After completing the books, I told Bensu and he gave me a test. After passing he gave me a Library card to his whole library on languages. He lead me to the door. "Be careful with Asha. She has been known to be… harsh, to put it mildly."
“She’s the Admin of Death, why wouldn’t she be?” I asked curiously.
"She's not always like that. Most often she's kind."
“I wouldn’t know that since I’m just meeting her...also, there’s now a lot of things I need to talk with Mother about…”
"Once you pass Asha's trial, you can speak freely to Mother." Bensu said, opening the door for me.
”Cool...can’t wait to face Death…” I muttered while heading out.
I entered a cemetery. Seemingly endless as I looked along the tombstones. Names of many were written along them.
“Gee, I wonder if I’ll be fighting the undead…” I muttered.
As I walked along the path I found the last doors. Asha was sitting against them. "So you made it? Figured you'd give up way earlier."
“Than you have no idea who I am.” I said honestly. “But it’s nice to meet you.’
"How long, do you think you have to live?" She asked, fiddling with her hair. "It's funny. People think there is a set time, but it fluctuates constantly."
“No idea.” I shrugged. “I’ve seen one future where I die peacefully as an old man, and I’ve seen my Future Self that’s still alive.” I told her. “If it happens it happens, like how it happened before but I’m still here.”
"So many get to live. I died when creation was made. I never got to live. I've always been dead."
”Well then you must not get out much.” I shrugged. “Cause apparently some undead have more of a life than what your viewpoint says.”
"Other admins can create at least. I can't."
“I don’t know about your powers, so I wouldn’t know how something that fundamentally creates can’t for you.” I pointed out.
"Death is decay and rot, in a basic sense. That's all I can do." She said, placing a finger on a nearby tombstone, the thing immediately collapsing to dust. "The only thing I have ever touched that did not rot or decay was Mother… and Cript."
“So...what? You just need a hug or something?” I asked.
"Do you want to die?"
“Well then what’s your trial if it wasn’t ‘survive the touch of Death’?” I asked curiously.
"Simple. Nothing." She said, shifting in her seat. "I offer no trial, so this door can not open."
“Well that’s not fair.” I said. “Are you just lonely or something? If you want to talk I’m here to listen if you let me pass.”
"Allow me." Cript said, appearing behind me and again nearly giving me a heart attack! "Also you are in so much trouble for helping Den give Lyra back that machine…"
“That’s where your wrong kiddo.” I said while snapping my fingers into finger guns at Cript. “I did nothing to help Den take it back. Sure I helped her find it but Den taking it to Lyra was her own fault, plus I didn’t know it would lead to all of...that.”
"Did you seriously just call ME kiddo?" Cript asked, about ready to laugh.
“So before we get completely off track, can you help me with Lady Death here? She won’t let me pass, I think she wants a hug or something.” I said honestly.
"I can and will. Good thing I keep this on me." Cript said, taking out from his Assistant a… reddish glowing heart that was beating still.
“Uh...excuse me what?” I asked worriedly.
"This, Ben, is my heart. Well, not my heart, another timeline version of me whos body was completely destroyed. If this can't make Asha alive then we're fucked." Cript said, handing the heart over to Asha.
“Wait...so your heart can...bring someone back from the dead or something?” I asked curiously.
"Oh that's not even the surface." Cript laughed, placing the other timeline heart over Asha's chest, it flowed into her, she then began screaming, her skin gaining color, her hair changing from black to brown, her eyes becoming normal and the graveyard itself shifted to become more… lively.
“I have...several questions.” I said worriedly.
"She has never had a beating heart before Ben, it's a whole new experience for her." Cript said, Asha now looked… alive, moving shakely.
"I feel...warm…" She said, looking at her own hands.
“Wait, she never had a heart before?” I asked. “I know she died before but...what?”
"Before the explosion caused her death and the admins code to really activate, all the admins were not actually alive just yet, like suspended animation within the void. She was killed before her heart even got to beat."
“Ah...well okay then.” I nodded. “Thank you. That helps explain...a lot of things.”
“My chest… it’s moving?” Asha asked, standing up.
“That’s called breathing, or a heart beat.” Cript said.
“How does it feel having a pulse?” I asked Asha curiously.
“Weird.” Asha said, looking at her hair. “How do you all exist like this?”
“You get used to it.” Cript said. “Now then, if you enjoy what I do next, can we enter?”
“Do...what?” Asha asked, a little scared.
Cript merely put one finger on her head, and suddenly she, given from the smell and stains… just orgasemed all over herself. A face of pure joyish daze.
“I’m pretty sure she liked it cause damn.” I pointed out.
“Lyra… had me practice a lot with my electronium abilities. Since any flesh body has nerves, all the works, now that hers are alive and working, I used one of those things Lyra had me make… instant orgasem… I didn’t even amplify anything that’s her first normal grade climax.” Cript said. Asha half dazed tapped the door as it began opening. “I need to talk to her.” Cript said. “Also… why a Hydra… I mean… that’s kinda random in all honesty.”
“Because I was curious...also have you seen her? She’s sexy.” I huffed.
“Well, yeah, I’ll admit that, that’s just a new one for me, and you are talking to the guy who Lyra has gotten a Slime girl, a Flower girl, a SPIDER women, and I’m partly arachnophobic, and an android girl… and I have kids with all of them.”
“Sounds about right.” I said honestly. “But now for me to talk to Belief and Mother...about the many obvious things I have to tell them and maybe some other things.”
“Same here.” Cript said, following me through the doors. Once on the other side they were in a long hallway, a forest around them and fog covered the place. “I would have done more of a Cave hallway.”
“Well either way.” I shrugged. “Wonder what her response to ‘you want yourself and your husband dead’ will be.”
“That sentence was… weird.” Cript chuckled. “And I’ve heard my fair share of weird sentences.”
“But it is appropriate considering the circumstances.” I said honestly.
“I guess.” Cript shrugged. “So, you and Den have fun earlier, before the swarm of a million women flooded the hallways and at the moment are starting to make it to the middle castle floors. Yeesh Lyra missed that thing.”
“I had nothing to do with Den’s...really retarded decision.” I pointed out. “All I knew was that Lyra made it and that it could make people...I didn’t know Lyra would go about as overboard as the Titanic bull rushing a glacier.”
“You don’t know Lyra.” Cript laughed. “It’s her sole mission in life to expand my harem eternally.”
“Well that’s not gonna be fun.” I sighed out. “But Mom might have had a point...Lyra would have figured it out sooner or later and did it again.”
“Yeah...only bigger, faster and, and I quote, ‘bustier’ than ever.” He laughed. “She’s always been fascinated with herds back when she didn’t know me. Now that after words about a year after we’ve been married, she adds three… and it has not stopped since.”
“Yeah...that’s kind of a pain when someone just won’t stop.” I said honestly.
“Honestly, I kind of don’t want her to.” Cript said smiling. “She’s energetic, does what she says, and doesn’t stop til she achieved her goal. If she stops before that… then she’s not being herself.”
“Alrighty then.” I nodded. “Mother and Belief might also be really confused on...literally anything we bring up.”
“Maybe. I have a work around for it though.” Cript said, the hallways was about halfway through. “So, how’s things been?”
“Eh, fine enough.” I said honestly. “Things are going well thankfully...but I’m just worried about the Foretellers and John…” I sighed out.
“Been a while huh?”
“Yes, yes it has…” I sighed out. “Fuck...I don’t even remember the last time I’ve seen them…”
“Hmm… Me neither. So, aside from that how’s the whole ‘married to your parents’ thing going for you?”
“It hasn’t really been different.” I shrugged. “Whether married or not...their still family.”
“Question is how will you deal when… well… at some point we all kinda have to date… then…”
“Well it would be interesting but...I’m fine with it.” I shrugged. “As long as everyone’s consenting and there’s no drawbacks.” I said honestly.
“Yeah.” Cript said.
“Yeah?” I asked. “Nothing else to add to that?”
“That about sums it up really.” Cript said, sighing as they shoved their hands in their pockets. “Ever just want to go someplace to be normal for a while?”
“It would be great if that could actually ever happen.” I said honestly.
“Lyra and I have tried a lot. It always ends with either something popping up that I have to deal with or I just end up seeing that the people around me need help and I do. I can never just take it slow for all that long. Longest I ever had was some years back, a solid week on Equestria just being normal ponies.”
“Sounds nice.” I said honestly. “By the by, Mom talked about a special Arena thing that’s for everyone...is there something in the Arena that can help alleviate a fuck ton of pent up rage that can only be quelled by bathing in the blood of my enemies?” I asked curiously.
“...Therapy?”
“Violent Therapy.” I said. “Cause seriously, talking it won’t will not help in this situation.”
“Well in the family arena there is a Horde Survival mode. Basically massive unending waves of however many X enemies you choose come after you at at max 90% of your total stats and level and you, well, just try and survive for however long. Record last I checked is four days.”
“That record is going to get blown out of proportion by an asston I can tell you that.’ I said, Cript having a bad feeling that whatever I’m holding inside is a lot scarier than just my need for therapy. “So, wonder where Mother and Belief are...”
“Likely waiting for us to finish our conversation before they stop making the floor move with our footsteps.”
“Rude.” I started. “You can come out now.” I called out.
The floor itself stopped moving and we finally reached the…. Most perfect place I’d want to live ever… A small hidden oasis within a rocky walled hole, waterfall with lovely spring next to a small house, plants fall colors were decorating the place. A single tree stood on the right side of it all, offering shade with a stone bench under it… now this is a place to vacation in peace.
“Well...certainly now a good vacation spot that’s for sure.” I said honestly. “Hello?”
“Over here.” I heard Mother's voice, and that familiar sense of calmness started affecting me. It came from the spring. Mother and the...the...hunk~ “Hi Ben!” Mother said happily as Cript had to push me forwards… Okay Belief/Jericho here is… HOT… Damn female hormones!
“Hold on a moment.” I said while turning myself into a guy so I didn’t have that part of my mind bothering me. “So anyways, how are you two doing today?”
“We were enjoying a bath.” Belief said… god his voice is masculine and oh fuck he’s still hot!
“So we have something to discuss.” Cript said plainly.
“Did you know that you want yourself and your husband dead?” I asked Mother, getting straight to the point.
“...What?” Mother asked, flabbergasted.
“I know, I was thinking the same thing hearing that.” Cript replied. “So to clarify, we have a real threat here. The First Mother is the one who created the Void, and her Belief died, causing this.”
“The first Belief died…” Jericho said aloud. “Shit. I knew that would happen to one of us eventually but… still.”
“Well congratulations, now that will literally never happen ever again.” I explained. “Cause Jericho is now Deathless, also, does Nothingness have literally anything to do with the whole ‘First Mother making Void’ thing?” I asked curiously.
“I don’t know.” Mother said.
“Hmm… It might be possible, it’s been around as far as any of the Mothers or Beliefs can remember. But if this Mother has gone mad, given their age and power, this is likely going to be a fight we can’t beat alone.”
“I mean…” I brought out a piece of True Nothingness...and to all around it felt way too familiar. “What would happen if it has something to do with Belief? Nothingness is the Antithesis of Void but...from my research, it ‘cleanses’ them more than anything.” I brought up.
“Hmm.” Belief hummed, taking the Nothingness and looking it over. “Hmm.This energy, it’s similar to how mine is structured. There are differences, clearly, this is more… decayed.”
“Decayed?” Cript asked.
“Like a plant half dead refusing to die.”
“Wait…” I blinked. “I know this is risky...but can anyone here summon some Pure Void?” I asked, my mind rushing through many possibilities at this point and it all seemed to point to two possible conclusions.
“No one here can… All though…” Mother pondered. “The Void Conduit can.”
“And who would that be?” I asked curiously. “Cause if it’s John then...well that’s going to be an interesting thing to talk about after the entire fucking Glossary of crap I need to explain to him.” I groaned.
“The Conduits are people so linked to certain aspects of creation they might as well be made of the energy.” Cript explained. “I’m the conduit for Origin Magic, and the Void Conduit in my realm passed, but there are two, a backup that exists as a precaution. Who that is though, I’m not sure.”
“So we’re going to have to find John...unless someone knows anyone else?” I asked, just wanting to make sure there’s no one else.
“Hard to tell… But Hollow might know something.”
“He would probably know...but I have no idea where he is or where to begin...plus I don’t know where John is...fuck.” I sighed out.
“I do.” Cript said. “Now then, onto other matters.”
“There are many things to talk about.” I agreed.
“To start with we need to merge Creations.” Cript started. “I understand this is something that has never happened before, it won’t be like merging realms.”
“I can just imagine how much of a bitch that’ll be.” I brought up.
"It will not be easy at all." Mother said. "But it's a task we have to complete."
“Aren’t there other Mothers and Belief’s? Or do you just hop from one plane of existence to another?” I asked curiously.
"There are others."
"A rough count puts that number at surprisingly reasonable Two Hundred and fifteen." Belief said. "All things considered that's a low number."
"Which means each mother and belief are stronger as they are older than the last." Cript said.
“Which then leads back to the strongest, and the most batshit insane.” I sighed out. “How many do you think are still alive if Void Mother has been up and about trying to kill people?”
"Entering the other Creations for her will be easy, Void reaches everywhere, finding them however is the tricky part." Belief said. "Entering the other Creations, even for us, won't be easy… unless we catch a ride."
"You mean get the Void Conduit to help us hop from creation to Creation using their void as a bridge or portal?" Cript asked.
“Couldn’t I do the same thing?” I asked curiously. “Nothingness is just like Void so wouldn’t the same thing apply?”
"We still don't know just how far Nothingness reaches compared to Void or even if this dying other me could explain anything." Belief said. "Best bet is to find both this first me and the Void Conduit so we can have a back up or multiple portals."
“Alright, so I’m already doing both of those things.” I said, sending one clone to find John and the other to go straight into the Heart of Nothingness. “But where’s Hollow? He may give me a clue as to where John is.”
"He lives along the border between Creation and the void, a mix of the two, chaotic but safe and stable." Cript said.
“Cool.” I nodded, the one clone that was going off to find John headed off to where Hollow was. “Thank god for Starfish Clones. Helps with searching.”
"So now all that's left is to figure out the effective, preferably fast means to merge this creation and ours."
"Belief and I can work on that." Mother said. "If you two want you two can explore it and see the sights."
“Sure.” I said. “Might as well get a lay of the land ya know?”
"I'm up for an adventure." Cript said, patting my back. "Come on Daughter-Wife, let's fuck some shit up."
“Let’s get going then.” I nodded, ready for an adventure.
To be continued...