Twisted Dawn - 10. Haven's Inferno

Erin-

I couldn’t help but relish the smile that graced my face when I finally got hold of Ashley but the glee and satisfaction I couldn’t deny. An accomplishment toward putting an end to my brother that I thought I’d never achieve but here I stand ready to declare myself a legend. The severely murderous mood I’ve been in as of late was directly influenced by my discovery of Martin’s fate. I couldn’t ask for a better gift than the one laying prostrate before me now; my darling brother Alex power bound and at my mercy.

The closer I moved to him, the more I could feel his power pulse. It reacted like none I’d ever encountered before. One second it was as gentle as a lover’s caress, and the next it raged like a vengeful tempest. This was the power I coveted. Why I gave my soul to the darkness. This anathema was what fueled my rage and determination for so long. Now I will be the only power this dimension will ever recognize. Of course that’s once I recover my greatest treasure, and see to these fucking councils.

I walked on the dais and looked down into the semi- comatose face of my darling younger half and could feel his resolve to fight the paralysis. I raised the athamae menacingly as I looked into his eyes but I couldn’t seem to find reason to continue with my plan. I was wrong. I reached out to him one more time slowly hugging him as I had done so frequently so long ago, and with a speed so quick you’d never know I moved I held his still beating heart in my hands. Giving Alex one last kiss goodbye I raised his heart skywards giving thanks for the method of my ascension when the heart lost all color and turned into a husk of its previous self.

The anger that surged through my being was so intense I crushed the remains of his heart and scattered the debris on his corpse. I loudly expressed my anger and with a flourish of my hand decimated an entire church congregation. As I faded out on the chaos I had left behind I thought of the new task I would request from the Time Rider.

Yeah, he would make this right. Starting with bringing me another of my brother’s incarnations. Clearly my luck could only get better seeing as the ceremony has failed so frequently lately. My anger flared once more as my teleport started and I happily smiled to myself as I surveyed the ruined church which made the bombing of Hiroshima look like a joke. OOOH, now there’s a sight I could so get used to.

Alex

I had no choice. To save his life I was risking my own, but I no longer cared. One thing I would not do now was let Cronos die. I flexed my will until I felt like I was running at full capacity. At first there was nothing, but then I could move once again. I started my descent and appeared on the ground simultaneously, faster than if I would have just teleported. I got into position under his falling body and as he fell into my arms, there was a resounding shockwave which decimated the entire city block.

The expression on Cronos face was priceless, and he began to sputter and curse as I exploded into laughter. I was so distracted that I never even heard Mathias until he stood next to me and in the most chilling voice I had ever heard told me to drop the time rider or he’d personally be the avatar of my destruction. In my new frame of mind that threat would’ve been taken as a request and I would have obliterated him where he stood, but Mathias meant a lot to me, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus the fact that even though he didn’t possess as much raw power as I did, he only needed to survive long enough to loose an anti-matter barrage. If I could counter it or block it good for me, but if he caught me off guard in my current state of power, the results were overly grim for me. As well as everyone else along the entire eastern half of the continent.

I slowly looked to Cronos as I set him down gently and with little effort on my part shut down any hopes of movement within Mathias. I turned to face him but stopped midway as I heard Cronos gasp and softly say ‘I thought you were dead.’ I could feel my hold on Mathias loosening and began to wonder why until I saw Cronos raise his hand and my hold over Mathias faded completely.

Now, I was shocked. He didn’t just override my power using his; he used my own power to reverse its effects. I was dumbfounded and slightly concerned but I soon realized that was not what held my attention the most. It was the fact that these two knew each other so well. As I stared back and forth between the two Mathias turned to me and announced that he wanted to introduce his brother Cronos, also his twin. My head snapped around in his direction but before I could speak we were yanked from our spots on the street and falling into the abyss of darkness.

I came too in a very familiar place that I had given very little to no thought since the last time I was there, and yet here I was back within the clearing. In the land of the Unown. I tried to increase my power level to the maximum limit when my power violently lashed out and destroyed a nearby obelisk. Obsidian stone fragments fell in an agonizingly lazy torrent towards the ground of the courtyard only to turn to nothingness upon impact. I was confused, as now I had drawn an audience and they were all staring at the three of us with expressions of fear and amazement, but the kicker was my power level registered from within Cronos as well as myself.

I attempted to forcibly loosen our bonds, but all I succeeded in doing was rousing Mathias and Cronos and causing the entire crowd to quiet. I continued working until I heard a single gasp from my left followed by the loudest shout of SHIT I’ve ever heard. I looked up only to discover the reason for the quiet was that there was no movement at all from anyone but the three of us.

As I gaped at the audience, I heard Mathias clear his throat as we turned to look at him. ‘Um, this was kind of what I wanted to talk to you two about.’ Our confusion must have shown because he quickly willed his ropes away before teleporting himself and us to a more secluded location. I looked around as we waited for Mathias to gather his thoughts and noticed that not only had he not unbound the two of us, but we were the only animate entities that I could sense for leagues.

I began to get annoyed with all the secrecy and waiting and thought I might as well entertain myself while I waited and briefly entertained the idea of a monsoon. As I quickly nixed the idea and thought instead about an ice age, the rumbling of thunder began to sound overhead and rapidly increased to epic proportions as it began to roll through the hills like the beat of a drum. I concentrated and tried my hardest to gain control the monstrous downpour that had begun in my moment of shock but full control seemed to elude me.

I had full control over the rain falling as I knew I was the undeniable cause of that, but any weather phenomena of this scale was solely only available to two entities, myself and a mutant some people called the weather witch or goddess depending on who you asked. I tried to scan the clearing once again and still the only power signatures I could pick up were mine and Mathias’s. Remembering my discovery earlier I looked towards Cronos only to see the flash of lightening in the glow emanating from his eyes. When he finally noticed my stare Cronos turned fully to face me, and within his eyes I saw the beginning.

Matthias

I ran through all of the scenarios of how this talk could go but in each I ended as the villain. This was not looking good for me at all, in any and every vision I became the enemy and met my fate at the hands of Alex. Except one. But in order for this vision to become true, they needed to know the truth about their history. While that may have me wiped out of the timeline by the damned council, I did have time on my side… At least for now. I had no choice, this they must know or I was as good as dead once the council decided to get involved. I cleared my throat and briefly made eye contact with each as I began my tale.

In the beginning there was life and death. The Beginning and the End. One calming, gentle, and nurturing, protective of the fate of its charges, the other raging, rough, and wrathful focused solely on the fate of the first. What started out as one became two as they were violently separated and entombed within the body of man. Unable to cope without the closeness of each other they each became independent and performed their duties with the knowledge that as long as the cycle continued both were alive and well. Until the calling for the End went unanswered for the first time in Eons.

The sacred cycles was broken and for the first time both as well as their protectors were suddenly vulnerable. But even with reuniting after millions of years being separated the cycle is still broken and no one knows why. Until now. You two may be in control but you will never be fully active without the essence of your power. Alex, you are the ruler of this domain now and forever. Your essence though released in the living world is here along with your protector its host.

You must find Ashley. NOW!

I waited for him to leave before I turned to face Cronos. I apologize for what must be done but we must become one; as your protector my love and essence will assist you in the trial you must complete. I know you may not want to but this must happen so that you may become complete once more. As I walked up to him, I closed my eyes and forced his power to activate adding my essence to his until I had nothing left to give. When I stepped back again I felt hollow.

I attempted to step forward but was jerked backward by an unseen force. Making one more attempt I was yanked back with a speed so intense that when I could see again I locked eyes onto Erin as I felt myself being ripped from reality. She couldn’t be here; Alex’s power protects this world from her. Right as that thought entered my mind I saw Alex walk up behind her.

Turning to face him, she cackled evilly as he bent down to one knee in front of her. Turning his eyes to me one last time, I tried to escape the hold when he flicked his wrist and reality ceased to be.

Alex-

It was a necessary evil that had to be done for my plan to work. There was no way I would be able to kill Erin if it came to her or me no matter how much evil she had done. She would always be my other half. No Matter What. So I took steps to make sure when the time came there would be one who could get the job done. Cronos forgive me but this needs to be done now before we are both eliminated.

After my fusion with Ashley, I had to time my illusion just perfect in order to create the perfect set-up for Mathias. After his merging with Cronos I could sway him without his leave and banish him with the knowledge never to be seen in this time again.

“I know, I know this was a terribly traitorous thing to do but you’ll understand one day,” and with my last action to confirm his suspicion that I was now in league with my sister, I banished him from this timeline never to cross this point in history. What have I just done?!
Cronos-

I felt the cry of Nature when Mathias was removed from being. I am not to know but being the keeper of time has an unfair advantage in these matters. I hope Alex knows what he’s doing because once he dies this time there’s no chance for him to be resurrected. I will have to move him directly past the clearing into the afterlife.

I slowly walk to the spot where Mathias was banished and stumble upon the same scene that greeted him. I wait and as Alex turns to me to wave his hand I wave mine instead and shatter his illusion as well as the spell dancing languidly across his fingertips. I begin to make my way over to his position when time slows to a stop and begins to reverse around us. I know for a fact I didn’t replay the previous events and the only other mobile person was Alex. ‘How can he access my powers?’

Auric-

I had had enough of the foolish game the two ‘entities’ were playing and made myself known with a bang. Appearing between the two in a storm of gore and mutilated body parts, I immobilized both and decided to get some payback for my earlier immolation. I looked to the demon cursed that had been the cause of my earlier incident and attempted to will fire onto him. I tried every method of burning him I could think of but none seemed to be able to get near enough to him. Turning my head to the other whelp, I was caught by surprise when he blurred in front of my eyes and appeared as if he were out of focus. Once again I tried every method I could think of to burn at least someone, when I was launched from my position by an extremely volatile explosion from behind.

I began to turn when I found myself face-to-face with the demon lord himself. ‘You’re heart will do just fine.’ I tried to run when I was dragged back to his feet kicking and screaming. He lifted me in the air and clamped his jaws tightly around my neck. Red exploded into my field of vision, and when my head finally cleared I saw endless skies and clouds of white. I made my way slowly towards the horizon when I saw him, just standing there with that cocky smirk on his face and the beckoning finger he was sending my way.

I approached warily watching his hands at all times when he finally addressed me, ‘Calm down Auric I won’t hurt you, but I need you to do one favor for me.’ I leaned in close when he beckoned me and as he began to speak I was propelled through the open tear in space next to him. I turned as I fell and cursed the ungrateful waif who pushed me into the hole as the other closed it lazily behind me.

I slammed hard into the ground and turned around on all sides to get a general location of where I was. After confirming my location as Japan, I attempted to teleport away only to discover my powers did not respond to me at all. I paced back and forth for a few minutes cursing before I finally heard the whistling.