Chapter Twenty-One: Evanescing
Skin stretched over bone was thinning and ripping. A brain not functioning and an emptiness flowing throughout. It was a death long and agonizing. If he could wish himself dead, he would. Had he a working mind, perhaps he would question what would occur once he evanesced. Red eyes with black pupils, bleeding and crying, turned to silver with a yellow center. Light, supposed to be the good in the universe, felt it was the right decision to obliterate the body before it. Peace being what it sought, and of course, self benefits, it tore through the soon to be corpse. What good was a life form that it couldn't control? Not having a host to feed on, it simply could not make logical choices. When the First Senpai was living, he was the omnipotent presence in the world and the light was used for seemingly good. Without him, and without the latest host, was is it even the light? A complex thought. But indeed, though strange and cold, it wanted to kill. As for the darkness, hungering and craving for brutality and destruction, it eagerly took the chance to annihilate a soul. From the start of the Perfect Eternity, it always felt its spectacular power wasn't used to its full potential in the hands of an unbiased master. It believed that if the newest life was murdered, the Anti-Senpai could return and destroy the light it was temporarily aligned with. Brightness mostly was a holy force, having no such thoughts of betrayal, instead seeking a world with no leaders. It hoped for the dark and itself to rule as equals and have no host. Perhaps it's thoughts could be changed eventually. As for now, the two conjoined powers continued to spread havoc upon their pitiful victim.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Dying
Coal colored steam emitted from holes in the broken flesh as the teeth arranged neatly in his mouth cracked and fell into shards. Cheeks stained with scarlet liquid dropped down and began to taper off of a destroyed jaw. Still in the same spot he had been for so long, Death was finally embracing him. Feet like weathered stones broke and hung from fractured white twigs. Rotting and decaying like fallen leaves, the being began to slip away forever. Heaven and Hell's invincible powers left the poor man for dead as they awaited his demise. Death had claimed only two previous lives in the past. It had waited so long for this moment. All things Living would now be Dead. A world was soon to exist that hosted no lifeforms. Until then, the hollow carcus of a soul that didn't even have enough energy to know it wanted to be deceased stayed frozen between flames and water. Wind blew less and lava seemed duller in the world.
The time had finally arrived. A smoky figure that barely even resembled a senpai anymore shifted its shape. Now, it was a kind of sphere like the ones that birthed the senpais. It dissolved slowly until all that was left was a tiny, chunky, round form, still steaming black gas. Dark gray turned to a soft silver and then a ripe yellow. The smoke appeared like the energy of Purgatory. Ever color that existed thus far morphed to and from the chunk
in the air. Glowing light surrounded now a solid round orb until, finally, it exploded into millions of sparks that covered both Heaven and Hell. Shimmering multi-colored flakes covered the ground of both lands. They glowed brighter than supernovas and left the universe an absolutely beautiful sight to behold. At long last, the Flawed Senpai could finally rest. Too, the Flawed World was left alone and lifeless. The Perfect Eternity ended as something, somewhere beyond the universe, glowed with rainbow light. It was quiet except for a slight pop. The place lit up with brilliant light as the current world's Hell and Heaven grew duller and duller.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Fifth Eternity Begins
Had the Flawed Senpai not died that day and sacrificed himself for his world, a Perfect Eternity would have never existed. It would still host imbalance, as he never forged the dark and light together as one. But what he represented in his dying state, as both sides decimated him, was true balance, something very rare in the universe.
In a way like Eternities before it, the Fifth Eternity started with nothing to admire it or create in it. The sparks still lay on the ground and faded as time went on, though never fully. If anyone were there, they would be reminded of the Flawed Senpai by them. Yet nothing breathed or made a sound. It was a still, silent universe, devoid of emotion and deprived of movement. Slowly, wind didn't blow and eventually, volcanoes stayed dormant. Flowers drooped down, grey like the stone that began to wear down. The hollow universe was slowly fading away.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Not Restarting
Centuries upon centuries had came and gone. The silence and complete emptiness that preceded the universe had been gone for millenniums. Yet, it seemed that it was crawling back, day by day, waiting to return. Heaven and Hell's once vivid colors fell to boring shades of once beauty. Four Eternities, Three Orengiums, and much time had passed since the creation of anything. It seemed as though whenever the universe made progress, it would restart from scratch.
Not this time.
This time it had a new idea.
Bringing something back.
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Void
Void. The Gap burned then extinguished then caught aflame again. Eyes couldn't comprehend the fire's beauty: white with black at the center and brighter than magma. In the Yawning Void, all that existed was those occasional sparks of white light. Three spots repeatedly burned more than any others, all at the same time. More lively and taller than the other flames, these three danced around and sometimes collided. For a sliver of a second, they would combine and spark a massive fire. Rainbow streaks shot across the air and broke through the hot plasma. A center flame of the trio bounced around and touched the two to its sides. They shifted position and struck back, sparking the air around them. Soon, all three would be jumping and hopping and colliding. Massive flakes spit from their contact. The universe couldn't meddle with this lone Void. It was alone and free. How big or small it was wouldn't matter; it couldn't. Technically it didn't have a size. Nothing but something; too complicated to describe the Gap was. But the Yawning Void being inept from description is not a big deal; it is not the important aspect of a world beyond the universe. The big deal was the sparks and what they started to recreate. What really mattered, was the miracle that it started to host.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Beyond
Cold. Shivering. What is this? He held himself in his arms and his fingers felt his chest. A deep inhale and then, a full, clear breath. No more pain. The heart. His fingers clutched his breast and he squinted. Gone be the torment? Gone be my suffering? His soft skin glistened in the light. Another deep breathe came from the revived being.
Hot. Burning. Defeated. He spat in front of him and his hands clasped together. His knuckles cracked and sharp nails poked opposite palms. He looked around but didn't see what he was looking for. Impossible. Unbelieving and doubtful, he closed his eyes for a moment. Forcing them open, a different result came not to him. His eyebrows slanted and pupils glowed bright.
Torn. Bleeding. Over at last? He looked at his hands. Feel I not the damage I previously endured? His functioning mind raced with millions of thoughts. Had I only.. He stopped thinking and turned around. To his left he saw a form glowing with bright light and holding its chest. To his right, a head turned around and red eyes looked right at him. The Three Senpais, now all looking at each other, stated in awe at one another.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The United Senpais
"YOU!", Anti roared as he charged forward with claws ready. "Gah!", First Senpai yelled and shot light from his wrists at his son. "-UNGH-", the evil being grunted as he fell to the ground. "Stop!" A ray of rainbows blocked the fighting family as they turned their attention to the third voice. In unison they both asked who he was. "Father, may you divert your attention momentarily and let us end this meddling fool?" Anti-Senpai asked eagerly. The Light Filled being quickly answered, "No. Try to harm him and I will strike you with equal force. Now, you, explain your presence" he beckoned with a hand pointed to the unbiased Senpai. "I am the one who inherited the universe after the two of you perished. I..am the Third Senpai.", he finished, and his hands glowed with energy. Holding them up to show his power, the Third Senpai watched as the fellow masters gawked at him. "The universe", Anti cried. "Oh, the UNIVERSE!", he yelled and flames ignited from his fists. "SO YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOOK MY WORLD FROM ME", he boomed with unthinkable anger. A wicked grin of insanity flashed on his face and his hands prepared to attack the innocent being. The Good Senpai stuck an arm out in front of him and glanced at the Flawed Senpai with a quizzical look. "Humph. I see.", he spoke in a quiet tone as if he were thinking about what the newest Senpai had said. The Anti-Senpai attempted a jolt forward but was stopped in his place. "ENOUGH!", the First Senpai thundered, with a voice deeper than an ocean. It startled his son and he quickly stepped back. Silence fell and all they could do was stare, still beyond confusion. Anti's fuming anger calmed down and flames smoked away. "So where..are we?", the Flawed Senpai finally queried. They both shrugged and looked around. "Can we agree to stop fighting and try to get an explanation?", he again broke the quiet. They nodded slowly without much meaning and looked at one another like any second they could continue brawling. "Good", the Third Senpai said. The Yawning Void now at least had peace in it, along with three Afterlife beings.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Speculation
The Three Senpais didn't have much time to bond in the void. There wasn't much talking; silence seemed to forever cloak the gap they all remained in. For the first day at least, all the Afterlife had in it were a couple of anti social gods that didn't plan on finding an explanation to the abyss they were stuck in.
Time was nearing the second day and the senpais finally decided to communicate again. After roaming the same general area for a long period, they joined together in a triangle.
"Do either of you understand this place?", the Anti asked, annoyed. "It's just a blank space for infinity!", he finished.
"Perhaps not", the first Senpai said stoically. "I have come to the conclusion that this..whatever we are in..is a confined space but it does not go on forever."
"And how can you tell?", Flawed Senpai replied. He believed the Void was infinite, but they could perhaps escape. His feelings were told to the other senpais. Anti rolled his crimson eyes at the thought of escape.
"How do you propose we leave? Just magically teleport? I believe you have noticed that none of us have created this void. We lack the ability to just break through it and fly out happily ever after", Anti-Senpai without any patience dismissed Flawed's theory. His point was a valid one; they didn't create the abyss. The Good Senpai proposed that something had crafted a vacuum of nothingness separate from
the real universe and that is were they were located. He advised that they shouldn't try to break through where ever they remained and the Anti and Third Senpai agreed.
"If this is not the world and instead an isolated area, what has happened to the universe?", Flawed asked. Nobody knew. So many questions floated around the quiet Yawning Void and none were receiving answers. Confusion was the emotion that conjoined the Three Senpais.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Whole
Some of the white flames sparked around Anti and he remembered his superior scarlet ones. The First Senpai was sitting with his eyes closed and mind racing. The Third Senpai watched on from afar. He reminisced on the days of Purgatory and how much this empty space reminded him of it. Though he wouldn't know the truth, the Void wasn't a reflection of Purgatory at all. Instead Purgatory mirrored the initial universe. Before the First Senpai, before the First Eternity; all there was Yawning Void. And now it was returned, as quiet as ever and only partially less empty. Following the pattern Time had followed thus far, progress was waning and Nothing had come back. Never could Time go back to the very beginning for one lone reason: creation still existed and would take any shape it could. Time couldn't destroy Heaven and Hell so it created Void. It wouldn't, however, help its cause. The Yawning Void would only hinder the ideal world of Time's wishing.
Chapter Thirty: Prophecy
From the absence of creation that was the Gap to the absence of Life that was the world, the Fifth Eternity seemed so empty. And to tell an honest truth would be to agree with that statement. It lacked color, it lacked happiness; it needed so much.
Heaven didn't have a rainbow ground and multicolored clouds; Hell's volcanoes didn't spit out beautiful streams of red blue and green. The sparks that rained from the Flawed Senpai's Death were now grey ash clumped together in mounds. Hell and Heaven couldn't die, as nothing was there to destroy it. They were a permanent formation of something that shouldn't have existed. The Void didn't do what it was intended for; it didn't spread to the universe and start it over; it stayed in its own plane of existence, alone and still. Time couldn't do a thing to stop Heaven and Hell from continuing to exist. Now it was left with two spaces that would be better off not even have been born. Maybe Heaven and Hell as lifeless and dull as they were would just fade away as Time passed by. True they entered a state more and more monotonous, but extinction did not come any closer.
Chaos will come when the two states collide and decimation falls. When over and both live no more, Chaos shall take prevalence for a time not disclosed. If Life and Time can mend peace and wish to stop the Chaos, they will have to form together as one. Only then will balance return.
Chapter Thirty-One: Realization
Eyelids split apart in a sudden moment. His shining pupils readjusted to his surroundings, and the First Senpai stood up.
"Senpais!", he cried with a shaky nervous voice. "Senpais, come forth!", the Good Senpai yelled, regaining his firm tone. Anti and Flawed appeared from the nothing and waited for an explanation. "Something came to me in my silent rest. Something that told of what future will lie before us." They didn't understand and stayed silent, awaiting further details. "It told me of collision. That two 'states' will be destroyed and then something called Chaos will be born! Then it mentioned Time and Life and how they could stop the Chaos..", his voice tapered off to silence and his face made a sorrowful expression. Something only the Good Senpai was understanding was bothering him dearly. The Senpai in the middle of the spectrum in light and dark walked towards the Light filled being.
"I suggest taking a further state of rest. Go back into your slumber and find what told you of all this. You must find more information before we try to interpret this.", the Third Senpai advised. With crossed legs and sad eyes looking up at him, the First Senpai nodded. Once again, he attempted his meditation.
"Chaos.", Anti-Senpai whispered as Flawed moved back over to him. "The word seems so familiar", he added. "But I can't explain why."
"Have you any idea of what he spoke about?", the Third Senpai asked.
"Not at all.", Anti replied, keeping some of his knowledge a secret. As the Equal Senpai walked behind him, the Anti wondered about what Chaos could mean.
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Voice
The Good Senpai reentered the world of his mind. Deep within it, he searched, desperately trying to return to the place of his premonition. His mind was a vast world of dense and unimaginable thoughts, weaved together into a maze with no exit. Deeper and deeper he went, determined to not lose hope. At last, the First Senpai heard the voice from his vision. It bounced around the walls of his mind, chasing itself around, disappearing and reappearing. It was saying something faint, repeating something the Senpai could not comprehend. He chased the sound, desperately attempting to hear what it was trying to tell him. The whispers grew louder and more unintelligible, growing into a symphony of pain and confusion. The Good Senpai attempted to focus, using all of his will to perceive what the voice was saying. Finally, he heard what he was searching for.
"Time travels like the course of a river. The stream ebbs and flows throughout its banks, constantly moving downward, never stopping. Anything that is done in an attempt to halt the river will eventually fail, and the flow shall return, going in the exact same direction as before."
The Good Senpai looked towards the voice. He yelled towards it, "What are you trying to tell me? Enlighten me, I beg you!"
"Throughout the entirety of Time, one constant has been returned to again and again: Nothingness. Emptiness. The universe has a craving to undo, to destroy what has come before it and restart where it all began. You exist in a realm quite similar to the very inception of Time itself: empty, blank, lacking life, lacking creations. All that exists is the sparks, and the Senpais. The universe wants to destroy. It is your job to create. Prove to the universe that existence is worthy, and that the emptiness need not return. I want you to halt the river. Shift time into a different direction. Do this, and all will be clear. But I warn you, Senpai. This is not something you will be able to accomplish alone. May your journey be one of success."
"The Chaos. Life and time. The balance. What about these things you mentioned to me the last time we spoke? Please, I need more information, you can't-". The Good Senpai was pulled away, the maze of his mind evaporating as he was pulled back towards reality, the world of his thoughts collapsing inwards. Everything jolted away, and the Good Senpai opened his eyes once again.
The Flawed Senpai was standing next to the Anti, awaiting answers. The First Senpai's head rose and he looked upon the two. "I need you both to enter the place i was just in. This is not something i can do alone. To find our answers, I'll need you both to do what I have done."
The Flawed Senpai nodded, "Very well. What is it that you need us to do?"
"Focus. Close your eyes. Bring all your thoughts to a single space in your mind. Go to this space. Believe that this space is all that ever was, all that ever will be. Enter your thoughts. Discover the truth. The Voice will speak to you. That's all the help I can give you.", the Good Senpai said.
"Looks like we'll both need to do some meditating. Grant us some peace and quiet, will you, Father", Anti-Senpai muttered, shoving past the First Senpai and taking a seat on the ground far past him. The Equal Senpai sat down where he stood and closed his eyes.
Searching for answers, longing for the truth, yearning for an explanation, the Senpai of evil and the Senpai of balance both traveled through their respective minds. It was the Anti-Senpai who found the voice first.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Chaos
The Anti-Senpai's mind was dark, gloomy, and filled with anger. The walls were forged from hatred, the floors from agony, and the ceilings from deceit and disgust. He traveled through his head, attempting to find what his father had told him about. Searching for answers was a task done in selfishness, though the Anti masked it as though he was trying to help.
"Chaos." A loud voice boomed, it's sound echoing off the dark walls of imagination. "Chaos is what you seek to learn about."
The Anti-Senpai grinned. "Yes, Chaos", he repeated the word with glee, as thought fascinated by its sound. "I wish to know what this word means."
The Voice made a sound resembling a dark and twisted laugh, and continued on, "Chaos is the opposite of Peace. Think of Chaos like the fire, and Peace as the water. Chaos is what will occur should balance fall to the side of darkness. It will be mythical, it will be incredible. Think of Chaos to be the world you created so long ago; lacking order, lacking light, lacking balance. Chaos is a river during a storm, with crashing waves and unstable splashes. It's something that cannot be controlled easily, if at all. The river of Time wishes to end where it began. Using Chaos, the river could be shifted. It could be turned into an insane stream of darkness. Nothingness wouldn't return, there would be only insanity, only evil, only chaos. The flow would never end, it would only grow more untamed. I want you to find the chaos. Bring it to reality. Transport it out of your mind, and put it to the finite universe. Bring back what was once yours. Do this, and all will be clear."
The Anti-Senpai was ecstatic. Chaos was what he had been seeking this whole time, thought he never knew it's name. Chaos was the Imperfect World which he created so long ago. And all he wanted was for it to come back. If he worked with the other senpais, he would eventually get what he seeked. Patience. He would bide his time and eventually get what he longed for. The fiery eyes slowly opened, and the Good Senpai looked towards his son with a face of nervous curiosity.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Answers in the Abyss
The Flawed Senpai's mind was a bottomless pit, a crevice that seemingly had no bottom. The Senpai tumbled down the ravine of his mind and frantically searched for a way to stop his fall. He flew downward for what seemed like forever. His screams bounced off the pit, and became the only sound that traveled through the abyss. Floor came into view, and the Senpai braced for impact. Abruptly, he smacked onto the ground, his crash echoing up the walls of the everlasting pit. The Third Senpai rubbed his head and began to stand up. The Voice he was informed about suddenly filled the silent abyss.
"The Yawning Void. The Gap. Purgatory. All three of these names represent one equal idea: emptiness. Absence. A lack of anything, an abundance of nothing. Time is fascinated with this idea. You seem to be as well.", the voice thundered.
The Flawed Senpai replied, "The concept of tranquillity and Peace is something i've long been pleased by. Some time ago, I made the mistake of creating a world when i had no business to be doing so. I thought creation could be superior to the absence of such. I now realize I was incorrect. In my search for balance I neglected to realize that I had it all along. Purgatory, nothingness, the Void; that is the home of the balance."
The Voice boomed a thunderous laugh hearing the Senpai's response. "No, Senpai. You are quite wrong. The Yawning Void in which your physical body stays now, the emptiness that was the start of Time, and the Purgatory that you lived in for so long are not the meaning of balance. Balance is the equal representation of the dark and the light. The Nothingness is simply a lack of both. That is not a balance. That is a facade that cheaply masks what perfection can be like if accomplished correctly. The world you created, one with Heaven and Hell, light and dark, that is true balance. The two mortal enemies working together, maintaining a bond while still remaining separate; that is exactly what the balance is. If an equal level of light and dark is what you seek in this universe, you need look no further than the World of which you birthed."
"My world was Flawed in the same way I was and still am. But if you truly believe that it represents perfection, how can i return to it?", the Third Senpai asked.
The voice returned an answer, "The Void in which you stay is on a different plane of existence from the finite World. Think of it like two trees on the banks of a river, separated but still close and thus equally present. To escape from the Gap would require you to enter a completely different plane of existence. To transcend Time and space, and become something this universe has not seen before. It is a feat you will not be able to accomplish. You and your acquaintances wish to leave the Void. To do so, all three of you must use your powers together."
Coming close to the answer he seeked, the Equal Senpai asked, "Then what is it you suggest we do?"
"That is not my call to make. Work together and discover the solution. If balance is what you seek, if escape is all that you desire, I am confident you will find success. But be warned. Should any of the Senpais return to the World, including you, the Peace that envelops it may cease to exist. The Afterlife known as the Void is where you three belong. Do what you must, Senpai of Balance. Lead the way to Peace, and may Chaos not cross your path. Do this, and will be clear."
The Third Senpai leaped up from the bottom of the abyss, and returned to the cold reality that was the Yawning Void.
With all of the Senpais now enlightened and awake, a sense of hope finally strung them together. For the Good Senpai, a purpose. He was determined to follow the request of the Voice. To halt the river. The First Senpai knew that with these two's help, he could reach his goal. The Anti-Senpai was overjoyed. Chaos. This was his sole purpose to exist now. He would discover the Chaos, and use it to bring back the world of his dreams. The Equal Senpai knew that by using the knowledge and power from both of his fellow Senpais, he could escape from the Void. He was determined to discover the balance once more.
Stepping forward, the three senpais prepared to share their new knowledge. Anti raised a finger. "Allow me to go first."
Chapter Thirty-Five: To Leave or Remain
His time in meditation had taught the Anti-Senpai one truth: Chaos is what he needed, and to get it, he required the Senpais. The Anti knew the Void in which he stayed now would not be the location of what he seeked. To discover the Chaos would require returning to the World. With this in mind, the dark Senpai began his persuasion, "What I learned from the Voice is something i'm sure will help us all. Deep within myself, I learned one thing: if we stay in this Void any longer, all that we seek will never be accomplished. To achieve the goals which we have set, we must escape. We must return to the World."
The Third Senpai shook his head in disagreement. "I'm afraid I cannot say the same. The Voice warned me that if any of us were to leave the Yawning Void, Peace would cease to exist on the World. Leaving here is not something I can allow us to do."
"Returning to the World and abandoning this Void may be our only choice. We cannot stay locked in this prison for eternity. The Voice has given me a path to follow. If i wish to reach the end, I will need to leave the Void. And I'll need the both of you to come with me", the Good Senpai plead.
The Third Senpai wouldn't budge. Risking the balance was not something he was willing to do. He stood his ground, outnumbered by father and son, but nevertheless he hoped to dissuade them of their stance, "Even in the event that leaving this Void was a wise decision, we have no way to do so. This plane of existence is not one we can control. This is a world unlike the one of Heaven and Hell. If we wish to leave, our powers alone will be of no help."
"Alone, yes", the Anti began, "but together? The capabilities of the three of us? Think about what all of us have created in the past. Surely with this much strength combined we could discover a way out."
"If there was a way for all of us to work together and utilize our peak power, perhaps we could escape from this Void. The Voice told me that cooperation is a necessity if we wish to succeed. If the three of us all used our utmost will and energy and wished to return to the World, maybe we would find success", the Good Senpai said.
There was no way of convincing these two, the Flawed Senpai realized. They were keen on leaving this Void. Both of them were equally persistent on this idea.
The Dark wished to escape, and so too did the Light. The only thing stopping them was the one in the middle, the Third Senpai. "Balance is the equal representation of the dark and the light. The Nothingness is simply a lack of both", the Flawed Senpai remembered the words of the Voice. He couldn't have his false sense of balance that was the Void any longer. They needed to return to the World, to Heaven and Hell, and bring balance to the plane of existence that mattered. The Yawning Void was a facade, a fabrication that Time had created in hopes of returning to its inception. It had trapped the Senpais in it, locking them away from the true World.
If Dark and Light wished to work together to leave the Gap, then would that not be the true definition of balance? The cooperation of the opposites; that is all the Third Senpai had ever seeked. But the Voice had warned him against this.
It didn't matter. The Flawed Senpai knew this risk, but he was willing to take it. The Senpais had to leave the Afterlife.
The Third Senpai stepped forward, clasping his hands together, beckoning for the other two to do the same.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Shattered by Three
"If the balance that envelops the world ceases to exist when we arrive, I shall do everything in my power to destroy you both. With that in mind, I want you to focus all of your energy into the palms of your hands. Attempt to create. Focus. Remember what you each did so long ago when crafting your worlds. Use your willpower; make something. Let this act be the sole purpose of your body. Let the escape from the Void be your only purpose. Focus.", the Third Senpai said, his voice thundering, a sense of dominance booming from every word.
A sharp pair of claws, a soft pair of wrinkly palms, and the shining hands in between them began to glow a magnificent light. Their powers were fusing, forming, creating. The three senpais were transcending the Void. With a final glow, the light flashed an unimaginable brightness that blinded the Senpais for a moment, before it began pulsing. A massive ring of energy shot furiously from the glow, rippling through the entire Void.
Had the Flawed Senpai not died that day and sacrificed himself for his world, a Perfect Eternity would have never existed. It would still host imbalance, as he never forged the dark and light together as one. But what he represented in his dying state, as both sides decimated him, was true balance, something very rare in the universe.
In a way like Eternities before it, the Fifth Eternity started with nothing to admire it or create in it. The sparks still lay on the ground and faded as time went on, though never fully. If anyone were there, they would be reminded of the Flawed Senpai by them. Yet nothing breathed or made a sound. It was a still, silent universe, devoid of emotion and deprived of movement. Slowly, wind didn't blow and eventually, volcanoes stayed dormant. Flowers drooped down, grey like the stone that began to wear down. The hollow universe was slowly fading away.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Not Restarting
Centuries upon centuries had came and gone. The silence and complete emptiness that preceded the universe had been gone for millenniums. Yet, it seemed that it was crawling back, day by day, waiting to return. Heaven and Hell's once vivid colors fell to boring shades of once beauty. Four Eternities, Three Orengiums, and much time had passed since the creation of anything. It seemed as though whenever the universe made progress, it would restart from scratch.
Not this time.
This time it had a new idea.
Bringing something back.
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Void
Void. The Gap burned then extinguished then caught aflame again. Eyes couldn't comprehend the fire's beauty: white with black at the center and brighter than magma. In the Yawning Void, all that existed was those occasional sparks of white light. Three spots repeatedly burned more than any others, all at the same time. More lively and taller than the other flames, these three danced around and sometimes collided. For a sliver of a second, they would combine and spark a massive fire. Rainbow streaks shot across the air and broke through the hot plasma. A center flame of the trio bounced around and touched the two to its sides. They shifted position and struck back, sparking the air around them. Soon, all three would be jumping and hopping and colliding. Massive flakes spit from their contact. The universe couldn't meddle with this lone Void. It was alone and free. How big or small it was wouldn't matter; it couldn't. Technically it didn't have a size. Nothing but something; too complicated to describe the Gap was. But the Yawning Void being inept from description is not a big deal; it is not the important aspect of a world beyond the universe. The big deal was the sparks and what they started to recreate. What really mattered, was the miracle that it started to host.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Beyond
Cold. Shivering. What is this? He held himself in his arms and his fingers felt his chest. A deep inhale and then, a full, clear breath. No more pain. The heart. His fingers clutched his breast and he squinted. Gone be the torment? Gone be my suffering? His soft skin glistened in the light. Another deep breathe came from the revived being.
Hot. Burning. Defeated. He spat in front of him and his hands clasped together. His knuckles cracked and sharp nails poked opposite palms. He looked around but didn't see what he was looking for. Impossible. Unbelieving and doubtful, he closed his eyes for a moment. Forcing them open, a different result came not to him. His eyebrows slanted and pupils glowed bright.
Torn. Bleeding. Over at last? He looked at his hands. Feel I not the damage I previously endured? His functioning mind raced with millions of thoughts. Had I only.. He stopped thinking and turned around. To his left he saw a form glowing with bright light and holding its chest. To his right, a head turned around and red eyes looked right at him. The Three Senpais, now all looking at each other, stated in awe at one another.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The United Senpais
"YOU!", Anti roared as he charged forward with claws ready. "Gah!", First Senpai yelled and shot light from his wrists at his son. "-UNGH-", the evil being grunted as he fell to the ground. "Stop!" A ray of rainbows blocked the fighting family as they turned their attention to the third voice. In unison they both asked who he was. "Father, may you divert your attention momentarily and let us end this meddling fool?" Anti-Senpai asked eagerly. The Light Filled being quickly answered, "No. Try to harm him and I will strike you with equal force. Now, you, explain your presence" he beckoned with a hand pointed to the unbiased Senpai. "I am the one who inherited the universe after the two of you perished. I..am the Third Senpai.", he finished, and his hands glowed with energy. Holding them up to show his power, the Third Senpai watched as the fellow masters gawked at him. "The universe", Anti cried. "Oh, the UNIVERSE!", he yelled and flames ignited from his fists. "SO YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TOOK MY WORLD FROM ME", he boomed with unthinkable anger. A wicked grin of insanity flashed on his face and his hands prepared to attack the innocent being. The Good Senpai stuck an arm out in front of him and glanced at the Flawed Senpai with a quizzical look. "Humph. I see.", he spoke in a quiet tone as if he were thinking about what the newest Senpai had said. The Anti-Senpai attempted a jolt forward but was stopped in his place. "ENOUGH!", the First Senpai thundered, with a voice deeper than an ocean. It startled his son and he quickly stepped back. Silence fell and all they could do was stare, still beyond confusion. Anti's fuming anger calmed down and flames smoked away. "So where..are we?", the Flawed Senpai finally queried. They both shrugged and looked around. "Can we agree to stop fighting and try to get an explanation?", he again broke the quiet. They nodded slowly without much meaning and looked at one another like any second they could continue brawling. "Good", the Third Senpai said. The Yawning Void now at least had peace in it, along with three Afterlife beings.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Speculation
The Three Senpais didn't have much time to bond in the void. There wasn't much talking; silence seemed to forever cloak the gap they all remained in. For the first day at least, all the Afterlife had in it were a couple of anti social gods that didn't plan on finding an explanation to the abyss they were stuck in.
Time was nearing the second day and the senpais finally decided to communicate again. After roaming the same general area for a long period, they joined together in a triangle.
"Do either of you understand this place?", the Anti asked, annoyed. "It's just a blank space for infinity!", he finished.
"Perhaps not", the first Senpai said stoically. "I have come to the conclusion that this..whatever we are in..is a confined space but it does not go on forever."
"And how can you tell?", Flawed Senpai replied. He believed the Void was infinite, but they could perhaps escape. His feelings were told to the other senpais. Anti rolled his crimson eyes at the thought of escape.
"How do you propose we leave? Just magically teleport? I believe you have noticed that none of us have created this void. We lack the ability to just break through it and fly out happily ever after", Anti-Senpai without any patience dismissed Flawed's theory. His point was a valid one; they didn't create the abyss. The Good Senpai proposed that something had crafted a vacuum of nothingness separate from
the real universe and that is were they were located. He advised that they shouldn't try to break through where ever they remained and the Anti and Third Senpai agreed.
"If this is not the world and instead an isolated area, what has happened to the universe?", Flawed asked. Nobody knew. So many questions floated around the quiet Yawning Void and none were receiving answers. Confusion was the emotion that conjoined the Three Senpais.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Whole
Some of the white flames sparked around Anti and he remembered his superior scarlet ones. The First Senpai was sitting with his eyes closed and mind racing. The Third Senpai watched on from afar. He reminisced on the days of Purgatory and how much this empty space reminded him of it. Though he wouldn't know the truth, the Void wasn't a reflection of Purgatory at all. Instead Purgatory mirrored the initial universe. Before the First Senpai, before the First Eternity; all there was Yawning Void. And now it was returned, as quiet as ever and only partially less empty. Following the pattern Time had followed thus far, progress was waning and Nothing had come back. Never could Time go back to the very beginning for one lone reason: creation still existed and would take any shape it could. Time couldn't destroy Heaven and Hell so it created Void. It wouldn't, however, help its cause. The Yawning Void would only hinder the ideal world of Time's wishing.
Chapter Thirty: Prophecy
From the absence of creation that was the Gap to the absence of Life that was the world, the Fifth Eternity seemed so empty. And to tell an honest truth would be to agree with that statement. It lacked color, it lacked happiness; it needed so much.
Heaven didn't have a rainbow ground and multicolored clouds; Hell's volcanoes didn't spit out beautiful streams of red blue and green. The sparks that rained from the Flawed Senpai's Death were now grey ash clumped together in mounds. Hell and Heaven couldn't die, as nothing was there to destroy it. They were a permanent formation of something that shouldn't have existed. The Void didn't do what it was intended for; it didn't spread to the universe and start it over; it stayed in its own plane of existence, alone and still. Time couldn't do a thing to stop Heaven and Hell from continuing to exist. Now it was left with two spaces that would be better off not even have been born. Maybe Heaven and Hell as lifeless and dull as they were would just fade away as Time passed by. True they entered a state more and more monotonous, but extinction did not come any closer.
Chaos will come when the two states collide and decimation falls. When over and both live no more, Chaos shall take prevalence for a time not disclosed. If Life and Time can mend peace and wish to stop the Chaos, they will have to form together as one. Only then will balance return.
Chapter Thirty-One: Realization
Eyelids split apart in a sudden moment. His shining pupils readjusted to his surroundings, and the First Senpai stood up.
"Senpais!", he cried with a shaky nervous voice. "Senpais, come forth!", the Good Senpai yelled, regaining his firm tone. Anti and Flawed appeared from the nothing and waited for an explanation. "Something came to me in my silent rest. Something that told of what future will lie before us." They didn't understand and stayed silent, awaiting further details. "It told me of collision. That two 'states' will be destroyed and then something called Chaos will be born! Then it mentioned Time and Life and how they could stop the Chaos..", his voice tapered off to silence and his face made a sorrowful expression. Something only the Good Senpai was understanding was bothering him dearly. The Senpai in the middle of the spectrum in light and dark walked towards the Light filled being.
"I suggest taking a further state of rest. Go back into your slumber and find what told you of all this. You must find more information before we try to interpret this.", the Third Senpai advised. With crossed legs and sad eyes looking up at him, the First Senpai nodded. Once again, he attempted his meditation.
"Chaos.", Anti-Senpai whispered as Flawed moved back over to him. "The word seems so familiar", he added. "But I can't explain why."
"Have you any idea of what he spoke about?", the Third Senpai asked.
"Not at all.", Anti replied, keeping some of his knowledge a secret. As the Equal Senpai walked behind him, the Anti wondered about what Chaos could mean.
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Voice
The Good Senpai reentered the world of his mind. Deep within it, he searched, desperately trying to return to the place of his premonition. His mind was a vast world of dense and unimaginable thoughts, weaved together into a maze with no exit. Deeper and deeper he went, determined to not lose hope. At last, the First Senpai heard the voice from his vision. It bounced around the walls of his mind, chasing itself around, disappearing and reappearing. It was saying something faint, repeating something the Senpai could not comprehend. He chased the sound, desperately attempting to hear what it was trying to tell him. The whispers grew louder and more unintelligible, growing into a symphony of pain and confusion. The Good Senpai attempted to focus, using all of his will to perceive what the voice was saying. Finally, he heard what he was searching for.
"Time travels like the course of a river. The stream ebbs and flows throughout its banks, constantly moving downward, never stopping. Anything that is done in an attempt to halt the river will eventually fail, and the flow shall return, going in the exact same direction as before."
The Good Senpai looked towards the voice. He yelled towards it, "What are you trying to tell me? Enlighten me, I beg you!"
"Throughout the entirety of Time, one constant has been returned to again and again: Nothingness. Emptiness. The universe has a craving to undo, to destroy what has come before it and restart where it all began. You exist in a realm quite similar to the very inception of Time itself: empty, blank, lacking life, lacking creations. All that exists is the sparks, and the Senpais. The universe wants to destroy. It is your job to create. Prove to the universe that existence is worthy, and that the emptiness need not return. I want you to halt the river. Shift time into a different direction. Do this, and all will be clear. But I warn you, Senpai. This is not something you will be able to accomplish alone. May your journey be one of success."
"The Chaos. Life and time. The balance. What about these things you mentioned to me the last time we spoke? Please, I need more information, you can't-". The Good Senpai was pulled away, the maze of his mind evaporating as he was pulled back towards reality, the world of his thoughts collapsing inwards. Everything jolted away, and the Good Senpai opened his eyes once again.
The Flawed Senpai was standing next to the Anti, awaiting answers. The First Senpai's head rose and he looked upon the two. "I need you both to enter the place i was just in. This is not something i can do alone. To find our answers, I'll need you both to do what I have done."
The Flawed Senpai nodded, "Very well. What is it that you need us to do?"
"Focus. Close your eyes. Bring all your thoughts to a single space in your mind. Go to this space. Believe that this space is all that ever was, all that ever will be. Enter your thoughts. Discover the truth. The Voice will speak to you. That's all the help I can give you.", the Good Senpai said.
"Looks like we'll both need to do some meditating. Grant us some peace and quiet, will you, Father", Anti-Senpai muttered, shoving past the First Senpai and taking a seat on the ground far past him. The Equal Senpai sat down where he stood and closed his eyes.
Searching for answers, longing for the truth, yearning for an explanation, the Senpai of evil and the Senpai of balance both traveled through their respective minds. It was the Anti-Senpai who found the voice first.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Chaos
The Anti-Senpai's mind was dark, gloomy, and filled with anger. The walls were forged from hatred, the floors from agony, and the ceilings from deceit and disgust. He traveled through his head, attempting to find what his father had told him about. Searching for answers was a task done in selfishness, though the Anti masked it as though he was trying to help.
"Chaos." A loud voice boomed, it's sound echoing off the dark walls of imagination. "Chaos is what you seek to learn about."
The Anti-Senpai grinned. "Yes, Chaos", he repeated the word with glee, as thought fascinated by its sound. "I wish to know what this word means."
The Voice made a sound resembling a dark and twisted laugh, and continued on, "Chaos is the opposite of Peace. Think of Chaos like the fire, and Peace as the water. Chaos is what will occur should balance fall to the side of darkness. It will be mythical, it will be incredible. Think of Chaos to be the world you created so long ago; lacking order, lacking light, lacking balance. Chaos is a river during a storm, with crashing waves and unstable splashes. It's something that cannot be controlled easily, if at all. The river of Time wishes to end where it began. Using Chaos, the river could be shifted. It could be turned into an insane stream of darkness. Nothingness wouldn't return, there would be only insanity, only evil, only chaos. The flow would never end, it would only grow more untamed. I want you to find the chaos. Bring it to reality. Transport it out of your mind, and put it to the finite universe. Bring back what was once yours. Do this, and all will be clear."
The Anti-Senpai was ecstatic. Chaos was what he had been seeking this whole time, thought he never knew it's name. Chaos was the Imperfect World which he created so long ago. And all he wanted was for it to come back. If he worked with the other senpais, he would eventually get what he seeked. Patience. He would bide his time and eventually get what he longed for. The fiery eyes slowly opened, and the Good Senpai looked towards his son with a face of nervous curiosity.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Answers in the Abyss
The Flawed Senpai's mind was a bottomless pit, a crevice that seemingly had no bottom. The Senpai tumbled down the ravine of his mind and frantically searched for a way to stop his fall. He flew downward for what seemed like forever. His screams bounced off the pit, and became the only sound that traveled through the abyss. Floor came into view, and the Senpai braced for impact. Abruptly, he smacked onto the ground, his crash echoing up the walls of the everlasting pit. The Third Senpai rubbed his head and began to stand up. The Voice he was informed about suddenly filled the silent abyss.
"The Yawning Void. The Gap. Purgatory. All three of these names represent one equal idea: emptiness. Absence. A lack of anything, an abundance of nothing. Time is fascinated with this idea. You seem to be as well.", the voice thundered.
The Flawed Senpai replied, "The concept of tranquillity and Peace is something i've long been pleased by. Some time ago, I made the mistake of creating a world when i had no business to be doing so. I thought creation could be superior to the absence of such. I now realize I was incorrect. In my search for balance I neglected to realize that I had it all along. Purgatory, nothingness, the Void; that is the home of the balance."
The Voice boomed a thunderous laugh hearing the Senpai's response. "No, Senpai. You are quite wrong. The Yawning Void in which your physical body stays now, the emptiness that was the start of Time, and the Purgatory that you lived in for so long are not the meaning of balance. Balance is the equal representation of the dark and the light. The Nothingness is simply a lack of both. That is not a balance. That is a facade that cheaply masks what perfection can be like if accomplished correctly. The world you created, one with Heaven and Hell, light and dark, that is true balance. The two mortal enemies working together, maintaining a bond while still remaining separate; that is exactly what the balance is. If an equal level of light and dark is what you seek in this universe, you need look no further than the World of which you birthed."
"My world was Flawed in the same way I was and still am. But if you truly believe that it represents perfection, how can i return to it?", the Third Senpai asked.
The voice returned an answer, "The Void in which you stay is on a different plane of existence from the finite World. Think of it like two trees on the banks of a river, separated but still close and thus equally present. To escape from the Gap would require you to enter a completely different plane of existence. To transcend Time and space, and become something this universe has not seen before. It is a feat you will not be able to accomplish. You and your acquaintances wish to leave the Void. To do so, all three of you must use your powers together."
Coming close to the answer he seeked, the Equal Senpai asked, "Then what is it you suggest we do?"
"That is not my call to make. Work together and discover the solution. If balance is what you seek, if escape is all that you desire, I am confident you will find success. But be warned. Should any of the Senpais return to the World, including you, the Peace that envelops it may cease to exist. The Afterlife known as the Void is where you three belong. Do what you must, Senpai of Balance. Lead the way to Peace, and may Chaos not cross your path. Do this, and will be clear."
The Third Senpai leaped up from the bottom of the abyss, and returned to the cold reality that was the Yawning Void.
With all of the Senpais now enlightened and awake, a sense of hope finally strung them together. For the Good Senpai, a purpose. He was determined to follow the request of the Voice. To halt the river. The First Senpai knew that with these two's help, he could reach his goal. The Anti-Senpai was overjoyed. Chaos. This was his sole purpose to exist now. He would discover the Chaos, and use it to bring back the world of his dreams. The Equal Senpai knew that by using the knowledge and power from both of his fellow Senpais, he could escape from the Void. He was determined to discover the balance once more.
Stepping forward, the three senpais prepared to share their new knowledge. Anti raised a finger. "Allow me to go first."
Chapter Thirty-Five: To Leave or Remain
His time in meditation had taught the Anti-Senpai one truth: Chaos is what he needed, and to get it, he required the Senpais. The Anti knew the Void in which he stayed now would not be the location of what he seeked. To discover the Chaos would require returning to the World. With this in mind, the dark Senpai began his persuasion, "What I learned from the Voice is something i'm sure will help us all. Deep within myself, I learned one thing: if we stay in this Void any longer, all that we seek will never be accomplished. To achieve the goals which we have set, we must escape. We must return to the World."
The Third Senpai shook his head in disagreement. "I'm afraid I cannot say the same. The Voice warned me that if any of us were to leave the Yawning Void, Peace would cease to exist on the World. Leaving here is not something I can allow us to do."
"Returning to the World and abandoning this Void may be our only choice. We cannot stay locked in this prison for eternity. The Voice has given me a path to follow. If i wish to reach the end, I will need to leave the Void. And I'll need the both of you to come with me", the Good Senpai plead.
The Third Senpai wouldn't budge. Risking the balance was not something he was willing to do. He stood his ground, outnumbered by father and son, but nevertheless he hoped to dissuade them of their stance, "Even in the event that leaving this Void was a wise decision, we have no way to do so. This plane of existence is not one we can control. This is a world unlike the one of Heaven and Hell. If we wish to leave, our powers alone will be of no help."
"Alone, yes", the Anti began, "but together? The capabilities of the three of us? Think about what all of us have created in the past. Surely with this much strength combined we could discover a way out."
"If there was a way for all of us to work together and utilize our peak power, perhaps we could escape from this Void. The Voice told me that cooperation is a necessity if we wish to succeed. If the three of us all used our utmost will and energy and wished to return to the World, maybe we would find success", the Good Senpai said.
There was no way of convincing these two, the Flawed Senpai realized. They were keen on leaving this Void. Both of them were equally persistent on this idea.
The Dark wished to escape, and so too did the Light. The only thing stopping them was the one in the middle, the Third Senpai. "Balance is the equal representation of the dark and the light. The Nothingness is simply a lack of both", the Flawed Senpai remembered the words of the Voice. He couldn't have his false sense of balance that was the Void any longer. They needed to return to the World, to Heaven and Hell, and bring balance to the plane of existence that mattered. The Yawning Void was a facade, a fabrication that Time had created in hopes of returning to its inception. It had trapped the Senpais in it, locking them away from the true World.
If Dark and Light wished to work together to leave the Gap, then would that not be the true definition of balance? The cooperation of the opposites; that is all the Third Senpai had ever seeked. But the Voice had warned him against this.
It didn't matter. The Flawed Senpai knew this risk, but he was willing to take it. The Senpais had to leave the Afterlife.
The Third Senpai stepped forward, clasping his hands together, beckoning for the other two to do the same.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Shattered by Three
"If the balance that envelops the world ceases to exist when we arrive, I shall do everything in my power to destroy you both. With that in mind, I want you to focus all of your energy into the palms of your hands. Attempt to create. Focus. Remember what you each did so long ago when crafting your worlds. Use your willpower; make something. Let this act be the sole purpose of your body. Let the escape from the Void be your only purpose. Focus.", the Third Senpai said, his voice thundering, a sense of dominance booming from every word.
A sharp pair of claws, a soft pair of wrinkly palms, and the shining hands in between them began to glow a magnificent light. Their powers were fusing, forming, creating. The three senpais were transcending the Void. With a final glow, the light flashed an unimaginable brightness that blinded the Senpais for a moment, before it began pulsing. A massive ring of energy shot furiously from the glow, rippling through the entire Void.
The sound of the explosion was greater than anything, more powerful than any sound that ever came before or will ever come after. The very fabric of the Void shattered, splintering and cracking before it eventually disappeared, evaporating into nothingness. The Senpais had destroyed the Void. They were free.
The three figures floated in place. Brightness from the explosion had left the Senpais without their vision. The Yawning Void had been eradicated. Nothingness had been decimated and in it's place, something was born.
Not born. The something had been there for quite some time now. Since the Fourth Eternity, in fact. Slowly regaining their vision, the Senpais touched the ground, all three of them struggling to perceive what they were seeing. At last, the blindness wore off, and what they were standing on had become apparent.
The ground was covered in a grey ash. Clumps of dark material covered hills, and made what seemed to be mountains. The dust was everywhere, a blanket over all that could be seen. It seemed that under this ash, something was there.
The Third Senpai bent down and scooped a handful of the ash out with his fingers. He removed it from its place and tossed it aside. Digging some more, the Flawed Senpai reached the bottom of the ash. Scraping away and searching intently, he discovered what was underneath.
A wet, fine, green material lay untouched below the dust. The Third Senpai plucked a single strand out from the ground and knew immediately what it was: Grass.
The Senpais had arrived on the World.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Cooperation
All that there was in the universe during the Fifth Eternity was Void and World. Once the Void was eradicated, there was no other place to exist in besides the World. Now, it was all that was.
The key to escape wasn't leaving the Void for the World; it was letting the World come to them. By destroying the Void, the Senpais had morphed the universe into only the World. Naturally, being all that there was, it was the only place to end up in after exiting the Gap.
Unfortunately for them, existing in the Void together was a simple task, but the World? Cooperation would be a difficult thing to accomplish. The Third Senpai knew this.
Each Senpai had an ideal vision of what the World should be, and each Senpai begun trying to achieve their vision the second they acknowledged they were had arrived on the World. The first step for all of them was removing the ash.
The Good Senpai used the power of the light to vaporize the ash, spreading rays of yellowish white all over the ground from his hands. Beams of glowing energy made the ash evaporate, disappearing without leaving a trace.
The Anti-Senpai did the same. He burnt the surrounding ash with his clawed hands, sending waves of fiery power to destroy all that he could. The ash burnt up in no time, leaving the World as if it were never there.
The Third Senpai floated above the two as they cleaned and depolluted the lands of Heaven and Hell. They were working together, using their collective power to remove the ash. There was no conflict, no Chaos. It would seem that the Peace was here to stay.
If the Flawed Senpai had learned anything from the past, it should have been that Peace is not everlasting. It would be gone soon enough.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Peace Above and Below
Hours had passed, perhaps even days, but the tedious job had been completed: Heaven and Hell were cleaned, and had returned to the states they were in when they were first created.
The Anti-Senpai admired hell. He thought it beautiful, familiar; Hell was exactly like his world, imperfect, but somehow so magnificent. To the grounds of Hell he stayed, looking up towards the Third Senpai and his father from time to time, content with them remaining separate from him. He didn't want conflict yet; Chaos would come with time. He would find it when the moment was right. For now, he remained peaceful.
To the skies of Heaven remained the First Senpai. The fields of grass and shining lakes with trees surrounding them was a sight he had been longing to see for quite some time. It brought him tranquility. He was at peace in this land, as it reminded him so much of the world he created during a time long since gone. He would stroll through the flowers, breathe in the fresh smell of grass, and admire the impressive and beautiful forests scattered about. Every once in awhile he would come across one of Heaven's rivers, noticing its flow and admiring its subtle movement. The rivers reminded him of something: he had still not completed what the Voice had asked him to do. The only way to end destruction was to create existence. "Soon", he thought, "Soon I will do what I must."
In the middle of all, admiring above and admiring below, the Third Senpai floated. He watched the two Senpais get acquainted with their new lands. A sense of content and happiness flowed through him; the two Senpais seemed quite happy with the lands they roamed. They didn't resort to fighting, there wasn't any conflict, and the two sides remained separate. Separate, but equal. The Dark and Light could work together, and this was proof of it. The Flawed Senpai hoped that a balance had finally been reached, though he remained cautious should a conflict ever arise.
And indeed, a conflict soon thereafter arose, one that would change the universe forever.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Time's Dilemma
The Yawning Void was an Afterlife for the Senpais. All three had died at one point, and had been revived within the Void. The Void was a creation done by Time to trap these Senpais and keep them separate from the World forever.
However, the Senpais had outsmarted Time itself. They had escaped its trap and were now meddling with the World. Time was not happy about this. It used to be the all-powerful being in the universe. It had created color, it had created darkness, it had created the light. But now, the universe was beyond its control. The fate of all that was was in the hands of the Senpais. All of Time's efforts to stop the meddling Senpais were failing. It had only one option left.
Waiting. Letting the Senpais tear themselves apart. Their Peace would not last forever. If Time did nothing, and simply let the three Senpais do it's bidding for it unknowingly, it could succeed. All it would need was patience. Time was there when the universe began; it would be here when the universe would end. It could take years, centuries, perhaps Eternities; it did not matter. Time was in no rush. The ideal universe would come. After all, Time always wins. Or so it thought.
Chapter Forty: Conflict Brews
Days passed by, and by the time a modern week went by, the Good Senpai convinced himself to end the wait. He couldn't admire Heaven for the rest of his days; he had to do something with his power. He had to create.
The most recent attempt at creating something from the First Senpai resulted in the Anti-Senpai. This also led to the First Senpai's temporary demise. The danger of what he was contemplating doing was high. But the risk was something he would have to accept; this is what The Voice wanted from him.
The Anti-Senpai spent every day sitting by one of Hell's lava lakes, thinking and meditating. He hadn't moved all week. The Senpai of darkness was searching for something within himself. He was trying to find guidance, to find answers. The Anti was searching for Chaos.
The week passed, and with each day the Equal Senpai felt more and more nervous. Something was brewing within the air; a sense of dread filled the Senpai. The Peace and balance that flowed between Heaven and Hell would not be staying much longer; this is something he knew for sure. Floating between the two lands, the Third Senpai inspected his counterparts. Both of them seemed to be deep in thought, each one looking for something different within themselves. Whatever they seeked was scaring the Senpai of balance. He was not eager to be the one to stop a conflict between the two.
Speaking was something the Senpais hadn't done with one another in quite some time. In order to inform his fellow Senpais of his plan, the Good Senpai ended the silence, "Senpais. The World in which we exist is quite a magnificent one. It pleases all of us. There is joy in it for each of us; something to admire, something to love. But I can't keep living this way. I need to create! I need to build! I must influence the World once more! I'm going to use my power like I did so long ago; to craft something, anything. If I do not, terrible things will happen. The Voice warned me of this, and I shall follow what it instructed me to do. I will not let Nothingness return to the universe!"
Both of the Senpais left the spots they were located at and frantically flew up to Heaven. The Flawed Senpai attempted to be a voice of reason, "No! I will not let you disrupt the balance, Good Senpai! Think of the destruction you yourself could cause trying to influence this World! What if what you create turns on you like in the past? What if it kills us all?"
The Anti-Senpai was furious at his father, "Father, don't be daft! Are you seriously willing to risk everything we've worked so hard for? For what? For The Voice? Creation is too dangerous!"
Fuming, the Good Senpai refuted, "Yes, for The Voice! What reason do I have not to trust it? Look at what we have thanks to it!
Had we never trusted it in the past, we would never have made it back to this World! I will do whatever it asks of me!"
"While it did not misguide us in the past, I cannot allow us to risk all that we have now to do it's further bidding. The World is at Peace, Senpai. At balance! Risking disruption is simply not worth it. Are you not content with living out your days peacefully within Heaven?", the Equal Senpai responded.
The First Senpai scoffed, "A life of tranquil boredom is no better than no life at all! Risk is the father of innovation, of creation! We cannot live our lives without experimenting with some danger! Think of all the good we could do by using our power to create!" Anger began to fill the Good Senpai. If the others wouldn't accept him creating, he would simply do it without their consent.
"You are foolish!", boomed the Equal Senpai. "Think of the consequences should this go wrong! I will not warn you again! If you attempt to create, I will be forced to intervene. Push me any further, and I will not hesitate to use my powers to stop you!"
The Anti-Senpai was relishing in the conflict. He could sense the anger and hate in the air. It was a feeling that brought him pure glee. "Now, now, father. Listen to the Equal Senpai. There is no need to be rash. This World already has all that we need. Why would we ever need more?", he said.
Looking to the skies, the Good Senpai thundered to above, flying away from his dissenters. The ground rumbled as the Senpai rocketed to the peaks of Heaven. He was trying to escape from the other Senpais. Anti flew after him, shooting past the Equal Senpai at an incredible speed. The Equal Senpai shook his head in sadness. He was far behind the father and son as he shot towards the clouds. The Peace had reached its end.
Continued on Senpai Page 3.