//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Despair is the Only Answer // by Gravitiaxis //------------------------------// Time was one of the oldest and the wisest of all the gods. If you had a problem he was often the one everyone visited for a solution. Despair couldn’t say that the two of them were actually close. He treated Time with the respect he deserved and Time did the same, there was not much else to say. Time was often detached from the affairs of the universe. All he cared for was protecting the whole of time itself from anything wishing to harm it or him. He mainly fixed the harmful paradoxes that unsuspecting time travelers had caused with their meddling. Desire explained to her brother that Time most likely had information on Desires whereabouts and if he didn’t than maybe he held a clue. You weren’t so sure. Time closed his book. He turned towards his younger siblings and smiled. Even though he had shared a smile which was probably genuine, Time rarely if ever expresses emotions. When he formed facial features it felt as though he was mimicking a smile in order give the other party a sense of falsehood that Time actually cared which may or may not be the truth. Desire felt it was the latter. As a god Time has no true form but his most common appear was that of a tall figure, obscured within a white(originally brown) robe and cowl. He reads from a large book chained to his right wrist, which contains all past, present, and future events. He does not leave footprints, nor does he cast a shadow. “If it isn’t the twins. What do I owe this visit for?” Time asked in normal stoic voice. The fact that is always calm, detached and sombre even in the most extreme of situations angered Desire. He lacked empathy. Desire was without a shout of a doubt one of the most empathic gods, despite her tendency to manipulate and deceive. She didn’t take too kindly towards those who failed to give her the same emotional respect she gave them. “Quit playing around, you know why we’re here.” Desire snapped. She was not in the mood for Time’s games. “Get to the point.” Despair sighed at his sisters aggression, but ultimately agreed with her. “She has a point, brother. Please get to the point.” Time frowned. Though he was generally an emotionless person, he enjoyed questions. It simulated the feeling of normalcy if not just a little bit. “You’ve come here seeking an answer to you lapse of memory. Two thousand years of have rolled by and you half no idea how this has happened,” Time took a minute and touched his book firmly. “I am unfortunate to reveal that you will leave here none the wiser because I am also stumped by this.” This revelation shocked the two twins. Desire herself could scarcely believe it. “What do you mean you don’t know what happened? You’re are Time!” She yelled. Time held his hand up as if to tell her to be quiet. “I am powerful without a doubt, but I believe there are powers at work that is blocking my foresight.” He stopped for a second and began to rub his chin. “but I wouldn’t have to tell you that now would I, Despair?” Despair crossed his arms, showing genuine confusion by what his older brother had said. “So you’re telling us that you have no clue about what happened to Despair?” Desire asked. Time nodded his head. Unfortunately I don't. He found once more. Something was bothering him and a spare could see it. Period. In fact he could feel it. The vibe that he was getting from his older brother wasn't just worry, it was pure sadness. This fighting despair. What could happen that so bad that you can time with my nephew about? What could he see? “You might want to visit Truth. I believe she or they might hold the answers you seek or at least they might be able to help add to the puzzle.” Time said almost sounding amused. “Do you believe she'll be able to help us?” Desire asked not exactly favoring the idea of talking to the goddess of truth and lies. “In other words you're asking me if I believe the trip would be worth it. The twins nodded their head. “Remember this, whenever you believe that you've reached a dead end and the situation seems hopeless. Change of perspective of how you look at things and you'll find that your entire reality will change.” Desire felt as though that knowledge was useless. Her younger twin brother however did not. “You won't be coming with me?” Despair asked, sounding a little downtrodden by the fact that his sister wouldn't continue traveling with him. “Sorry, duty calls. I have a few more souls I have to tempt and when I'm done I will immediately come find you, but until then try not to disappear on me again. You may not see it yourself as I've said before, a lot of people missed you. You should check up on a few of them and show them that you're still alive and kicking.” Desire gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye as she faded away, leaving despair alone. He didn't believe her when she said that the other gods missed him. Perhaps some, but she was making it seem the entire pantheon missed him. Not letting the thought get to him, despair turned around and was about to leave also, but as he started to disappear he felt what he thought was as a hand grabbing him and pulling him straight out of his teleportation and into an unknown domain. Landing on what was a cold hard for, despair and looked up to see an extremely buff man and a smaller man with golden hair looking over him. “Haha! I told you I'd get him.” The buff one when said in fact reminding Despair of a god he once knew. The red, flaming armor and the gargantuan sword that laid sheathed on his back allowed Despair to form a quick opinion on who this stranger might have been. “War?” Despair asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. The man smile faded away for a moment. “The one and only.” The man said proving his status as the god of war by showing Despair his amulet. There was a red jewel that laid in the center of it, as it was wrapped around in gold. “Taking the amulet away from him, Despair felt the immense power admitting from the core of the jewel. This man was indeed his old friend and companion War. “It's impossible, I saw you die with my own eyes.” Despair said handing him back his amulet. 2500 years ago, war had been captured to be use of magic. The mortal who summoned him, summon him in hopes of finding all wars in the universe. Rendering were powerless through the use of his forbidden spell, the mortal plunged Wars believe deep into his heart, killing him and releasing the universe from the ravages of war. Despair, who was with war on the day of his death, but was unable to save him, cursed the mortal by showing him his true form, invoking true fear and despair onto the mortal who killed his dearest friend. The Mortal later killed himself as a way to rid himself of a curse. “After that blasted mortal killed me with my sword, all war in the universe had stopped causing a new age of harmony to form. All violence, chaos and death that would ever be caused by war had ceased to exist. Not only did it cause peace to form within all living things, it left a void in time and space as neither Time nor Fate predicted my demise.” “We all felt the effects of your death. Even I see who can travel between dimensions as if they were just a step away was shocked at your sudden death by the hands of a lowly mortal.” The other god stated while shaking his head. Despair looked towards this man and recognized him as Vanish, the god of Messengers and Thieves. Though it had felt as though Despair felt as though he had only been gone for a few days at the very least, he couldn’t deny that he was glad to see his old friends. Despite being a happy occasion, War’s smile still faded. “Though my memories of you and everyone else are all true. I regret to tell you that I am not the War you once knew. I am his replacement. ” Despair understood. He had a feeling that this wasn’t the War he had originally met. He had a front row seat of War’s death and he knew there was no coming back from such a wound. This man had Wars name, face, status and power, but he was not the same War Despair had known all those years ago. Despair could not hide that he felt disappointed by this revelation. There was always going to be a time where one of them was going to have to change. It a emotionally and physically painful experience, but if was a process that need to happen. Out with the old in with the new. Despair have always gotten along with War and his incarnations. Their jobs were intertwined with each other. Wherever war went to spare always follow no matter how small or how big the impact. Despair may sure to not hold his friends def against the new war. It's a position that needs to be filled. Despair outstretched his hand and offered a handshake which War had immediately accepted. “Glad to meet you War. I’m looking forward to working along side you from now on.” War grinned. “Likewise.” Vanish who was feeling like the odd man out of the group rolled his eyes and decided to push matters back to the important topic. They both wanted to know where Despair had been for the past two millennia. He explained the situation to them, making sure not skip over any vital details. Neither of them had any knowledge on where Despair had been, which was expected. They informed him that after the death of War he just up and vanished without a trace and nobody had seen him since. “What about my office? Who has been keeping up with my affairs while I was gone?” He asked. War face became serious. “This is where the weird part comes in. There was never a break in routine. Though you had disappeared everything that control continued to function as if you had never left.” “For most of that time no one had seen or heard from you. Personally I thought you had just taken a break, but it became an apparent problem when Celestia came to looking for you. She told us you had gotten into a fight about Discord and you had left her,” Vanish looked over you for a second before continuing. “but apparently this was not the case. You had strangely disappeared, by you were still doing your daily jobs. We just figured you felt like being alone. Eventually time passed and we forgot.” War passed a disapproving glance at Vanish, but he didn’t seem to care. “Perhaps Truth can tell you something.” War suggested. Despair shook his head. “I doubt it.” If Time couldn’t tell him what was going on he knew Truth didn’t know. All Despair could expect from Truth was some idiotic riddle that would end up being a waste of his time. “I wouldn’t hurt to try.” Vanish stated as he opened up a portal. Despair nodded and entered, hoping Truth could give him something to work with.