DIVA: End of an Era #4

[deucexm]

The conclusion, but not quite the end - there yet remains an epilogue, to
/really/ wrap things up.  But until then, have this: the origin of a personage
most pivotal!

End of an Era: A DiVerse Alpha Chronicle 
by Felix 

======== 

ACT 4: FINALE

Dio stepped into the Temple of Fortune, and after confirming that the Pantheon
was all there, he sealed every exit and severed the Temple from the flow of
time, the Regalia on his wrists slowly spinning, unwinding their store of aether
to maintain the spell.

"I have failed you," the God of Time intoned deeply, his face downcast.  "I
claimed to be your leader, and because of my inattention, our garden is all but
ruined."  His hands clenched tightly, then relaxed as he lifted his head.  "We
have been given a chance to rebuild, and I would ask you to join me in the
undertaking - not as your /leader/, but as /one among equals/."

Tieria, God of Knowledge, stepped forward and fixed Dio with his piercing golden
gaze.  Dio looked back with unswerving bronze eyes.

"The Dream is gone, and with it the Dreamcatcher," the purple-haired Deity
finally began.  "If we're to rebuild the universe, I shall need a new cosmic
library to store its data.  But that aside - I would join hands with you in this
effort."

"As will I," purred Hekel, God of Deception.  "My wife wouldn't be very happy
sifting through the remains of a shattered toybox such as this, and if she's not
happy, neither am I."

Freyja, Goddess of Battle, gave her husband a firm nod.  "Just so."

The other Deities offered their support as well, one by one: Miranda, Goddess of
Desire; Siguna, God of Sound; Bethany, Goddess of Death.  At last only Eris
remained, but the Goddess of Chaos kept her silence.

Dio was about to ask, after the quiet had grown a little too deep, when Eris
finally spoke.  "She's gone, isn't she?"

The God of Time could only nod.  "I'm sorry."

"You /should/ be," Chaos spat back bitterly, her rainbow hair billowing out into
a peacock-like fan and red-shifting for a moment.  "/All/ of you.  Talking about
how she was the cause of everything, how we should petition the Source to get
rid of her, and what does she do?  She goes and- and-"

The rainbow fan slowly wilted, back to its normal shifting coloration.  "And she
doesn't even say goodbye," the goddess finished, softly.

"Parvait was just-"

"/Not another word, Dio./"  There was a savage intensity in Eris's eyes and her
icy tone, and so the God of Time wisely shut his mouth.  "I don't want to hear
that name from /any/ of you /ever again/.  You don't /deserve/ her - /none/ of
us do."  The goddess's voice was shaking now, just as she was.  "To be pulled
out of the fire at the last moment by someone who /worked/, while we were
/playing/, who gave /everything/ for us when we gave her /nothing/ - and I can't
even /tell her/."

No one else said a word as Eris turned and kneeled in the center of the Temple. 
"But I know what I /can/ do," she murmured, as glittering rainbow runes started
forming around her, tracing first a circle on the floor, then a hemisphere that
spiraled up to enclose her.

"I petition you, o Source," the Goddess began,
"creator and originator of all things,
dwell among us and /lead/ us-" with a dark glance at Dio,
"-so that we may walk the path set before us,
and not stumble or go astray."

The Temple trembled underfoot, its golden color slowly bleaching to platinum-
silver as Eris's spell drank deeply of the aether within it - within everything,
even the Deities themselves.  Dio felt as though a great invisible hand was
squeezing him, and from everyone else's expressions, they felt much the same.

But he had promised, so he endured it.

It was almost too much to bear - but just when Dio thought his heart would stop
from the pressure, the dome of runes evaporated with a surprisingly delicate
*pop*, and the blinding brightness within the Temple coalesced into a single
searing point in front of the still-kneeling goddess.  Then it expanded, slowly,
into a humanoid shape.

As the Pantheon regained their collective breath, and the Temple its golden hue,
the glowing shape crystallized - almost literally, sharp angles and facets
forming as the nebulous glow faded to reveal an androgynous diamond body.  It
was featureless, save for a visor covering where its eyes might have been: a
plain band of pure silver, decorated with two small wings.

"Your petition is heard," the figure spoke - and it was a delicate voice, warm
and vibrant, without the harsh synthetic tones that might be expected from its
crystalline appearance.  "Though the Source cannot be made fully manifest among
you, as it would strain the fabric of reality beyond its limits, this much may
be done.  I am the Speaker of the Source, and I will be your guide."

Eris let out a soft breath as one diamond hand rested briefly on her head. 
"Finally, someone I can trust.  Probably."  As soon as the hand left, she rose
to her feet and turned back around to look straight at Dio.  "I will help with
rebuilding the universe, because that's... what she would want.  But not right
now, not until I've had some time to myself."  The goddess set her jaw.  "And
let me make one thing /perfectly/ clear: I'm helping the /Pantheon/.  Not
/you/."

As Eris turned and walked away without another word, heading into her private
chambers and shutting the door behind her, the God of Time let out a breath of
his own.  "Let us respect her wishes," he said quietly, "and not mention... that
name again.  For all that has happened, we- /I/ owe her that much."

He looked at his shattered throne, the alabaster stone streaked with scorch marks, 
and shook his head.  "I'll clean up this mess, and then we can get to work."