Beyond The Impossible

Boreas, 30,000 light-years from Earth

The Winter Castle has never been a popular destination for the Lar people: it’s considered disrespectful towards the monarch to linger around the palace.

The last few months, however, have been an exception. The crowd around the Castle is a constant, a sea of people engaged in a permanent protest against the current Ice Queen.

Noriko Null can’t help being impressed. Humans couldn’t keep this up for the same amount of time, but the Lar require far less time to rest, sleep or eat. Some of these people have been doing literally nothing but sit there in protest for weeks without even going to the bathroom.

<Are you sure you want to do this?> Kylon asks her.

She takes a long time to answer. It’s already hard enough to hear the subtle difference in his voice when he talks to her… when he still had his memories of their relationship, she could feel more warmth in his words.

<As sure as I’ll ever been. Are we absolutely positive there hasn’t been any kind of outside influence over the protests?> she asks.

<Yes. We have investigated all possible leads… no gods have visited Boreas, and all known methods of mind control or psychological manipulation have been excluded. I assume you’ve double checked?> Kylon wonders.

<Of course I have. My own officials… both in the Winter Kingdom and the Olympian government… confirm the position of the protesters. They simply don’t believe I’m the legitimate heir to the throne because I’m the one who deposed the previous Queen.>

<The protests seem to have grown organically. It was a local phenomenon at first, but it accelerated exponentially once the general population learned that the former Ice Queen was… ehm…>

<Brutally assaulted by her own daughter?>

<Yes. And I hope you’re not considering telling your subjects that it wasn’t really you but your evil alternate personality taking over your body: they wouldn’t understand. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I understand it myself.> Kylon admits.

<It’s probably best I don’t talk about it, yes. From the look of things, it wouldn’t take much for the protesters to call for my execution.>

<Make no mistake: if you were anyone else but the Slayer of Gods, they would call for your execution. The Lar are a stubborn people, Null, but they are not stupid.>

<I noticed. I don’t have the time or the will to make them accept me as their Queen, especially since I never wanted the position in the first place.>

<I pity. From what I’ve researched, you weren’t a bad monarch.> Kylon tells her.

He’s trying to be reassuring, but it’s yet another stark reminder that he doesn’t have any memory of her prior to his return.

<That’s sweet of you, Kylon, but I was the worst.>

<You were the first monarch in my lifetime that didn’t order my assassination, so you couldn’t have been that bad. Listen, Null, I know this might be awkward, but… I have heard that we were in a relationship. So I imagine you know I’m a very straightforward person.>

<That’s an understatement.>

<I just want things to be clear between us. I do not wish to begin a new romantic or sexual relationship with you.>

<Yep. Definitely an understatement.> she says under her breath.

<I mean no offense. You are a fascinating person and reasonably attractive for a human…>

<“Reasonably”?>

<…but I feel nothing for you. And I believe you carry with you what humans call an inordinate amount of baggage. By which I mean emotional scars, not the size of your buttocks.>

<I got that, Kylon. Now can we move to the next phase? I never thought I would ever say this, but I’d rather talk to my mother than continuing this conversation.>

 

The dungeons

Leiko Tanaka has been living in this cell for what feels like an eternity at this point. She’s not allowed any contact with the outside world, aside from the cures she received after being beaten up by Abyss. Which doesn’t mean people haven’t talked with her, but she rarely listened.

She’s laying on the bed, wearing the same bland grey uniform she’s grown sick of. Lost in her dark thoughts for so long that she’s grateful of hearing another voice in her head.

“The time of reckoning has arrived.” is the message that sends chills down her spine.

“Kronos. Haven’t heard you in a while.” she replies in her thoughts.

“As mortals perceive time. In my eyes, all the moments of your life happen simultaneously.”

“For all the good it’s done to me. What happened to your plan to get me out of here!? I’ve heard a lot of losers saying that they want me to be their Queen once more, but nobody has the guts to do anything but complain!!!”

“You lack the vision to see the whole tapestry I weave. You will be the one to herald my return as Emperor Of The Universe, but only after you have ceased to be.”

“What the hell does that mean? Kronos? Hello?” she calls him back, only receiving the silence of her isolation in return.

To her surprise, the door to her cell opens without warning. To an even greater surprise, it’s her daughter that steps into the room.

<Cozy place you’ve got here. I hope you realize it’s better than what you deserve.> she greets her.

Leiko instinctively scuttles away at first, only to then relax.

<Your voice is normal. You’re not her.> she realizes.

<Yes, I’m not Abyss this time. You can relax, I’m not here to kill you.> Noriko tells her, approaching her to sit next to her on the bed.

Several seconds pass without any of them saying anything.

<Is this the closest we’ve ever been without one of us trying to kill the other?> Noriko asks.

<Possibly. What happened to you? You look dreadful.> Leiko replies.

<Coma. Long story.>

<Must have been rough. You’re already physically older than me, but still…> the mother says.

<I turned 28 during the coma. And technically speaking, you have the body of a 27 year old now… Hera’s power isn’t keeping you eternally young anymore, remember.>

<Hm. I’m still in better shape than you ever were.> Leiko boasts.

<You just can’t help being just the worst, can’t you?>

<I’m not the one who dethroned, incarcerated and brutalized her own mother.>

<You’re playing the victim card with me, Mother? Really?>

<Just pointing out the obvious, but I see you don’t want to talk about it. How’s your father?>

<Don’t go there.> Noriko answers harshly, her silver eyes shining in anger.

Another long, awkward pause. Leiko almost misses talking to Kronos.

<The door’s open. You’re not even trying to escape?> Noriko then breaks the silence.

<I’m not stupid.>

<I think we both are. We’re stuck in an endless cycle of trying to either stop or one-up the other, too proud to try anything new out of fear it might prove the other right.>

<You’re being… uncharacteristically melancholic, Noriko. Are you dying again?>

<You’re not that lucky.>

<Then what do you want from me? Get on with it!>

<For the longest time, I thought I wanted you out of my life. Out of my head. The universe would be a better place if you never existed.>

<Are you trying to scare me? You lack the guts to kill me and we both know it.>

<On the contrary. I think you understand perfectly how easy it would be for me to kill you, Leiko. That’s why you made sure that, if the Ice Queen murdered her predecessor, it would ensure a full-blown revolt. One that would result in me turning into a full-on tyrant to keep my position. In other words, I would either become you or lose everything I’ve worked for.>

<Then which one it will be, Noriko?>

<Neither. I have found another way.> she answers, standing up from the bed and facing Leiko.

Her silver eyes are much brighter than usual, and there’s a look of sheer determination on her face that seriously worries Leiko.

<Why did we really have this conversation?>

<I wanted to have one last talk with my mother. We won’t have another.>

A cold chill goes down Leiko’s spine. She knows that look. It’s the stare of a Slayer of Gods.

<You’re not going to kill me.> she says, more to reassure herself than anything else, but she moves away when Noriko raises a hand towards her forehead.

<Goodbye, mom. I wish I didn’t have to hate you.>

<Wait, what are you…>

<SOUL ERASER!!!> Noriko shouts, and a bolt of electricity flows directly from her hand straight into Leiko’s forehead.

It lasts for several seconds, during which the mother’s body convulses uncontrollably.

Then it abruptly stops.

Leiko stands up rapidly, her movements jittery and her breathing accelerating: Noriko can almost feel her heart pounding.

<What happened? Where am I?> she asks, looking around. Only then she seems to be noticing the other person in the room, and she tilts her head.

<Who… who are you?>

<My name is Noriko Null. Do you know who you are?>

<I… I’m… not sure?>

<What do you remember?>

Leiko looks down at her clothes, patting herself, then frantically looks around once more until she finds the small mirror mounted on the wall. She doesn’t recognize the face in it.

<Nothing. I don’t… I don’t remember anything! Who am I?> she asks.

<Your name is Leiko Tanaka. You used to be my mother.> Noriko answers.

<You’re joking, right? We’re the same age!>

<It’s complicated. Your subjects will explain it to you.>

<My… subjects?>

<Starting tomorrow, you will be the Ice Queen of the Winter Kingdom.>

<What!? I don’t know anything about being a queen!>

<Nobody does. Trust me.>

<You’re… throwing a lot at me. Noriko, was it?>

<That’s right. I realize you need time to process this, but I’ll be with you along the way.>

<Thank you, that makes it a little less daunting.> Leiko says, taking a step towards Noriko with her arms trying to hug her. The daughter takes a step back with a strange expression on her face, a mixture of fear and perhaps disgust.

<What’s wrong? Aren’t you my daughter?>

<I’ll… have someone get you some clothes for the ceremony.> Noriko cuts the discussion short, walking as fast as she can out of the cell and leaving behind a very confused Leiko.

<She can’t really be my daughter, can she?> she wonders.

The corner of her eye catches something in the mirror, a reflection of a pair of flaming eyes watching over her, but as soon as she turns it’s gone.

Somewhere, in the farthest reaches of deep time, the once and future Emperor Of The Universe allows himself a smile.

 

The Stygian Galaxy, 3 million light-years from Earth

Erebus, Throne of Hades

Torn is sitting in front of Hades, balancing his body on the edges of Blood swords while weapons made of Ichor dance a complex choreography above him.

The Lord of the Underworld is watching over the training of the Demon; beneath the inscrutable darkness of his hood, he nods and says:

<Your progress is astounding. You are a more focused student than Null was.>

<Never underestimate her. Have you asked her to return to her studies, now that she’s back?>

<Between you taking Null’s place in learning the ways of death and Vesta training with Persephone, there are already enough living beings in my realm as it is. Besides, her soul is too unbalanced to…>

Hades stops. Five months ago, Torn would’ve been unable to sense anything from a god of his caliber. But he clearly felt his soul shivering.

<Something wrong?>

<I felt something. A presence I haven’t sensed since… let’s continue your training, Torn. I will need allies to fight the incoming storm.>