Soul Thief
"You have come here to vanquish me," Edol said.
The God of Life and Creation stood by the shattered windows of his domain, gazed down upon the prosperous Earth of his own doing.
What you have done to the humans is sinful, unforgivable, Oberon said.
"It was only a matter of time. Heaven is limited, and so are the Hells. They prefer so much to be there on Earth, so let them be there forever."
Edol's eyes were golden, peered over at Oberon through broken eyeglasses.
Edol said, "Let them be there so that Ardora or Irene might cherish them forever. That is what they desire. That is what Irene desires. But I wouldn't know. She desires you and only you, after all."
This is about Irene, noted Oberon.
Oberon crept closer, floated along the floor. Edol's golden rays extended towards Oberon, as if to warn him.
Another entire universe flashed into existence as Edol struck a bolt of light into Oberon's chest.
Oberon recoiled. His robes were set afire but he quickly put them out.
He summoned his scythe, raised it above his head and brought it down over Edol's head.
The scythe sliced Edol in two. And with Oberon's strike, many, many stars exploded into black holes in the distance.
But Edol was unaffected. He pulled himself back together and shot bolt after bolt of the hideous golden light at Oberon.
This is useless, hissed Oberon.
Oberon's darkness crept up his scythe as he brought it down upon Edol once more. But it was no use. Neither of them could be destroyed.
But Oberon, in a fury, kept slicing at Edol, forced him backwards towards the wall where the glass panes were broken.
"Oberon!" called a voice.
Edol was now more a mass of light than a man, slithered back together as Oberon turned to see who called for him.
Irene.
She raised her arms. Vines tangled up and all around Edol's Domain. They grasped at Edol's limbs, restrained him.
Despond followed suit, blew fire at Edol's mass.
And soon Ardora froze his light.
But none of this was any use.
Edol reformed, tore from Irene's vines and broke free from the ice.
He snapped his fingers and Irene appeared beside him.
"I cannot kill you," Edol declared, "but I can kill that of which means the most to you."
Edol took Irene by the arm, and in an instant drove his fist through her chest.
She gasped. Oberon shouted.
Irene collapsed as her skin and bones began to flake away like a wilted flower.
Oberon was stunned and furious. He felt the fury of all the Gods combined, and now fear that he had lost his true love.
Everything turned dark. The stars all around Earth faded into nothing. Earth eventually faded into nothing.
There was just Edol and Oberon, like it had been at the creation of the universe.
Oberon lifted his mighty scythe, powered by will and fear and unfathomable anger.
The cries of Irene fell silent and the crack of Edol's golden bones and the tearing of his golden skin was the only thing anyone heard for one second.
Edol vanished into dust and shattered Oberon's scythe as he died.
Edol's Domain began to collapse. Oberon took Irene in his arms and forgot about the other Gods.
~~~
And then they were on Earth. Oberon held the wilting Irene in his arms, cradled her, begged her to stay.
"Oberon," she said. Her eyes had turned white. Vines seeped from beneath the soil and entrapped her limbs, and Oberon as well.
She reached up to touch his face, pressed her fingers beneath that dark cloak.
You mustn't, whispered Oberon.
"I love you, Oberon," Irene said. "I always loved you. I think you're perfect."
But her words faded and so did she.
Her skin kept flaking away until there was nothing left of her. Until Oberon held nothing left of her but white roses in his palms.
And in her wake, Irene left a bountiful forest that stretched far along the near side of Earth.
Oberon wept. Oberon felt a deep sadness he had never felt before.
He remained still for several days before Ardora finally found him.
She placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder, before collapsing around him as she held him.
And Oberon turned and held Ardora as well. His tears were endless. As were Ardora's.
But as each of Oberon's tears fell onto the Earthly floor, they sprouted the white roses.
The God of Life and Creation stood by the shattered windows of his domain, gazed down upon the prosperous Earth of his own doing.
What you have done to the humans is sinful, unforgivable, Oberon said.
"It was only a matter of time. Heaven is limited, and so are the Hells. They prefer so much to be there on Earth, so let them be there forever."
Edol's eyes were golden, peered over at Oberon through broken eyeglasses.
Edol said, "Let them be there so that Ardora or Irene might cherish them forever. That is what they desire. That is what Irene desires. But I wouldn't know. She desires you and only you, after all."
This is about Irene, noted Oberon.
Oberon crept closer, floated along the floor. Edol's golden rays extended towards Oberon, as if to warn him.
Another entire universe flashed into existence as Edol struck a bolt of light into Oberon's chest.
Oberon recoiled. His robes were set afire but he quickly put them out.
He summoned his scythe, raised it above his head and brought it down over Edol's head.
The scythe sliced Edol in two. And with Oberon's strike, many, many stars exploded into black holes in the distance.
But Edol was unaffected. He pulled himself back together and shot bolt after bolt of the hideous golden light at Oberon.
This is useless, hissed Oberon.
Oberon's darkness crept up his scythe as he brought it down upon Edol once more. But it was no use. Neither of them could be destroyed.
But Oberon, in a fury, kept slicing at Edol, forced him backwards towards the wall where the glass panes were broken.
"Oberon!" called a voice.
Edol was now more a mass of light than a man, slithered back together as Oberon turned to see who called for him.
Irene.
She raised her arms. Vines tangled up and all around Edol's Domain. They grasped at Edol's limbs, restrained him.
Despond followed suit, blew fire at Edol's mass.
And soon Ardora froze his light.
But none of this was any use.
Edol reformed, tore from Irene's vines and broke free from the ice.
He snapped his fingers and Irene appeared beside him.
"I cannot kill you," Edol declared, "but I can kill that of which means the most to you."
Edol took Irene by the arm, and in an instant drove his fist through her chest.
She gasped. Oberon shouted.
Irene collapsed as her skin and bones began to flake away like a wilted flower.
Oberon was stunned and furious. He felt the fury of all the Gods combined, and now fear that he had lost his true love.
Everything turned dark. The stars all around Earth faded into nothing. Earth eventually faded into nothing.
There was just Edol and Oberon, like it had been at the creation of the universe.
Oberon lifted his mighty scythe, powered by will and fear and unfathomable anger.
The cries of Irene fell silent and the crack of Edol's golden bones and the tearing of his golden skin was the only thing anyone heard for one second.
Edol vanished into dust and shattered Oberon's scythe as he died.
Edol's Domain began to collapse. Oberon took Irene in his arms and forgot about the other Gods.
~~~
And then they were on Earth. Oberon held the wilting Irene in his arms, cradled her, begged her to stay.
"Oberon," she said. Her eyes had turned white. Vines seeped from beneath the soil and entrapped her limbs, and Oberon as well.
She reached up to touch his face, pressed her fingers beneath that dark cloak.
You mustn't, whispered Oberon.
"I love you, Oberon," Irene said. "I always loved you. I think you're perfect."
But her words faded and so did she.
Her skin kept flaking away until there was nothing left of her. Until Oberon held nothing left of her but white roses in his palms.
And in her wake, Irene left a bountiful forest that stretched far along the near side of Earth.
Oberon wept. Oberon felt a deep sadness he had never felt before.
He remained still for several days before Ardora finally found him.
She placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder, before collapsing around him as she held him.
And Oberon turned and held Ardora as well. His tears were endless. As were Ardora's.
But as each of Oberon's tears fell onto the Earthly floor, they sprouted the white roses.
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