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Time Trials: Spectator Entry
The Fool and the World
Entry 2

    The inner workings of the worlds are a strange thing.  So many ifs, whats, and twists, all based upon the decisions made by the inhabitants of each universe.  No matter how big or small, each choice causes ripples with a consequences that cannot truly be foreseen.  It is for this very reason that prevents eternity from becoming so drearily dull.  Such things always have consequences, though many are not always for the best.

With a literal infinite number of worlds and possibilities, it is bound to have its glitches.  As such, I am responsible for overseeing and correcting such anomalies.  However, unlike other times, I cannot foresee see the results of what is to come.  This is most worrisome indeed.

To make matters worse, the only one currently capable of keeping Mr. Spectre's sanity in check has been captured by a mortal collaborating with said anomalies.  He is but a broken man, set on drowning himself in alcohol as he sits on his stool.  The situation is gradually worsening.

“I always seem to catch you when lost you're lost in thought, don't I, Oracle?”  A jolly voice came from behind.

“We both know that it is no coincidence that you do that, Fool,” turning to face Father Time and the other judges.  “And I appreciate you ensuring that Ms. Wilder attended this meeting in a much more sober state than usual, especially considering the objective for half the contestants and that we are in a bar.”

“You're buying me drinks 'til my liver gives out after this meeting is over,”  Ms. Wilder stated as she took a seat at my table, to which the other judges followed soon after.

“So in other words, until you pass out.”  Mr. Reaper 'said' sardonically.

“Pretty much,”  Shrugging of the jab.  “So why are we here, anyway?”

“Simple, because the Oracle called for a meeting,”  Mr. Time stated as if were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Seriously?”  Ms. Apaco said with exasperation.  “Why the hell are we even listening to this veiled bitch anyway?  She's not even one of the judges!”

“It,”  I corrected.  “I am an 'it'.”

“Whatever!”

“It makes all the difference,”  I said cryptically.

“Who the hell cares?!  Now answer me dammit!”  She shouted with much anger and agitation.

The atmosphere at the table instantly changed the moment Ms. Apaco finished her sentence.  Normally playful attitudes from Mr. Time and Dale were suddenly turned to a solemn form of seriousness, though dale kept his ever faithful expression of joy.  Even the ever sarcastic Mr. Reaper seemed to have a sudden change in attitude.  All of this caught Ms. Wilder and Ms. Apaco off guard, as they were the only ones amongst us that knew not why everyone else acted in such a way.

“Yes, I believe I am to blame for thy ignorance, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil,” I said as I removed the cards from my hat and started to shuffle them.  “The time of secrecy between us has come to an end.”

“Then quit beating around the bush about it!”

“Very well, though a little history lesson is necessary in order to explain,”  Placing eight cards face down on the table as I spoke. “Our story begins long ago, beyond the dawn of time and creation. Before the multiverse, before the time and space were even conceived, before gods and goddesses had their very first moments of existence. Back, when there was only Origin.”

“Before the-?”

“The Hermit,”  I quietly uttered as I flipped the closest card to me, revealing the Hermit card in an upside down position.

“____-.  ____ ____?!”  Ms. Apaco struggled to speak, but her words refused to become known.

“I shall return your ability to speak when you allow me to tell our story uninterrupted, Ms. Tower.  You are permitted to ask when I make the appropriate cues and after I am finished.  Shall you cooperate.

A peeved glare was what I was given in return, but a reluctant nod came soon after as she relented.

“The Hermit,”  I whispered as I returned the card to its deck.  I waited a few moments before speaking once again to ensure that Ms. Apaco would not interrupt.

“Well?”  Ms. Wilder gestured for me to go on.

“Of course,”  Shuffling once more as I continued the tale.  “Unlike other universes in the multiverse, Origin has no other world like it, nor will any be like it.  It is a paradoxical anomaly that should not exist, yet does.  For you see, its name is quite appropriate for what it is, for it is the world where everything began.  In other words, it is point of origin where existence began.”

Skepticism seemed to be the primary expression upon the faces of the two female demons.  A common reaction to those that are told of this story.

“Tell me this, have either of you heard of the 'Big Bang Theory'?”

“Yeah, sure.  It's that's one where they think the universe was made in some kind of explosion, right?”  Ms. Wilder asked.

“You're on the right track, Lina,”  Dale said in its usual jubilant voice. “The 'Big Bang Theory' as it is known, is the theory in a nutshell is that the universe was created as the end result in a vie of dominance between matter and antimatter.  The result of this was the prominence of matter in the universe, in which the matter that remained made the equivalent of a universe sized supernova created the universe.  Hence, the 'Big Bang'.”

“And this has anything to do with us how?”  Ms. Wilder asked incredulously.

“Everything, Ms. Devil,”  I said, increasing the confusion of the two demons. “It has everything to do with it.”

“So why the hell don't you just come out and say it then?”  Her irritation growing along with Apaco's.

“To be fair, we're bringing up some rather unpleasant memories Lina.  Some that most of us wish to forget.”  The normally cheerful Lord of Time spoke with distant look of melancholy in his eyes.

“Wait.  What-?”

“Think about what's been said.  The pieces to the puzzle have been placed in front of you.  You simply need to put them together.”

“Just tell us already!”  An irate Ms. Apaco demanded, but soon relented as none immediately came.  None of the non-demons spoke, all of lost within our own thoughts exception of Dale who decided to break the silence.

“Father Time, Reaper, the Oracle, and my master, the Sower, are much older than you think.  They precede the multiverse, time, and the gods themselves.  Many consider them gods and though they may resemble them, they cannot be further from the truth.”

“What?  What the hell are you saying? Older than the universe and gods? What-?”

“We have existed since before the dawn of time.  Before the creation of the multiverse.  It is no coincidence the other three judges and I have gathered here, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil.  Much like it is no coincidence that five of the twenty-two surviving progenitors have gathered for this tournament.”

“Okay now, this is just getting downright confusing.  Can we please skip the dramatic buildup and finally get right to the point. Seriously, we spent like five minutes going through all this drama and still haven't been told the point of all of this.”

I suppose Ms. Wilder is correct.  But is has been necessary to provide such information.

“To put it simply, the avatars and personifications of five concepts of reality have gathered under the pretense of judging or spectating a tournament.  Time, space, truth, life, and death have all gathered to prevent all from ceasing to exist.”

“I get that Father Time is time, Reaper is Death, and from the sound of the title Dale gave, I'm guessing 'the Sower' is Life.  So what about the other two?”  Ms. Wilder asked with genuine curiosity and took up a pose to match.

Apaco simply scoffed at the revelation, “You seriously expect us to believe that, three-eyes?”

“You know what I say is to be true more than anyone, Ms. Tower.  After all, you are the avatar and container for the concept of truth.”

“What?  The hell are you talking about?  I'm nobody's container!”  She shouted defensively.

“It's alright, Apaco.  We all know about your prisoner.  There's no need to hide it.”  Father Time's somber tone catching her off guard.

“Hmph, fine,”  Pouting at being unable to hide what she considered a curse.  “I contain the End, but it isn't 'truth', it destroys worlds.  It's got nothing to do with the truth!”

I dealt a card face down in front of Ms. Apaco, to which she stared at me quizzically.   With a simple gesture of my hand, the card flipped over to reveal a tower being struck by lightening at the base of the stone tower.  Its title was facing facing away from her, showing it to be in the card to be upside down.

“'The Tower'?”  Reading the title on the card aloud.  “This is the thing you're always referring me to?  The hell?!”

“Tell me, do you know what 'the Tower' represents?”

“Of course I do!”

“You are a horrid liar, Ms. Tower.”  My lack of hesitation in answering her seemed to offend her.  While I would normally find this entertaining, now is not the time.

“'The Tower' in its current reversed position, show how the truth can destroy the foundations of all that is built upon a lie.  However,”  I made a circle motion with my free hand, turning the card around to face upright towards Ms. Apaco.  “However, in its upright position, the tower will destroy the preconceived notions and lies that one holds.  The truth is both merciless and painful, as it is liberating.  Those that cannot bear its weight will ultimately be crushed by it.”

“So what does this have to do with me?”

“You shall know the truth if you follow along with me, Ms. Tower.”

A reluctant, yet irritated nod was her only response.

“That which you know as 'the End' is one of twenty-two progenitors of our current reality, the personification of Truth.  It buckled under the immense weight of its burden, diluting itself in what it considers its own truth to save reality; those that cannot bear it, shall ultimately be crushed by it.  Even I am uncertain as to the exact definition of the statement that it stands by or why it decided to enter your world when it did.”

The shuffling of my deck was the only thing heard as the table as the truth settled in.  Three more truths are needed to be revealed before my time is up.

“And now-”  I was interrupted by the shouting of Mr. Spectre.

“No! E'ou 'aven't a bloody clue of wha' I'm goin' through!  You 'ave no idea wha' I've gone through ya' naïve child.”

Oh dear, it seems Ms. Mikaya is the target of his ire.  She must have entered some time during my explanation.  I was not able to foresee this event, this does not bode well.

“Child?! I was only trying to-”  she was quickly cut off by as Mr. Spectre continued his drunken tirade.

“You 'ave no right ta' say anythin' ta' me murderer!” venom laced with every word he spoke.  “No matter 'ow wicked the ones 'oose throats ya've slit, they're blood is permanently stained on your 'ands 'nd all ya' still smile as life leaves their eyes.  Do ya' know wha' is like ta' die?  I can tell ya' there's no ligh' a' the end a' the tunnel.  Jus' nothin'.”

“You speak blasphemy!  We are all judged by Lord Anubis when-”

“Nope!”  A cruel and bitter laugh escaped his lips, echoing throughout the room.  “When death comes knockin', tha's the end a' tha' road. I've died more times than I can count.  Hell, ask Death 'imself! 'E's right over there!”  Pointing to Mr. Reaper as continued his bitter chuckling.

“Lord Death, please tell this blasphemer that what he says is a lie,” pleading with such certainty  that her beliefs would be confirmed.

However, she was met with a pause as Mr. Reaper seemed to contemplate what to say.  His answer was diplomatic as he worked within the confines what he was permitted to say.  “The afterlife is to remain a mystery to all mortals.  What happens after death not for me to say.”

“In otha' words, there is none!”  Mr. Spectre's bitterness poured out as he continued to focus his sorrows onto the unfortunate assassin. “Tell me, do ya' know wha' is like on tha' otha' end a' tha' dagga'?  Ta' feel ya' life slowly slip away as ya' bleed ta' death, chokin' on ya' own blood as it floods ya' lungs?  Or maybe when ya' have ya' head cut clean from ya' should'as?  Or even being eaten alive as the buzz'ads pick out ya' organs as you die a' thirst? Wanna know wha' is like experiencin' tha' as a child?  Well, is pretty damn painful an' horrifyin'!”

Tears fell from his eyes like a stream, gaining glazed look as he lost himself in his memories.  “Men, women, children, all of 'em dead. Murdered.  Tortured.  Filled 'ith despair as they wondered why they had to die.  Nobody deserves that fate, yet 'ou keep smilin' 'bout it!  Is the damn reason I became an' still a detective!  Ta' make sure people like 'ou can never do it again!”

I let out a sigh as I focused my attention to the cards in my hands.  I silently dealt one last card in front of me, ignoring the sobs of Mr. Spectre and fleeting footsteps of Ms. Mikaya.  As cold as it is to ignore them, there are more important matters to attend to before I run out of time.  Quite ironic considering where we are.

“Despite time being subjective in this realm, there is little left that which I can spare and more that must be revealed.  May we proceed?”

“Yeah, whatever.”  The short tempered demon scoffed as everyone's attention ceased focus on Mr. Spectre.

“I'm guessing this is where you tell us precisely why you've told us everything else and bring everything full circle?”  The taller of the two demons said as more of a statement than asking.

“Correct.  As Dale has stated with the 'Big Bang Theory', the universe, or multiverse in our case, was form due to the clash between matter and antimatter with matter coming out on top.  That is all true, but not the whole truth.  For you see, the theory is actually an ongoing battle between we remaining progenitors, and that which we have come to call the Null and the Bel.”

“Or in other words, a war for the right to exist against something that does and doesn't exist.  Fun, right?”  Mr. Reaper communicated with its usual sarcasm.

“Wait, wait, wait.  Are you telling me all of you dragged everyone at the tournament just to fight this war for you guys?  You b-!”  Ms. Apaco managed to get out before being interrupted by Mr. Time.

“It wasn't our intention Apaco.  While we anticipated the possibility of it being the Null, we started this tournament solely to investigate an anomaly in this universe's timestream.  Only Dedrick was to be involved with his unique ability to be unnoticed by all unless physically seen.  He was our best means of acting as a scout to investigate what we hoped was a simple glitch that we could fix.  As you can see, things didn't go as planned.”

Cooler heads prevailed as Ms. Apaco held her tongue until her temper wained enough to forgive her long time friend.  That is not to say she did not give a huff of frustration before she spoke up again.  “Fine. I get things didn't go as planned.  But just what the hell are the Null and the Bel?”

Thankfully, Dale was the first to speak up as the remainder of we survivors dwelt on our memories.  “To put it simply, they are antimatter given life.  Well, not truly life, but a fairly smashing imitation of it. There used to be many more progenitors before the Null came about; the exact number that existed before is unknown, but it is estimated that they used to be a literally infinite population before the war from what the survivors tell.”

“And the twenty-two of us are all that's left, and the youngest of our kind as well.  If you want questions as to how existence started, the start of the war, or where the Null came from, those questions were lost when the rest of our kind was wiped from existence.  Born in the heat of war, most of us don't even remember our original names from back then.”  Bitterness seeping into Mr. Reaper's normally sarcastic commentary.

“As for the difference between the Null and the Bel, the former are simply driven by the base instinct of erasing all of existence, while the Bel have a consciousness and are capable of higher level thinking.”  I explained as words became much more difficult to say.  “The Bel absorbed so many of our kind that they gained higher level thought processing, eventually coming to lead the other Null. Despite there only being four of them they are beings of incomprehensible power capable of rendering us survivors near powerless.  To combat them, we created what you know as gods as a last ditch effort to combat them.   The worst decision we have ever made.”

“Wow, that was surprisingly bitter.”  Ms. Wilder remarked.  “I don't think I've ever heard some say something monotone with as much venom as a King Cobra.  So despite the fact you created the gods, why was it a bad thing.”

“They abandoned us.”  The statement was colder than ice and caught the two demons off guard as they looked at the owner's voice with surprise, a side of Father Time they had never seen.  “When we needed them most, they abandoned us and left us for dead for their own selfish desires.  Something that most of us have never quite forgiven them for.  The Oracle more so than any of us, considering how close it got to them.  The Oracle wasn't always like it is today-”

“That is enough, Mr. Fool,”  I stopped him before he could continue.  “We do not have time to reminisce about our personal lives.”

“Right, right.”  Clearing his throat before returning the topic back at hand with his usual demeanor.  “Anyway, we were at most dire hour after that.  The multiverse today would not exist were it not for for a glitch.  Ironically, our saving grace was thanks to one of the very things that tried to erase us when one of the Bel absorbed our leader, the twenty-third progenitor.  When it was absorbed,  a very strange event occurred; the very first mortal was created.”

“So, you're telling us that some creatures hellbent on wiping everything out, created the very first living being?  I find that hard to believe.”

“Your skepticism is understandable, Ms. Tower.  Not even we would have believed such a thing had we not witnessed it.”

“And believe me, it was just as scarring as witnessing childbirth for the first time.”  Mr. Reaper quipped in before receiving several glares from around the table.

“As I was saying, the very first mortal did not truly any definite species, shape, or form.  We knew not what it was at the time, but it was one of two things that changed the tide of the war, for this prototype mortal was able to resist and effectively combat the Null.”

”And that's not even the strange part,”  Mr. Reaper quipped

“For reasons we have yet to understand, the Bel that had absorbed our leader rebelled against her own kind.  To this day, she still refuses to explain her reasons as to why she sided with us.  Our suspicions tells us it has something to do with the fact the mortal possesses the personality of our leader, but that shall remain simply speculation until more information is disclosed by her.”

“Quite a smashing tale, isn't it?”  Dale inquired before continuing the story.  “But not was all well despite things going in favor of the remaining twenty-two plus two.  They fought a losing battle, for the Null renewed their numbers as quickly as they were destroyed.  You can't exactly permanently kill something that doesn't actually exist.”

“We were forced to retreat after simply being overwhelmed, but had nowhere to retreat to.  We were forced to make a sacrifice, one that haunts me to this day,”  Father Time spoke as he tilted his head downward, causing his hat to conceal his eyes.  “We- the Oracle sacrificed itself in order to give us a place to run to, and prevent the Null from pursuing us.”

“Huh? The hell are you talking about?  The Oracle is sitting right here with us!”  Apaco barked in confusion.

“That's- not true, Apaco.  The Oracle,”  Father Time gestured toward me. “Isn't actually, here.  What we've been speaking to is but h- its host and consciousness.  In other words, we've been speaking to two people this entire time; one speaking and the other quietly observing.  We have little time left to speak with the former of the two.”

“Yes, and there is one last truth that will help make things clear.  Tell me, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil.  What if I told you the multiverse had a consciousness?  That the 'Big Bang' theory is both true and universe is the byproduct of a choice?”  I asked as pointed to the card in front of both demons.

“I'd have to say bullshit,” the normally irate demon said with uncertainty.  “But after today, I just don't know.”

“Normally I would have agreed with Apaco on the bullshit call, but it's just too strange not to be true,”  Ms. Wilder said as she leaned forward to look me in the eyes.  “So what was this 'sacrifice' of yours?”

“What I did was simply solving the problem we were faced with,”  I stated as I flipped the card in front of the demons, revealing the World. “We had nowhere to retreat to, so I created a place to run to.  I used my very being as the base of the multiverse.  The result created an infinite number of worlds, giving everyone a place to run to, to recuperate, to find a way to stop the Null.  When the Null attempted to follow them into the multiverse, I used what was left of my mind to contain the Null within our universe of Origin by sealing it off from all worlds, creating what it known as 'the Door'.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.  Are you saying everyone is living inside you?”  Apaco asked with a mixture of disbelief and discomfort.

“By technicality, yes,”  Dale interjected in its usual tone.  “Though, it would be more accurate to say, 'We live on its corpse'. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact the Oracle is actually the multiverse itself.  Hence, why it can 'scry' on just about anyone as it pleases at any given time, even the future with some assistance from Father Time.”

“That's- a little mind-blowing and this is starting to make way too much sense now.  Am I high?  I really need some vodka now,”  Ms. Wilder muttered aloud.

“This story has yet to reach its end.”

“So what happened after that?”

Father Time began to spoke before I had the chance to respond.  “We were flung into a strange and unknown world along with some Null that had slipped through, a world that had aged billions of years in the seconds it took us to arrive.  However, our entry into this universe released a massive amount of temporal energy and the essence of the Null.  At the time, the native inhabitants were experimenting with dark energy, a type of energy that differs from universe to universe, which reacted with horrid, unforeseen consequences once it came into contact with the energy we all unintentionally released.  The result was the inhabitants became infused with the energies and their world was joined with every universe, even Origin.”

“Most of the natives were killed upon the initial contact, but those who had survived were warped into shadows of their former selves and forced to deal with others who were sucked in from other worlds.  To make matters worse, the inhabitants had to deal with the Null that had escaped the sealing on top of the confused invading offworlders. Be it luck or something other, the natives and offworlders managed to band together in a fend off the threat that was beyond good and evil.  It was then that those of us who remained used what energy we had left to isolate our world of Origin from the rest of the multiverse, leaving the world that would become known as, Junction, the sole connection to it.”

“So if this 'Junction' is the only place for the Null to go to, then how the hell were they able to get out and do the crap they're doing now? Hell, why not just seal off your homeworld altogether.”  Questioned Ms. Wilder as she the bartender placed a bottle of liquor in front of her, to which she quickly took a swig of.

“Because much like any door or wall, cracks are always bound to form at some point.”  Mr. Reaper explained.  The Oracle isn't as invincible as it likes to make people think, and sometimes the Null are able to slip through the cracks into other worlds.  As for why we didn't simply isolate Origin, well, think of it like an inflating balloon.  If the pressure from the air has nowhere to escape, it will explode.  Junction is able to act as an outlet that we can use to control the flow of the Null and prevent them from overwhelming the Oracle, and the inhabitants of junction have shown themselves more than capable of stopping what gets through.”

“Which leads us to current problem,”  I interjected as I began to speak my final words.”  Not only have the Null slipped past, but one of the remaining Bel has escaped to our side of the Door.  Holding them off is talking every bit of power that I have.  To make matters worse, they have isolated the Realm of Time from Junction.  You need to find a way to the Door through the various time periods of this version of Earth that has been set up for the Time Trials.”

“I am afraid I am out of time.  It is imperative that you all find a solution before the Bel overpower me.  My host shall assist however she can.  Time is running out.  You must hurry, before all our time is up.”

And those were the last words I spoke.

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Time Trials: Spectator Entry
The Fool and the World
Entry 2

    The inner workings of the worlds are a strange thing.  So many ifs, whats, and twists, all based upon the decisions made by the inhabitants of each universe.  No matter how big or small, each choice causes ripples with a consequences that cannot truly be foreseen.  It is for this very reason that prevents eternity from becoming so drearily dull.  Such things always have consequences, though many are not always for the best.

With a literal infinite number of worlds and possibilities, it is bound to have its glitches.  As such, I am responsible for overseeing and correcting such anomalies.  However, unlike other times, I cannot foresee see the results of what is to come.  This is most worrisome indeed.

To make matters worse, the only one currently capable of keeping Mr. Spectre's sanity in check has been captured by a mortal collaborating with said anomalies.  He is but a broken man, set on drowning himself in alcohol as he sits on his stool.  The situation is gradually worsening.

“I always seem to catch you when lost you're lost in thought, don't I, Oracle?”  A jolly voice came from behind.

“We both know that it is no coincidence that you do that, Fool,” turning to face Father Time and the other judges.  “And I appreciate you ensuring that Ms. Wilder attended this meeting in a much more sober state than usual, especially considering the objective for half the contestants and that we are in a bar.”

“You're buying me drinks 'til my liver gives out after this meeting is over,”  Ms. Wilder stated as she took a seat at my table, to which the other judges followed soon after.

“So in other words, until you pass out.”  Mr. Reaper 'said' sardonically.

“Pretty much,”  Shrugging of the jab.  “So why are we here, anyway?”

“Simple, because the Oracle called for a meeting,”  Mr. Time stated as if were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Seriously?”  Ms. Apaco said with exasperation.  “Why the hell are we even listening to this veiled bitch anyway?  She's not even one of the judges!”

“It,”  I corrected.  “I am an 'it'.”

“Whatever!”

“It makes all the difference,”  I said cryptically.

“Who the hell cares?!  Now answer me dammit!”  She shouted with much anger and agitation.

The atmosphere at the table instantly changed the moment Ms. Apaco finished her sentence.  Normally playful attitudes from Mr. Time and Dale were suddenly turned to a solemn form of seriousness, though dale kept his ever faithful expression of joy.  Even the ever sarcastic Mr. Reaper seemed to have a sudden change in attitude.  All of this caught Ms. Wilder and Ms. Apaco off guard, as they were the only ones amongst us that knew not why everyone else acted in such a way.

“Yes, I believe I am to blame for thy ignorance, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil,” I said as I removed the cards from my hat and started to shuffle them.  “The time of secrecy between us has come to an end.”

“Then quit beating around the bush about it!”

“Very well, though a little history lesson is necessary in order to explain,”  Placing eight cards face down on the table as I spoke. “Our story begins long ago, beyond the dawn of time and creation. Before the multiverse, before the time and space were even conceived, before gods and goddesses had their very first moments of existence. Back, when there was only Origin.”

“Before the-?”

“The Hermit,”  I quietly uttered as I flipped the closest card to me, revealing the Hermit card in an upside down position.

“____-.  ____ ____?!”  Ms. Apaco struggled to speak, but her words refused to become known.

“I shall return your ability to speak when you allow me to tell our story uninterrupted, Ms. Tower.  You are permitted to ask when I make the appropriate cues and after I am finished.  Shall you cooperate.

A peeved glare was what I was given in return, but a reluctant nod came soon after as she relented.

“The Hermit,”  I whispered as I returned the card to its deck.  I waited a few moments before speaking once again to ensure that Ms. Apaco would not interrupt.

“Well?”  Ms. Wilder gestured for me to go on.

“Of course,”  Shuffling once more as I continued the tale.  “Unlike other universes in the multiverse, Origin has no other world like it, nor will any be like it.  It is a paradoxical anomaly that should not exist, yet does.  For you see, its name is quite appropriate for what it is, for it is the world where everything began.  In other words, it is point of origin where existence began.”

Skepticism seemed to be the primary expression upon the faces of the two female demons.  A common reaction to those that are told of this story.

“Tell me this, have either of you heard of the 'Big Bang Theory'?”

“Yeah, sure.  It's that's one where they think the universe was made in some kind of explosion, right?”  Ms. Wilder asked.

“You're on the right track, Lina,”  Dale said in its usual jubilant voice. “The 'Big Bang Theory' as it is known, is the theory in a nutshell is that the universe was created as the end result in a vie of dominance between matter and antimatter.  The result of this was the prominence of matter in the universe, in which the matter that remained made the equivalent of a universe sized supernova created the universe.  Hence, the 'Big Bang'.”

“And this has anything to do with us how?”  Ms. Wilder asked incredulously.

“Everything, Ms. Devil,”  I said, increasing the confusion of the two demons. “It has everything to do with it.”

“So why the hell don't you just come out and say it then?”  Her irritation growing along with Apaco's.

“To be fair, we're bringing up some rather unpleasant memories Lina.  Some that most of us wish to forget.”  The normally cheerful Lord of Time spoke with distant look of melancholy in his eyes.

“Wait.  What-?”

“Think about what's been said.  The pieces to the puzzle have been placed in front of you.  You simply need to put them together.”

“Just tell us already!”  An irate Ms. Apaco demanded, but soon relented as none immediately came.  None of the non-demons spoke, all of lost within our own thoughts exception of Dale who decided to break the silence.

“Father Time, Reaper, the Oracle, and my master, the Sower, are much older than you think.  They precede the multiverse, time, and the gods themselves.  Many consider them gods and though they may resemble them, they cannot be further from the truth.”

“What?  What the hell are you saying? Older than the universe and gods? What-?”

“We have existed since before the dawn of time.  Before the creation of the multiverse.  It is no coincidence the other three judges and I have gathered here, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil.  Much like it is no coincidence that five of the twenty-two surviving progenitors have gathered for this tournament.”

“Okay now, this is just getting downright confusing.  Can we please skip the dramatic buildup and finally get right to the point. Seriously, we spent like five minutes going through all this drama and still haven't been told the point of all of this.”

I suppose Ms. Wilder is correct.  But is has been necessary to provide such information.

“To put it simply, the avatars and personifications of five concepts of reality have gathered under the pretense of judging or spectating a tournament.  Time, space, truth, life, and death have all gathered to prevent all from ceasing to exist.”

“I get that Father Time is time, Reaper is Death, and from the sound of the title Dale gave, I'm guessing 'the Sower' is Life.  So what about the other two?”  Ms. Wilder asked with genuine curiosity and took up a pose to match.

Apaco simply scoffed at the revelation, “You seriously expect us to believe that, three-eyes?”

“You know what I say is to be true more than anyone, Ms. Tower.  After all, you are the avatar and container for the concept of truth.”

“What?  The hell are you talking about?  I'm nobody's container!”  She shouted defensively.

“It's alright, Apaco.  We all know about your prisoner.  There's no need to hide it.”  Father Time's somber tone catching her off guard.

“Hmph, fine,”  Pouting at being unable to hide what she considered a curse.  “I contain the End, but it isn't 'truth', it destroys worlds.  It's got nothing to do with the truth!”

I dealt a card face down in front of Ms. Apaco, to which she stared at me quizzically.   With a simple gesture of my hand, the card flipped over to reveal a tower being struck by lightening at the base of the stone tower.  Its title was facing facing away from her, showing it to be in the card to be upside down.

“'The Tower'?”  Reading the title on the card aloud.  “This is the thing you're always referring me to?  The hell?!”

“Tell me, do you know what 'the Tower' represents?”

“Of course I do!”

“You are a horrid liar, Ms. Tower.”  My lack of hesitation in answering her seemed to offend her.  While I would normally find this entertaining, now is not the time.

“'The Tower' in its current reversed position, show how the truth can destroy the foundations of all that is built upon a lie.  However,”  I made a circle motion with my free hand, turning the card around to face upright towards Ms. Apaco.  “However, in its upright position, the tower will destroy the preconceived notions and lies that one holds.  The truth is both merciless and painful, as it is liberating.  Those that cannot bear its weight will ultimately be crushed by it.”

“So what does this have to do with me?”

“You shall know the truth if you follow along with me, Ms. Tower.”

A reluctant, yet irritated nod was her only response.

“That which you know as 'the End' is one of twenty-two progenitors of our current reality, the personification of Truth.  It buckled under the immense weight of its burden, diluting itself in what it considers its own truth to save reality; those that cannot bear it, shall ultimately be crushed by it.  Even I am uncertain as to the exact definition of the statement that it stands by or why it decided to enter your world when it did.”

The shuffling of my deck was the only thing heard as the table as the truth settled in.  Three more truths are needed to be revealed before my time is up.

“And now-”  I was interrupted by the shouting of Mr. Spectre.

“No! E'ou 'aven't a bloody clue of wha' I'm goin' through!  You 'ave no idea wha' I've gone through ya' naïve child.”

Oh dear, it seems Ms. Mikaya is the target of his ire.  She must have entered some time during my explanation.  I was not able to foresee this event, this does not bode well.

“Child?! I was only trying to-”  she was quickly cut off by as Mr. Spectre continued his drunken tirade.

“You 'ave no right ta' say anythin' ta' me murderer!” venom laced with every word he spoke.  “No matter 'ow wicked the ones 'oose throats ya've slit, they're blood is permanently stained on your 'ands 'nd all ya' still smile as life leaves their eyes.  Do ya' know wha' is like ta' die?  I can tell ya' there's no ligh' a' the end a' the tunnel.  Jus' nothin'.”

“You speak blasphemy!  We are all judged by Lord Anubis when-”

“Nope!”  A cruel and bitter laugh escaped his lips, echoing throughout the room.  “When death comes knockin', tha's the end a' tha' road. I've died more times than I can count.  Hell, ask Death 'imself! 'E's right over there!”  Pointing to Mr. Reaper as continued his bitter chuckling.

“Lord Death, please tell this blasphemer that what he says is a lie,” pleading with such certainty  that her beliefs would be confirmed.

However, she was met with a pause as Mr. Reaper seemed to contemplate what to say.  His answer was diplomatic as he worked within the confines what he was permitted to say.  “The afterlife is to remain a mystery to all mortals.  What happens after death not for me to say.”

“In otha' words, there is none!”  Mr. Spectre's bitterness poured out as he continued to focus his sorrows onto the unfortunate assassin. “Tell me, do ya' know wha' is like on tha' otha' end a' tha' dagga'?  Ta' feel ya' life slowly slip away as ya' bleed ta' death, chokin' on ya' own blood as it floods ya' lungs?  Or maybe when ya' have ya' head cut clean from ya' should'as?  Or even being eaten alive as the buzz'ads pick out ya' organs as you die a' thirst? Wanna know wha' is like experiencin' tha' as a child?  Well, is pretty damn painful an' horrifyin'!”

Tears fell from his eyes like a stream, gaining glazed look as he lost himself in his memories.  “Men, women, children, all of 'em dead. Murdered.  Tortured.  Filled 'ith despair as they wondered why they had to die.  Nobody deserves that fate, yet 'ou keep smilin' 'bout it!  Is the damn reason I became an' still a detective!  Ta' make sure people like 'ou can never do it again!”

I let out a sigh as I focused my attention to the cards in my hands.  I silently dealt one last card in front of me, ignoring the sobs of Mr. Spectre and fleeting footsteps of Ms. Mikaya.  As cold as it is to ignore them, there are more important matters to attend to before I run out of time.  Quite ironic considering where we are.

“Despite time being subjective in this realm, there is little left that which I can spare and more that must be revealed.  May we proceed?”

“Yeah, whatever.”  The short tempered demon scoffed as everyone's attention ceased focus on Mr. Spectre.

“I'm guessing this is where you tell us precisely why you've told us everything else and bring everything full circle?”  The taller of the two demons said as more of a statement than asking.

“Correct.  As Dale has stated with the 'Big Bang Theory', the universe, or multiverse in our case, was form due to the clash between matter and antimatter with matter coming out on top.  That is all true, but not the whole truth.  For you see, the theory is actually an ongoing battle between we remaining progenitors, and that which we have come to call the Null and the Bel.”

“Or in other words, a war for the right to exist against something that does and doesn't exist.  Fun, right?”  Mr. Reaper communicated with its usual sarcasm.

“Wait, wait, wait.  Are you telling me all of you dragged everyone at the tournament just to fight this war for you guys?  You b-!”  Ms. Apaco managed to get out before being interrupted by Mr. Time.

“It wasn't our intention Apaco.  While we anticipated the possibility of it being the Null, we started this tournament solely to investigate an anomaly in this universe's timestream.  Only Dedrick was to be involved with his unique ability to be unnoticed by all unless physically seen.  He was our best means of acting as a scout to investigate what we hoped was a simple glitch that we could fix.  As you can see, things didn't go as planned.”

Cooler heads prevailed as Ms. Apaco held her tongue until her temper wained enough to forgive her long time friend.  That is not to say she did not give a huff of frustration before she spoke up again.  “Fine. I get things didn't go as planned.  But just what the hell are the Null and the Bel?”

Thankfully, Dale was the first to speak up as the remainder of we survivors dwelt on our memories.  “To put it simply, they are antimatter given life.  Well, not truly life, but a fairly smashing imitation of it. There used to be many more progenitors before the Null came about; the exact number that existed before is unknown, but it is estimated that they used to be a literally infinite population before the war from what the survivors tell.”

“And the twenty-two of us are all that's left, and the youngest of our kind as well.  If you want questions as to how existence started, the start of the war, or where the Null came from, those questions were lost when the rest of our kind was wiped from existence.  Born in the heat of war, most of us don't even remember our original names from back then.”  Bitterness seeping into Mr. Reaper's normally sarcastic commentary.

“As for the difference between the Null and the Bel, the former are simply driven by the base instinct of erasing all of existence, while the Bel have a consciousness and are capable of higher level thinking.”  I explained as words became much more difficult to say.  “The Bel absorbed so many of our kind that they gained higher level thought processing, eventually coming to lead the other Null. Despite there only being four of them they are beings of incomprehensible power capable of rendering us survivors near powerless.  To combat them, we created what you know as gods as a last ditch effort to combat them.   The worst decision we have ever made.”

“Wow, that was surprisingly bitter.”  Ms. Wilder remarked.  “I don't think I've ever heard some say something monotone with as much venom as a King Cobra.  So despite the fact you created the gods, why was it a bad thing.”

“They abandoned us.”  The statement was colder than ice and caught the two demons off guard as they looked at the owner's voice with surprise, a side of Father Time they had never seen.  “When we needed them most, they abandoned us and left us for dead for their own selfish desires.  Something that most of us have never quite forgiven them for.  The Oracle more so than any of us, considering how close it got to them.  The Oracle wasn't always like it is today-”

“That is enough, Mr. Fool,”  I stopped him before he could continue.  “We do not have time to reminisce about our personal lives.”

“Right, right.”  Clearing his throat before returning the topic back at hand with his usual demeanor.  “Anyway, we were at most dire hour after that.  The multiverse today would not exist were it not for for a glitch.  Ironically, our saving grace was thanks to one of the very things that tried to erase us when one of the Bel absorbed our leader, the twenty-third progenitor.  When it was absorbed,  a very strange event occurred; the very first mortal was created.”

“So, you're telling us that some creatures hellbent on wiping everything out, created the very first living being?  I find that hard to believe.”

“Your skepticism is understandable, Ms. Tower.  Not even we would have believed such a thing had we not witnessed it.”

“And believe me, it was just as scarring as witnessing childbirth for the first time.”  Mr. Reaper quipped in before receiving several glares from around the table.

“As I was saying, the very first mortal did not truly any definite species, shape, or form.  We knew not what it was at the time, but it was one of two things that changed the tide of the war, for this prototype mortal was able to resist and effectively combat the Null.”

”And that's not even the strange part,”  Mr. Reaper quipped

“For reasons we have yet to understand, the Bel that had absorbed our leader rebelled against her own kind.  To this day, she still refuses to explain her reasons as to why she sided with us.  Our suspicions tells us it has something to do with the fact the mortal possesses the personality of our leader, but that shall remain simply speculation until more information is disclosed by her.”

“Quite a smashing tale, isn't it?”  Dale inquired before continuing the story.  “But not was all well despite things going in favor of the remaining twenty-two plus two.  They fought a losing battle, for the Null renewed their numbers as quickly as they were destroyed.  You can't exactly permanently kill something that doesn't actually exist.”

“We were forced to retreat after simply being overwhelmed, but had nowhere to retreat to.  We were forced to make a sacrifice, one that haunts me to this day,”  Father Time spoke as he tilted his head downward, causing his hat to conceal his eyes.  “We- the Oracle sacrificed itself in order to give us a place to run to, and prevent the Null from pursuing us.”

“Huh? The hell are you talking about?  The Oracle is sitting right here with us!”  Apaco barked in confusion.

“That's- not true, Apaco.  The Oracle,”  Father Time gestured toward me. “Isn't actually, here.  What we've been speaking to is but h- its host and consciousness.  In other words, we've been speaking to two people this entire time; one speaking and the other quietly observing.  We have little time left to speak with the former of the two.”

“Yes, and there is one last truth that will help make things clear.  Tell me, Ms. Tower, Ms. Devil.  What if I told you the multiverse had a consciousness?  That the 'Big Bang' theory is both true and universe is the byproduct of a choice?”  I asked as pointed to the card in front of both demons.

“I'd have to say bullshit,” the normally irate demon said with uncertainty.  “But after today, I just don't know.”

“Normally I would have agreed with Apaco on the bullshit call, but it's just too strange not to be true,”  Ms. Wilder said as she leaned forward to look me in the eyes.  “So what was this 'sacrifice' of yours?”

“What I did was simply solving the problem we were faced with,”  I stated as I flipped the card in front of the demons, revealing the World. “We had nowhere to retreat to, so I created a place to run to.  I used my very being as the base of the multiverse.  The result created an infinite number of worlds, giving everyone a place to run to, to recuperate, to find a way to stop the Null.  When the Null attempted to follow them into the multiverse, I used what was left of my mind to contain the Null within our universe of Origin by sealing it off from all worlds, creating what it known as 'the Door'.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.  Are you saying everyone is living inside you?”  Apaco asked with a mixture of disbelief and discomfort.

“By technicality, yes,”  Dale interjected in its usual tone.  “Though, it would be more accurate to say, 'We live on its corpse'. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact the Oracle is actually the multiverse itself.  Hence, why it can 'scry' on just about anyone as it pleases at any given time, even the future with some assistance from Father Time.”

“That's- a little mind-blowing and this is starting to make way too much sense now.  Am I high?  I really need some vodka now,”  Ms. Wilder muttered aloud.

“This story has yet to reach its end.”

“So what happened after that?”

Father Time began to spoke before I had the chance to respond.  “We were flung into a strange and unknown world along with some Null that had slipped through, a world that had aged billions of years in the seconds it took us to arrive.  However, our entry into this universe released a massive amount of temporal energy and the essence of the Null.  At the time, the native inhabitants were experimenting with dark energy, a type of energy that differs from universe to universe, which reacted with horrid, unforeseen consequences once it came into contact with the energy we all unintentionally released.  The result was the inhabitants became infused with the energies and their world was joined with every universe, even Origin.”

“Most of the natives were killed upon the initial contact, but those who had survived were warped into shadows of their former selves and forced to deal with others who were sucked in from other worlds.  To make matters worse, the inhabitants had to deal with the Null that had escaped the sealing on top of the confused invading offworlders. Be it luck or something other, the natives and offworlders managed to band together in a fend off the threat that was beyond good and evil.  It was then that those of us who remained used what energy we had left to isolate our world of Origin from the rest of the multiverse, leaving the world that would become known as, Junction, the sole connection to it.”

“So if this 'Junction' is the only place for the Null to go to, then how the hell were they able to get out and do the crap they're doing now? Hell, why not just seal off your homeworld altogether.”  Questioned Ms. Wilder as she the bartender placed a bottle of liquor in front of her, to which she quickly took a swig of.

“Because much like any door or wall, cracks are always bound to form at some point.”  Mr. Reaper explained.  The Oracle isn't as invincible as it likes to make people think, and sometimes the Null are able to slip through the cracks into other worlds.  As for why we didn't simply isolate Origin, well, think of it like an inflating balloon.  If the pressure from the air has nowhere to escape, it will explode.  Junction is able to act as an outlet that we can use to control the flow of the Null and prevent them from overwhelming the Oracle, and the inhabitants of junction have shown themselves more than capable of stopping what gets through.”

“Which leads us to current problem,”  I interjected as I began to speak my final words.”  Not only have the Null slipped past, but one of the remaining Bel has escaped to our side of the Door.  Holding them off is talking every bit of power that I have.  To make matters worse, they have isolated the Realm of Time from Junction.  You need to find a way to the Door through the various time periods of this version of Earth that has been set up for the Time Trials.”

“I am afraid I am out of time.  It is imperative that you all find a solution before the Bel overpower me.  My host shall assist however she can.  Time is running out.  You must hurry, before all our time is up.”

And those were the last words I spoke.