[center]Puppet

The Academy, Early Morning[/center]

Hazumi slept soundly on a chair that occupied what seemed to be her office within the Academy, her home. Her head rested on the desk before her, an occasional, tiny snore escaped her lips as she breathed, her nostrils twitching, protesting to the intrusion of the dust that floated around in the dark room. She wouldn’t be able to feel the other presence that occupied the room with her dulled powers, especially when they were stretched into hundreds of strands, instruments, held by mortals. Her power was far beyond their control, as much as she liked to lie to herself that they [i]could[/i] control it. Mortals had to earn their power, not be gifted it by others.

“What a waste of potential…” A low throaty voice said to itself as it watched the false gatekeeper sleep. Such a mortal wim, sleep was. It was like she wanted to be mortal, and as such pretended to be. Perhaps she wanted to experience the essence of a dream. Dreams were a curious thing for sure. Twisted and random in their nature. They reveal the darkest depths of one’s soul. Their greatest subconscious fears and desires.

The Puppet had rested enough, it was time for her to awaken. The being clicked it’s fingers, and Hazumi was overwhelmed with a twisted waking nightmare.

For her it was a peculiar nightmare.

It started off with a shape slowly emerging from the shadows. A blurry silhouette of a human, or an angel or a demon, or so one would assume based on the twin sets of limbs and what must have been a head. It had no face and it had no mouth but there was a smile painted on its features – a loving or a malicious one, she couldn't make out. She wasn't scared, although her heart beat faster as its steps approached her. It reached out a hand to her and she closed her eyes, heard speeding up yet again.

A feather touched her cheek, no, gentle fingers that made her eyes open in surprise. The smile greeted her, brighter, sincere and Hazumi could feel her eyes water. She stepped closer to the creature, it's spread arms welcoming her into an embrace. There, inside those arms she found shelter, resting her head on its chest. There was then a loving caress on her head, a lullaby of voice and words and slowly, slowly, Hazumi's eyes closed, her heart melting into a divine bliss.

The real Hazumi's eyes shot open, her body recoiling from the nightmare as if it was a wall of flame. Her breathing was ragged and painful to listen to, pupils wide with fear of what still played in her confused mind.

Then she noticed the figure in front of her, and went very, very still. Hand frozen in mid-air, one foot drawn back around the couch while another was still in front of it, Hazumi froze, uncertain as her body of what she was supposed to do next. Her face was a brilliant white reflection of the moonlight that streamed gently through the window.

“Who are you?”

“Someone you should fear.” It’s form was visible in the faint light. It looked illogical but godly. Strange yet elegant in it’s design. A black helmet with a single vertical visor donned the being’s features. The orange visor glowed with brilliant light. The helmet was attached fully to body, and unremovable, as black metallic flesh, kept it glued to it’s body. On it’s right shoulder, the black metal stretched all the way down it’s arm and right pec, with orange crystal like stones protruding out. On the left side, peach coloured flesh mixed in with the black metal, the metal lines acting as veins, passing pure essence throughout the body. An elegant yet complex garb covered it’s lower body, brown with black, blue and orange accents. It’s hands were covered by blueish black gauntlets.

“I… am Aaurus…” His sheer power was evident to Hazumi’s senses now, overwhelmingly so.

Her eyes hurt watching him. No, maybe it was her brain. Yet she couldn't stop staring at him. Words seemed a meaningless tool for combating her fear and confusion, yet they were the only tool she had.

“Why now?” She asked, throat dry, voice raspy. 

“Now is the best time of all…” The being stated. “Recent events have… forced my hand.”

[i]”Recent events”? “Recent events”?! Not the events of 3000 years ago when Heaven fell or even the events of 200 years ago when more than half the angels were slaughtered? “Recent events”, not when I remained the only god alive and needed your guidance? “Recent events”?![/i]

“Solus was right. You're an asshole.” Hazumi glared at him, rage appearing on her features beside the fear.

“And I was right. You are a fake. An imperfection, a grotesque mole on the face of my creation, spreading your power to all like a wretched disease… A poor excuse of a failure, attempted to be made in my image from the carcasses of [i]my[/i] children. A waste of flesh and bone, of essence, that could have been applied elsewhere towards something more useful.” Aaurus starred her frail and mortal form down with his Ancient gaze that pierced the multitude of souls that surrounded hers within that pathetic body. “My [i]weapon[/i] may have been right in your eyes, but at least he is perfection, forged by [i]my[/i] hands. A Being that will save this world I built. I have intervened… for the past 5000 years. Forging Solus’ spirit into what he has become today…”

He took a step closer. “You on the other hand, are a worthless abomination. Remember your place before you hand power to others that you barely understand…” His voice boomed throughout the room, but no one but Hazumi would hear it.

His words were daggers, sharp enough to pierce to the core of her being, but dull enough to cause immense pain. Hazumi's expression twisted, fear once again overshadowing the rage. There was a time, she remembered, when she was beyond fear, beyond the very comprehension of it. Now that confidence was shattered, pieces of it empowering creatures even more vulnerable than her. Because there are many things, capable of destroying humans. But there were few things, capable of destroying demigods as well.

So he was blaming her for taking the reigns of the chariot he'd abandoned, he was calling her a disease that shouldn't have happened? So he was here to undo the taboo the Fleshshaper had created? She stood no chance. Even as he stepped forward and she stepped back, she knew there was no point in even trying. The best thing she could do is spare the lives of everyone in the Academy by bowing her head quietly and minimising the damage.

“Why now?” She repeated – her existence had started long ago, her rule over the Academy, also. “Why you? Why not your [i]weapon[/i]?” She said the word with a weird voice, somewhere between mockery and pity.

“Oh… I’m not here to erase you…” His voice piercing her skull. “I’m here to make you perfect…”

Alarm bells rang in Hazumi's ears. Hey eyes narrowed with distrust, her foot taking another instinctive half-step back.

“There is only one thing. One simple thing that you must do. So listen to my words, Puppet.” Aaurus stated eerily. “Aid the Weapon. Or you will never… see the Dawn of Day again. None of us will. For the End, draws ever closer. He [i]must[/i] succeed.”

Puppet.

This was so unlike her nightmare – her biggest fear and her biggest wish. She wasn't persuaded and her heart was not in their agreement but she nodded. She had no choice. The role of gods wasn't to give you a choice. Yet agreeing to help Solus Grim wasn't the worst thing the deity could ask for. She would agree to it. At least for now. 

“Good... “ A sudden feeling of relief could be felt by Hazumi, radiating from the God that stood before her. “My creations make their own choices. Whether they destroy themselves or not is up to them. In the end there is a natural balance that makes it all right. But when an outside force, seeks to destroy what I have made… I will not stand for it.” The being turned, and as Hazumi blinked, he disappeared. As if he was never there.