Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars (Part 3)

--DISCLAIMER-- this section is important. This part has less gore and less violence so some of you may be able to read it. But don't force yourselves.

*3rd Person POV*

A figure steps through the collapsed wall. Ohari's glazed over pupils focus once again on the figure towering before her. A massive blade of carved metal hung on its back as its sword. Its dark, hair swayed in the wind. It turns its head slowly, looking at the town, its carnage, the innocent people dead and turned... scorching crimson saffrons and powerful flames erupt ablaze with unsurpassed fury around its body.

It turns and kneels before Ohari and the children, facing them. As the fires of its body reduce itself to a soft glow, Ohari sees a skull-like mask… and through the veil of darkness inside… two molten cores of trailing flames stare back. They showed unrelenting rage… but to Ohari, within the depths her broken mind, through her mangled emotions… she saw empathy.

"Don't give up…"

A series of amorphous deep echoes was the only thing the fiery being said. The phrase sears itself within her heart all too familiar as Ohari digs her hands into the ground, tearing her fingernails leaving desperate red marks on the ground. A dome of fire red energy envelopes her and the children, protecting them from the mad influence of the Crawling Chaos.

It stands again, its movement titanic in motion… and to Nyralathotep, it turns… sending a dread so incomprehensibly powerful, the concept of fear tears itself into Nyarlathotep. Ironic isn't it, this nigh-omnipotent being of insane, indescribable horrid chaos is being threatened by the very concept it embodies. All its creations rush towards the being as the first victim lunges, the fiery beast rips the creature into two as another explodes, caking the being in blood as its fists shred through the creatures. It did not use its sword... it did not want to. The being continued to rip and tear its way through the horde... no amount of horrifying, hell-bound creation came close to its violence.

There was no stopping it... an unnatural force of nature as it hands grips into the mushy, soft gore of a creature and rips out its deformed spine. A massive quadrupedal mass of flesh barrels towards it. But as its maw opens wide with tunnels of razor teeth a thunderous blast of concussive pressure tears apart the creature asunder, the shockwave leaving a visible scar on the planet as the atmosphere part.

As more made their way towards the being, they are vaporized by primordial fire around the being in an instance. And in a blinding, deafening roar, the entire town burns with primordial fire in a pillar of light reaching far beyond the planet. All that is left is the ashen remains of creatures and their victims, the town wiped from the face of the planet... the being was careful not to wipe the creatures from existence... they still carried the souls of the innocent.

The primordial being's head turns to Nyarlathotep, the only one left, and for a glimpse, the Crawling Chaos sees its true form. Its cosmic, omniscient existence seems crumple as the primordial being's true form sinks like a collapsing star into Nyarlathotep's very concept. For the first time in untold, uncountable eons… it spirals into fear.

"Nyarlathotep..."

The primordial's voice carried an unmatched hatred and powerful scorn. The primordial was desperately trying to hold back its fury. And to Nyarlathotep's fear, the primordial takes a step forward and upon its first step… the unfathomable omniverse ripples, threatening to collapse with a surge of absolute wrath.

Beings across the dimensions, multiverse far beyond of this one cowers, seep back into chaos, beings whose power cannot be reached by mortal words, beings whose mere presence erases all who you love and hold dear ... they cower for they recognize the wrath.

In its chaotic and writhing form, the Crawling Chaos attempts to drag the multiverses into darkness… expanding and melding with all dimensions as a desperate last attempt to… what? Run? Fight? But it could not as an external force crushes its existence into a single form here and now. It couldn't do anything as it watches the primordial grow closer and closer… melting everything in its path as steam bellowed from its mask... each step closer driving the ancient outer God to the brinks of insanity within insanity.

Ohari can only watch as she hears the unholy voices resound through the world.

"Father! FATTHERR! FAAATTHERR!!!"

To think such an eldritch being is reduced to mortal desperation in its vain attempt to cling to the ground as it is dragged into a tear in the fabric of space, to fiery depths no God dare imagine. Far beyond the cosmos, lying in its infinite, nuclear chaos… Azathoth, father. Even in its all-encompassing being, progenitor of all its concepts, mindless all-consuming existence… it knows one fatal mistake it must never so fathom to do… and it has done it in its foolish slumber as its son… incur the Wrath of Asura the Destructor.

Asura treads back to Ohari and the children, walking past the ruined town, the victims, and horrors now burned to ashes. Stopping before Ohari, Asura lifts the energy dome. In silence, it kneels down, picking up something amongst the ashen remains of Xeona… a necklace. Asura looks at Ohari and slowly reaches out with the necklace.

"I'm sorry…"

Ohari reaches out, her hands bloody and shaking as tears begin to well in her absent, azure eyes. She caresses the crescent moon and presses it in her chest. The sky dims to a sorrowful cast of red as the sun sets… when Ohari lifts her head she sees… the auras of the souls of all the deceased now rising like lanterns into the dimming sky… freed of their torment. One ruby orb floated in front of Ohari… wavering in front of here, lingering as if not to let go yet…

"Let it out…"

And so she cries, sobs, pounding her fists over and over into ground as she wails all of her sorrow, pain, and soul-wrenching agony of loss. It didn't matter her voice grew hoarse, weak, struggling for air... she continued to scream. Her voice carries far, far into through the world, marking the dark tragedy forever burned into her mind. She couldn't control herself, she didn't want to… everything was taken from her.

As Ohari sits there cradling herself, she feels something warm wrap around her. A blanket of warm, comforting fire around her as Asura stays by her side for a while. The primordial being then kneels down before the children and reaches out its hand but they back away… it looks down at its hand and body, covered in blood. It then stands up and moves out of the line of sight from the children.

An elegant foot, steps in from around the corner, clad in a white short dress and star buttoned cape with boots to match, a young lady of beautiful, iridescent, star-gold hair and soft, sparkling green eyes steps in. She squats down in front of the children and in a soothing, pleasant voice asks.

"Don't be afraid, it's ok. The evil is gone. It's ok, big sister is here to rescue you ok?"

The first to step forth, was the young human girl who hesitantly took the beautiful lady's outreached delicate hand. The lady pulls the girl into an embrace, patting her back gently. The little girl hugs back, crying into the lady... through her little gasps, looking at the freed souls, she asks...

"Is mommy and daddy ok... is the fox lady ok?"

"They're fine and they went to a better place now. It's ok, it's going to be ok… the kind fox lady is going to be ok too."

The other kids begin to step forward to, those who can at least.

"Here… look."

In a flash of golden particles, a wand appears in the ladies hand as she draws a little dragon and sheep in the air. The shining particles drift beautifully in the air forming cartoonish depictions and as one lands on the young girl's noise, it sparkles into a burst of stardust. The girl giggles, an innocent sound giving light to the world. Ohari turns around, her hands holding onto the blanket around her… the child's smile reflects in her eyes as they widen in surprise... awe. The golden-haired magical girl turns to Ohari with a sad smile and within her green aura eyes, Ohari sees the same deep sympathy that the fiery being possessed and realizes who she is. She turns back and continues playing with the children.

"Hey! Do you all wanna listen to a little song? I promise you'll like it."

The children began to huddle a little closer, eager in their little hearts as to what the magical girl would play. Out of thin air, a case appears. It opens and out pulls out a beautifully crafted guitar! She wears the guitar's strap and swings it around her hip and with a swift brush of her hands, a string of melodies echo into the night.

"Tada! A guitar!"

Tiny hands raise into the air in excitement and the children huddle even closer, anticipating just what she will play. And so, the star-like magical girl sits on a debris, her hair glowing gently as the wind carries her hair. She closes her eyes, and lets her hand and heart command the song.

"Twinkle twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are…"

Each verse resonates in her calm, silvery voice and each utterance quiets the children, now captured by her elegant voice. Ohari still kneels there, holding tightly the necklace, markings appearing and her knuckles turning white. She looks down to her side, her trusted bow lays there mocking her: Why didn't you use it to protect others? Weak. Pathetic. You let Xeona die and you didn't even find the strength to draw a bow… more tears flow down her cheek as the thoughts drive her further into the abyss. Something cold and hard touches her fingers when she realizes her hand moved to her knife. The knife unsheathes from its hilt as Ohari hand grasps onto it as if its the only way she could see, the only thing her mind can accept… I deserve this… I… Xeona… I'm so sorry…

"When the blazing sun is gone,

When it nothing shines upon…"

Bringing the knife to her throat, Ohari presses it into her skin leaving a thin cut as blood forms… but she stops as her eyes makes contact with the magical girl, her eyes meeting Ohari's in a somber exchange as her next verse comes.

"Then you show… your little light,

Twinkle twinkle, through the darkest of nights…"

The lady's voice holds a sonorous, bittersweet melody as her green eyes hold onto Ohari's, as if asking her to stop… and never give in…

"Then the traveler in the dark

Thanks you for your tiny spark;

they could not see which way to go…"

… to look towards a brighter future and love the joys that have come into your life.

"For the love of those you hold dear,

For the fallen that calls you most dear.

Twinkle twinkle, through the darkest of nights,

For a brighter day awaits and new life begins.

For you yourself the starlight."

The song ends, and the lady smiles with a profound sadness only Ohari could perceive. As the little laughs of children ensue as she closes her song and the air fills with the sound of little hope… the knife clacks onto the ground as Ohari holds her stomach… we always wanted a kid didn't we? Reminded of the life she carries in her now… she couldn't afford to die… for the future and for herself. It's what Xeona wants. The lady smiles warmingly and nods. Ohari watches as the young human girl goes up to hug the lady and she picks her up on to her lap. The girl innocently asks.

"What's your name pretty lady?"

The lady seems to ponder a bit before answering. She tapped the girl's nose as a wave of warmth envelops her... the energy killing any spores she has inhaled... the lady won't let another infection be born. The other children were fine, they hid well in the building that hadn't been corrupted by the flesh.

"My name is Asura."

"A..aaaura?

"A-su-ra"

"A...a… Sura!"

Why the girl pronounced it so much as Sura was unknown in her young mind. But it certainly caught on much faster than Asura as the other kids soon thanked her.

"Thank you Sura"

"Sura!"

"That was a super pretty song miss Sura!"

The lady cocked her head confusingly before chuckling and accepting her new name. And so Ohari learned that her savior, the one who saved her, the children, and her soul was no God… but The Asura. It was hard to think, looking at the primordial now, wearing adorable dresses and having her dress pulled on by the kids… but the sight was a beacon of hope, that things can be better. Ohari slowly picked herself up and joined them, trying her best to help the children. The young human girl walks up to Ohari, and places her little soft, warm hands on her cheek, wiping her tears.

"Don't cry miss fox lady..."

She almost seemed to forget that she needed to send help and contact the Prometheus clan. But she didn't need to as she hears the sound barrier breaking roar of a meteorite as looks up to see several fireballs crash land nearby.

*Crash!!*

An eruption of aurelian energy encircles the landing as a figure bursts forth standing as her lion jet-black hair is raised with aggression. Her upper body was exposed with cloth around her chest as rings and marks of golden-fire that glowed menacingly on her built muscles. A simple, but commanding mantra ring was behind her. The golden pulses of her single eye pierced with killing intent... the eye patch covered her other.

Next to her three more figures emerged.

A long, blackened steel blade slices through the dark cloud of its landing in a foreboding hum. Shrouded in the night, the hooded figure rose with a thousand blades and weapons impaled on its back. His steps clacked as his obsidian knight armor gleamed under the moon.

An anguished, avenging snarl is heard as a massive, silver fox morphs through. Its nine ethereal, spirit tails flowed wildly as iridescent silver flames ignited on each tip. Red marking trailed through its body as its crescent moons circled its animalistic ruby pupil. Ohari turns to her.

"Goddess Kaiyo..."

The silver beast's snarl quiets to a defeated silence, its eyes losing its drive upon seeing that Ohari and the children are all that are left… they… have arrived too late. It's silver light loses its bright shine as it morphs into a tall woman with a lotus mantra behind her.

"Ohari… the town, people… Hayden and… Xeona?"

The goddess' dismayed words only cause Ohari to look away, the pain seeming to return when a soft hand is placed on her shoulder, Sura next to her. The woman of lion hair steps forth, its gripped fists loosens.

"You… who are…"

Her eyes widen as her ring of mantra disappears. Sura gives a small, old-time smile.

"It has been too long hasn't it? Durga."

The hooded knight kneels, its arm resting on its knee and sword impaled into the ground.

"Great Asura…"

Sura waves her hand dismissively.

"Master swordsman Mythius, there is no need to kneel…"

Another figure steps through, her voice wavering with repressed emotions.

"As...Asura?"

Her silver eyes seem to falter with twinkles of tears. Her silver and blue hair blowing lonely in the air as her six arms encased with violet light fades. The long, large serpent tail behind her sways in unanticipated longing. Of all things to surprise the primordial, Sura's green eyes widen in surprise.

"Seriana? Why are you here? You aren't stro-"

Sura's strangely cluttered words are interrupted as Seriana picks her up in her arms and hugs tight with near crushing force. Sura's feet dangled in the air as the 11 foot (3.35 meters) tall giant took her.

"You're back Asura! You're back…"

Sura tries to pull away but Seriana's six arms form an inescapable trap. The primordial's face flushes bright pink, a strange sight for such a formidable being.

"Seriana! Put me down!"

"Not yet. If you really wanted to escape you would have done so. I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we've met."

The words shuts Sura's words as she blushes even more from ear to ear. The sight even amongst the heavy atmosphere, brings little laughter from the children as they giggle at the affectionate display. Seriana finally relents and Sura lands onto the ground.

"How can you always stay so optimistic and strong through such tragic times?"

Seriana's curved dark ocean blue horns shimmered under the stars as she speaks.

"And how can you always be so pessimistic and gloomy all the time? It is because I have to be strong, to strive for a better day and find the strength to fight for the ones I love."

It was a lesson Seriana always tried to drill into her mind... it was effective... it taught her how to better heal others and their wounds... but never her own. It was at this time that Durga asked.

"Everything and everyone else is dead. What happened? Could it be…"

"Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, spawn of Azathoth."

As the harrowing words left Sura's mouth, she grips her fist in rage as wrath begins to envelop her again.

"I do not know how it found this universe… I thought I hid this universe from all of such being's grasps… but I failed… DAMN IT! If I had noticed earlier no one… no innocent people would have suffered."

Seriana wanted to protest but she was cut off.

"No! Do not blame yourselves, please. If you had come before I arrived, you all would have been slaughtered, worse succumbed to its chaos. As powerful as you all are, even you Durga. You know that this universe is but nothing to those types of beings."

It hurt, it shredded her warrior pride to admit so, but Durga knew it to be true. Everyone remained in silence before the primordial spoke up again.

"The souls of the fallen and loved are safe… Seishi shall help. Take the children back and give them a home. Some need mental help as well. It is good that they are so young, such trauma can be healed and forgotten... had they been older... it was would been disastrous. And Goddess Kaiyo... please look after Ohari."

And so, the words were taken into mournful silence. The children were escorted onto a spaceship called down by Durga. The last one to get on was the little human girl who waved back, still able to be optimistic during a time like today.

"Bye Miss Sura!"

Her innocent, pure words only made the primordial scars deeper as she waved back. Ohari was to board the ship as well but before she got on, she turned to find primordial before her. Sura takes out her guitar.

"Ohari… I'm sorry… It isn't your fault… "

Ohari looks into Sura's eyes, pained by remorse and crushing failure. Why she wanted her to have guitar is unknown, but perhaps it was a symbol of hope that the primordial cannot carry itself even in its incomprehensible might… it needed a mortal of heart and mind. Ohari carefully wrapped her hands around the guitar and mouthed…

"It isn't your fault either… thank you for saving us…"

That was the first and last time Ohari shall ever see Asura. An encounter of overwhelming torment and suffering, but when the nightmares come back… when Ohari screams in the night in tears… when she hallucinated her stomach bulging with writhing torment... she is reminded of the day the being of wrath saved her… and so Ohari takes out the guitar and plays the song that gave her hope. Even in its beastial, primordial wrath… it seemed Asura seemed the most mortal of all. Someone who shared Ohari's pain the deepest.

All that remained was Sura and the other four.

"Durga, Mythius, Kaiyo… thank you for fighting for all these eons what I failed to always do… take care Durga, everyone."

Mythius nods, walks away, dispersing into a void of black light, vanishing before appearing on the ship. Durga stared into Sura's eyes, they never seemed to see eye to eye a lot, but they would trust their lives with each other. Durga asks.

"What will you do now?"

Sura expression hardens.

"That Blind Idiot God (Azathoth) has hid from me for way too long... it's got nowhere to run now... its son gave away its position."

Durga pounds her fist to her heart and pledges, Sura doing the same.

"Be it Gods..."

"Be it mortals..."

Together in resounding unison they say.

"We stand as one!"

Durga turns and goes back the ship giving a final parting wave.

"Good hunting Asura."

Kaiyo only anxiously watches by. Sura lowers her hand and asks her.

"Kaiyo... Ohari has lost someone too dear to be... promise me you'll be by her side until she gets better."

Kaiyo gives a nod, she herself felt as Xeona's life force was ripped away... she couldn't answer Ohari's prayers either. She floats back with Durga with only Seriana left.

"Must you continue to fight? For how long?"

Sura refuses to meet Seriana's eyes.

"You know I have too… time doesn't apply to us, Seriana. An instance can mean eons, eons could be instances. Time itself cannot describe how I've missed you."

Seriana gives a bittersweet smile.

"Then stay for a bit, the gods and beings that ally with you out there surely can handle themselves for a bit. I miss you Asura… Alycia misses you."

It was a hopeless thing to ask but it was asked anyway. Hearing Alycia mentions only seem to drive a stake into Asura's heart.

"You still speak of our daughter as if she hasn't grown up at all… I'm sorry. I have to keep fighting... until all beings like me and the primordials are gone... I the last one to go... until I can give peace to all the worlds out there... I won't stop, for you and her as well..."

It always hurt Seriana to hear those thoughts. That stubborn, fiery idiot's mortal will who surpasses the even the most powerful beings... not stopping even at the cost of your own health... Asura... please... stay safe and return to me.

"Here…"

A giant, fluffy teddy bear with a pink bow tie materialized from Sura's hands.

"Could you… give this to Alycia?"

Sura hands the giant, soft teddy bear to Selicia and she takes it with a warm smile.

"And yet you say our daughter has grown up… what, nothing for me?"

Sura fumbles nervously as she blushes again.

"I… sorry I didn't-"

Sura then feels her whole face being slurped as Seriana's jaw splits into four mandibles and kisses Sura... one time she almost got swallowed because of her...

"Mmmm! Mmm!"

Seriana finally lets go and Sura's face is drenched in saliva.

"I'll take that as a present."

Seriana's serpent tongue slips back into her mouth… Sura is stunned with embarrassment. Of all the horrors, gore, battles, and dimensions it has witnessed and encountered… love was the one concept that it could never really grasp a hold of...

"Goodbye Seriana…"

Sura erupts into flames, returning to its former, towering form with the skull mask. Seriana bids farewell... not knowing when she'll see Asura again.

"Goodbye Asura, stay safe please…"

Asura's hand tears into the fabric of space as a portal opens. It gives one last look to Seriana then steps through the portal. As the cricket and chirps of insects return, Seriana looks into the night sky as the star shines once again, knowing that her love is continually trying to ward off the darkness. With the last thought, she steps onto the ship, Durga watching…

"Hell of a lover."

"They are."

--Asura the Destructor of the 10 Primordials. Other names: The Singing Demon, Bastard Half-Breed, Godslayer, Wrath Incarnate, The One Below All... Sura--