be had simply observing the way the Karmic Realm functioned, even if Keilan wasn't there to provide insight. Heck, even I didn't need to provide insight to the others, they just kind of slipped into a moment of enlightenment all on their own. I sighed and shook my head, observing the starry sky with a hint of detachment, waiting for the others to come out of their enlightenment. I wouldn't let them stay in it too long and trusted them to break out of it by themselves, but still...

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It was boring. I couldn't even run off to go do other things...

Wait. Yes I can. Incarnations are a wonderful thing!

"Statera." Shin's calm voice resounded out behind me. I grimaced and turned around, not even bothering to hide my boredom from the analytical skeleton. "What..." He trailed off, and I immediately returned my full attention to the situation at hand. It seems that finally, after eight years of wandering the Four Realms and gaining enlightenment, Shin had caught on to something. It had taken him long enough. I figured that after the trio of Origin Deities finished their limited analysis of the Holy Mountain that he'd catch on, but it took looking at a bit of everything for him to catch on instead. 

"Yes?" I asked leadingly. 

"What is the Shadow?" Shin asked as more of a statement than question. I just smiled and nodded. 

"That, Shin, is the right question. Reilly! Yueya! Steward! Ze! Time's up!" I shouted, startling said deities out of their stupor. They all simultaneously looked at me and I gestured in the direction of the Realm Sun, where a certain being was staring silently at the object of its obsession over a million years ago. 

"What's over there? We've already seen your Realm Sun and Lunar Star." Reilly stated calmly. I nodded in agreement. The origin deities hadn't really learned much from that - after all, the most interesting thing about them was that they were basically incubators for Leo and Celene at the moment. Beyond that, they were just another Sun and Moon. Something invaluable, but every universe had them. That simple agreeing motion seemed to satiate Reilly's curiosity, as he merely revealed an understanding expression, smiled wryly, and nodded his head. 

Apparently his Luck had told him something. It was an annoying skill of his, to simply change one's luck and gain random insights. He made that expression whenever he figured something particularly...'juicy,' as he so eloquently puts it, as thanks to his stupid luck. However I was willing to bet that he didn't glean anything particularly useful from his little stunt, mostly because if he really knew what I was going to show them then he'd be making a very different expression. Mostly one of utter shock. Probably. 

I couldn't help but smile a bit smugly at that. "Just wait until I wipe that smile off of your face, Reilly." I teased. Reilly's expression never wavered, but I did catch the look of intense curiosity in his eyes. Wonderful. With a smile I settled my aura, my usual calming presence further smoothing out until it was as smooth and tranquil as a lake without waves. The others unconsciously relaxed, though Shin gave me an unreadable glance as I began to move off towards Morgan. "I want you all to refrain from talking to this being. This is a conversation I will have alone, but I wish for you all to be present. It will both serve my purpose well and prevent you from growing in a poor direction. I am taking a risk here, showing him to you, so I plead that you do as I say." I said, bowing my head ever so slightly. 

"...As you wish." Shin said slowly, the flames in his eye sockets flickering a bit. Reilly and Yueya both muttered their assents, and I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn't known I had been holding. Honestly I should've been expecting for them to be understanding like this, but I had still been nervous. 

"Excellent. Follow me." I said, slowly drifting off towards Morgan. I flared my aura a bit and sighed internally, running over for the umpteenth time what I was going to say and do. There wasn't much I could think of. 

POV CHANGE: Morgan

Staring at the Realm Sun and Lunar Star is a truly humbling experience for me, especially when I am so close but so very far from my one-time goal. Now, the Four Realms are stable enough that destroying the Realm Sun would do some damage, but would be ultimately insignificant - especially with the addition of the Lunar Star. One of my spidery appendages reached out as if to stab the Sun, though I wasn't nearly close enough, the action eliciting a self-deprecating chuckle to rumble from the back of my throat. 

"Foolish." I told myself with a sigh, sitting down and looking at the stars in the sky, hanging suspended, as if on a canvas. These past eighteen years, ever since That One released me from my prison on probation, as That One calls it, have been very humbling. Staring out at the Four Realms from my prison is nothing like going out and experiencing it...and although I most certainly had thought about causing a bit of trouble, I ultimately found such actions would be pointless. With The Others constantly watching me and the amount of damage I could do before That One returned, it would be a fruitless endeavor. 

These thoughts were followed by a despondent sigh, my mild depression persisting even as That One appeared next to me. Said depression even allowed me to continue functioning normally even when I discovered that three beings that were much too similar to That One, and one that had an aura very similar to my own, were standing behind That One. I was silent for a moment as I stared at the Great Creator, who merely sat down next to me and let out a breath. 

"I honestly don't know what I'm doing anymore." That One said, shaking its head after a long moment of silence. "I was supposed to have figured out what to say to you over the course of the past eighteen years, but I've come to a conclusion of nothing. Everything that needs to have been said has been said, has it not?" That One asked rhetorically. 

I decided to answer the question regardless. "Yes," I said simply, turning four of my eyes to look at That One while the others kept their attention on the Realm Sun and Lunar Star. "But...sitting here now, I realize that my actions were inevitably pointless." I lamented. 

To my complete and utter surprise, the Great Creator simply scoffed at my words and fixed me with a glare. "You nearly destroyed the Four Realms and undoubtedly changed the entirety of my universe - how is that insignificant? You, the Shadow of the Four Realms, were born because I existed - how could you be insignificant? The events you put into play are an integral part in all universes, regardless of the contents of the event itself - how in the multiverse could that be pointless?!" I couldn't help but flinch backwards a bit at the sheer force of That One's sudden outburst, my eyes growing wide. 

Then That One sighed once more and gave me an indecipherable look. "...what was that about?" I inquired. We've had this conversation before, but this was the first time that the Great Creator has ever flown off the wall like that. 

"Quite simple, really. I'm tired of playing this game, and my new friends there have inspired me to do better." That One said rather simply, regaining control of its emotions. "Let's put it this way - we both know that the Four Realms are imbalanced. I could easily correct this imbalance by absorbing you body and soul." Well, that's new. That One has never outright stated such a thing. 

"But you are unwilling." I responded, knowing the answer. But, to my surprise, That One shook its head. 

"No, I am willing as unfortunate as it is. If things continue as they are I will be forced to make the decision between absorbing you or allowing the Four Realms to collapse in upon itself. That wouldn't happen for a few hundred million, if not billions, of years of course, but it is still a possibility on the table. However, there is always more than one way to do things. As the saying goes - where there's a will there's a way, and there's always a way. Hence why I have been trying to...appeal to you." That One said. I got the feeling that not all of those words were meant for me. 

"I did not absorb you or destroy you because I know that you can positively influence the Four Realms, but perhaps not the way I originally intended. What is it that you want, Morgan? What caused you to really attempt to destroy the Realm Sun?" That One asked. 

After a moment's hesitation, I spoke. "I thought your way to be wrong." I said, knowing that the Great Creator knew that answer. But, because I could feel that enlightenment was flashing through its eyes, and beginning to bubble up within my own mind. 

"Precisely. You thought it to be wrong, and as such acted in a way you thought would help me understand that. And I fully understand that. Things lurk in the Void that seek to return all creation into nothingness, and yet Creation keeps creating and expanding, as you can see." That One waved one hand towards its accompanying beings, and my eyes narrowed, then widened in realization. "Your purpose is much more than you realize. Which is why I'm letting you out to play a bit. Call it a leap of faith - because faith and trust are two different things." That One said, smiling and reaching out, scratching between my dog-like ears. I did not so much as twitch at the action, falling deep into thought instead. That One's words rang out in my head once again, repeating the words that it had repeated to me over and over, over the eons. 

I forgive you, after all you've done. I scoffed slightly, looking at That One, only to find that They disappeared alongside the other beings. A smile curled itself up on my lips as I glared at the spot. Perhaps...it is time for me to try a new tactic. I have already proven myself able to stand next to That One, though our power gap has only widened over the countless eons, and have received the attention I so craved. Now it is time to introduce the one thing I have not succeeded in doing - change. Both the Four Realms and myself if I am to survive. 

But that would come later. First, I will do what That One wishes, and truly create a race of beings that are fit to live in the Four Realms. 

They shall be unlike any other.