5:15 Our Slice of Heaven

Fang Xu felt the barrier come down.

As the god of the Sun, he and his wife were probably the ones most closely tied to it. They were, after all, the embodiments of the celestial objects nearest the false void and the other universes. One might argue that Xing Wu's Dao stars and the shell of primordial chaos, which acted more as a fuel for internal growth than an actual object of the Four Realms, were closer, but the truth of the matter was that Xing Wu’s stars were less substantial than the Realm Sun and Lunar Star. It was he and Celene who stood as the last true line of creation before dust, and the false void, so of course he felt when the barrier came down.

And he was, quite frankly, unimpressed by what he saw in the results for the immediate future.

He understood that Statera Luotian, the supreme Patriarch and Matriarch of the Four Realms, that great and noble being who had created everything, was being assaulted on all sides by more and more duties and prospects. Hell, the war itself had been the prime example of that, with the number of souls lost, lives taken, damage done, and Statera being forced to take on more responsibilities than probably even They wanted. It certainly explained why They were acting this way, and viewing things through a completely different lens than he.

But he had no such problems. Not because he wasn't taking on any extra duties or didn't have any purpose, but because, quite simply, he had turned his gaze inward, to the Four Realms. That was the purpose of the Eight Pillars, after all: to help support the Four Realms. Now, that purpose had become even more heavy than just that. The Big Four were, while not truly gone as they would forever have their connections to their Realms, building their own homes. Statera Luotian was keeping all these merging realities from collapsing in on each other. Everyone was busy and had things to do.

That meant he and everyone else had been left not with an ancestral home, but an ancestral homeland that was still growing and changing, and he would have to take up watching over it in their stead, in the more hands-on capacity he was used to. Because the Four Realms was their soul, their heart, the inspiration from which all things sprang, and the closest connection to the greater will of the Heavens than any other universe.

Fang Xu chuckled at his slightly dramatic thoughts as he sat in his Sun and stared across the Four Realms at Celene's Lunar Star, and saw all the possibilities laid out before him. Celene had once whispered a thanks to Statera, back after the War of the Sun, when she had been about to join him in the sky. She'd told him about it. Thank you, she had said to Statera, for letting us make this world our own.

Well, now it truly was their turn. The garden was now theirs to tend, and he turned his attention to the Realms themselves. Fang Xu twisted the orb in his hands without looking at it, lost in thought as he was.

There were dozens of new regions, new mountains and trees and valleys and rivers, slowly expanding out from the originals to create something more. The Holy Mountain Range. The Life-Giving Forest. The Ocean of Karma and Memory. The Rivers of Spirit. It was high time to see what could be realized from that, now that repairs were finished, and growth was getting kicked into high gear.

But first, he had another issue to deal with, one brought upon him by Statera Luotian removing the barriers between universes. An annoyance had appeared just outside the Sun.

The newest god of the Four Realms, that mortal who had never actually been mortal—Fang Xu wasn't really sure of the specifics on his existence, only that he was weird, like a Mad Scientist—was knocking on his door.

Fang Xu set down the ball he had been messing with, a five-dimensional sphere not unlike the puzzle spheres the mortals came up with, and looked out from the heart of his domain to this person.

The Rival.

He stood just outside, shirtless, of course, showing off his muscles. Probably because he thought Statera might be watching, which just felt odd, that he was pining after their Divine Parent. He was also holding a butterfly net, of all things. Fang Xu sighed at the danger he represented. The god of conflict, free to do whatever the hells he wanted, and go wherever he pleased. Heavens help them all.

Fang Xu sighed and ran a hand through his hair, using the motion to will his attire to change, going from the loose, baggy, and admittedly kind of slovenly appearance he favored while home alone, to the formal red and orange robes and neatly trimmed beard and hair that he showed the rest of the Four Realms. After a brief once-over, he waved his hand, allowing the god in.

"Can I help you?" he asked, as the Rival slipped into the center of the Sun and stood there, sweat pouring down his face, panting as the heat continued to blister him. Though it said a lot that he could even come into the Realm Sun without immediately igniting, body and soul. There were not many gods who could. Such was the power of the Sun.

"Hey, so I heard the barrier was going down, so I'm gonna dip," he said, mock saluting. "Just figured I'd let y'all know before I got the Hades out of here."

"I don't know who Hades is," Fang Xu drawled, knowing at least enough that he was referencing some sort of being. The Matriarch mentioned a Hades once, he thought… "But no. You are not just leaving." He said it with a little shrug. "Sorry, but you do have—"

"Do? There's nothing I have to do. Your mom said so," the Rival interjected with a purse of his lips and a serious nod of his head, as if he were a five-year-old proving his point.

Fang Xu took a deep breath. He’d dealt with plenty of children before. This was no different. "You're right. There's nothing you have to do. The only thing She asks is that you know yourself. You already do, rising up to godhood, crossing the immortality bridge, doing all that you have done. I will not presume otherwise. But she did leave me and the other Pillars in charge."

The Rival opened his mouth to object, and Fang Xu raised his hand to stop him.

"Let me rephrase. I am taking charge, with my wife, because the Heavens, while not busy, are more than a little distracted, and Their time is being put to use elsewhere to ensure the continued stability of all creation. So if you want to leave, just as the Heavens demand you overcome trials to reach this far, you must overcome a trial to leave the Four Realms. The final test of Heaven," he said seriously.

The Rival clapped his hands together, rubbing them eagerly. "All right, then. Hit me with it. I'm ready for whatever challenge you've got." Fang Xu raised a brow, set his hands on his hips, and laughed, realizing his own mistake. He really needed to learn how to convey his thoughts better!

"My friend, you misunderstand. We are not challenging you. You are going to help us make a challenge. I apologize for not making that clearer." The Rival opened his mouth, thought about it for a moment, and closed his mouth. He grunted. "It would be awful rude of you to become a god, do nothing with that power, and just leave," Fang Xu pressed again. The Rival stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down to the ground, kicking at a bit of sunfire.

He grunted again, then looked up seriously and spoke. "You know, I like puzzles, but I suck at them. Typically I don’t waste my time on them, and I definitely don’t make puzzles. But creating something to challenge people? Something to remind them that I am the greatest rival in all creation, everywhere?" And there was a certain weight when he said all creation that was different from what Fang Xu had ever heard, one that puffed out his chest at the sheer audacity of the statement. “A challenge that would last until the end of the universes? You know, a greater man wouldn't put his ego into this, but fuck that noise. You bet your ass I'm gonna help you."

And this time it was Fang Xu's turn to be taken aback, as the Rival giggled and shifted from foot to foot gleefully, and he wondered just what he had unleashed on the Four Realms.

*

Celene stood beside her foolish husband, arm linked through his, patting his hand both condescendingly and comfortingly as they stood and watched the chaos that was the Rival, Kei, and little Amari Ren all together, chattering about challenges and how to design it. She wasn’t sure when Kei had arrived or why Amari Ren had been brought. She wasn’t sure Fang Xu was either, only that they had caught wind and suddenly appeared. Well, that was what her husband got for asking the single most potentially chaotic thing the Four Realms had ever seen for help in creating a challenge.

Amari Ren trundled forward, bearing the heat of the Realm Sun without even blinking, spread their arms, stomped their feet, and loudly proclaimed: "Bah!"

Love this novel? Read it on NovelPhoenix to ensure the author gets credit.

The Rival nodded seriously at their apparent suggestion. "You're right," he said. "We could add spinning saw blades of death. What about a doom laser, too?" he asked, and Kei cackled.

"A doom laser, yes! But hidden by illusions so no one knows what’s coming to hit them! They’ll think it will just make them smell like lotus flowers!" She suggested cheerfully, to a round of applause from Amari Ren and a serious nod from the Rival.

Celene shook her head. Did Kei even know what a laser was? She probably did—it wasn't that foreign of a concept—but it wouldn't surprise her if she didn't actually know. Like, she’d have to look it up first, just to make sure she knew. It was a mystery, what Kei did and didn't know, because one never knew what she would end up caring about. Celene would bet she just liked the word doom.

"You'd better go stop them before they build something truly terrifying," she said, patting her husband on the back. Fang Xu's shoulders slumped, and she laughed at him as she pulled away.

"He was being reasonable for a while there. Why is he back to…this?" he complained, gesturing to the Rival.

"You can probably thank the Patriarch for that. I heard He put him in time out for a while because He was acting too neurotic about something," she said, already drifting away. He looked at her pleadingly, using that kicked-puppy look that had led to far too much leeway from her. She looked away and cleared her throat.

"Nope. I'm leaving the children in your hands for now. I am going to do other things." She was going to do something important, and had intended for Fang Xu to be there, but his presence wasn’t necessary and leaving him to his fate here was funnier besides.

"All right, fine. Go have fun without me. I'm gonna wrangle this mess," he grumbled, already trudging forward, shoulders squaring as he prepared his Dad Mode. "No! No death lasers or doom saw blades. We're not trying to actually kill them," Fang Xu complained.

"It's doom lasers and spinning saw blades of death," Kei corrected seriously, winking at Celene. She rolled her eyes a the mischievous girl, and teleported away, down to the Holy Palace, leaving them to it.

Instantly she relaxed. She felt far more comfortable here than she did in her husband's sun. Here in the Four Realms, their light mixed and intertwined, rather than just being the raw heat and fire of the Realm Sun. Her own Lunar Star was much cooler and calmer, she could only take the rawness of the Realm Sun for so long, just as Fang Xu could only take her Lunar Star for so long.

As was usual, there were a number of gods spread out through the now-empty courtroom, it having not been in session since Elvira had left to make her own universe. Celene was going to change that. But first, she wanted to—

"Yes?" A breathy voice asked from behind her, making Celene jump a little as she whirled on the green-haired goddess. Aeriel, goddess of the wind, giggled as she stepped to Celene's side, eyes twinkling with delight. The normally quiet deity had been far more talkative of late. Though for what reason, she honestly did not know. Probably just to keep everyone guessing. The wind was fickle, after all.

"How did you know I was going to ask for you?" she questioned.

Aeriel hummed and rocked back on her heels, tilting her head as if considering it. "I don't know, that seems like a silly question," she said playfully.

"You don't know? Or you're not going to tell me?" Celene pressed.

Aeriel shrugged. "I'm just saying, I don't know why you think to ask the goddess of the wind and secrets about her secrets."

Celene worked her jaw a little bit, sighed heavily, and threw one hand in the air. "You know what? You're right. I can't even argue with that."

"If you're gonna act as the de facto leaders now, you're gonna have to get used to all of our random personalities," Aeriel advised sagely, despite the playful grin on her face.

Celene once again just took it in stride. "You know what? Fair enough," she said. "I guess that means your mountain is going to be all secretive and dark and blowy." This time it was Aeriel's turn to be taken aback, blinking owlishly at Celene, who smiled sweetly at her.

"I'm the Lunar Star, dear. You're not the only one who can hear secrets. Anything under my light, which is meant to touch all, does not go unnoticed," she said with a wink. "Not even the wind."

Aeriel cackled, rocking back on her heels. "So then you do know—"

"Of course I know what everyone’s getting ready for. I’m one of the ones who’s been urging for it." Celene said, rolling her eyes. "What I want is to make it an organized race, to claim Mountains and Regions, and to structure tests for those who wish to be leaders, which I do believe the nascent Guardians will help with."

"Okay," Aeriel said, "but I was planning on taking command of a Valley, not a Mountain. Maybe both. Maybe all four. An entire region. I like Trees and Rivers too." She scratched her chin.

Celene patted her shoulder. "Just help me get the other gods organized, please, so that we can set some rules. Make it fair play, so that when these gods start setting up their demesnes, we can keep it civil and avoid any worst-case scenarios. I don't want all of you competing against each other like the mortals do."

"That's fair. The mortals are silly like that," Aeriel agreed, sticking two fingers in her mouth and whistling sharply.

"Just remember," Celene said, "we are a family. We have our infighting. We have those characters we can't stand." She coughed into her fist. "Morgan." Aeriel giggled, and she resumed. "But at the end of the day, we are family. We want to follow the spirit of what the Patriarch laid out for us. It's time for all of us to start building our homes, you know? Fang Xu and I are not Elvira. We're not going to sit on thrones. We don't need to fight over Regions and such. But we do want to build our own clan eventually. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Celene asked. She, like her husband, had never quite been the most eloquent of people. A skill she was quickly going to pick up, because she was convinced that had come across as more rambling than she intended.

"You're trying for children, and you're banging a lot because of it," Aeriel said quite bluntly.

Celene slapped her arm, flushing. That was no secret that she and Fang Xu loved each other very much, but she didn’t have to say it in such a crude way. "Hush, child." But she didn't bother to deny it, and instead turned her attention to the problem at hand.

Right now, there were currently 128 gods who had the power to take control of a new Region. There were more Regions than that at this point, nearing up to 300, half of which were still growing and not yet habitable. Now that the stored seeds had been allowed to sprout and grow, the calamity was over, and growth was allowed to happen, these Regions were sprouting up like mad. Some gods were going to want to help manage the entire thing. Others were going to settle down and play with singular regions, molding them like clay.

She intended to help streamline this coming race.

Celene continued to chat with Aeriel as more and more gods filtered into the Holy Palace, answering Aeriel's call. Randus appeared suddenly, already handing out snacks and cups of tea. Celene accepted her own cup of ice-cold thundermint tea, sipping on it daintily and enjoying the way the element tingled her tongue. She greeted those who arrived, thanked them for coming, and moved about them with purpose. Until Aeriel gave her a little nod.

Over 800 deities, angels, and divine beings had appeared. The new dragon god, with purple scales. Statera Luotian's own angels, Fu Hao and Stilicho, who Celene had to do a double take at because they rarely left the creator’s palace anymore. What remained of the original 128 elemental gods, those who were not defeated in the war, their souls still fighting to rise back up with all the accolades and blessings the Big Four and Statera Luotian themselves had bestowed upon them. And many, many others. Alanna among them.

"Thank you for coming, my friends, my family," Celene said, spreading her arms. "Those who have come are those interested in what I have to say, though I suspect more will arrive and become interested as time wears on. As you all know, for a long time now we have been spreading our influence into new regions, testing what happens when gods inject their divine influence and will into nascent Trees and Mountains and Valleys and Rivers. Plans had been made long ago to test that process thoroughly, though those projects had been greatly delayed, and even somewhat forgotten, by events not even the Heavens could control."

She began pacing back and forth as she spoke, meeting eyes.

"Argent," she gestured to the god of metal and music, the literal bronze-skinned god holding a harp and nodding to her as she gestured at him, "was the first to experiment on one such region, sinking his domain into it a little bit to see how it affects things. But he has not taken that next step, and officially taken control of it. None of us have, because for a while it was time to wait, and hold, and heal. That time is over. We've all felt it, I am sure. The Heavens Themselves are giving Their permission to us, and we have not stepped forward yet out of caution and respect. I urge you now to take those first steps. It is time for all of us make our own little slice of heaven, to become protectors and the living will of our own chosen regions, of our own individual slices of Realm, branching out from these first.

"Eventually, I imagine, there will be conflict and assault. Do not look so surprised at the idea. We are a varied group. So many different personalities, powers, goals, ambitions, Daos, all in one place with the oldest among us now taking on tasks far beyond our ken." As she said the word Dao, the room seemed to vibrate with attention. "Conflict is the spice of life, so I will not tell you to live in absolute peace with each other. But I would just ask that you all remember we are a family, as we go forward. As you start to go out there and build and do your own thing, making your own Regions and filling it with peoples of your design, just remember, we are all still one. Part of the One. And together, we are whole."

As she said that, she thought of her husband, Fang Xu, and the red string that tied them together. Willingly so. It was not like one or the other was the “better half.” They were just a couple who had wound their souls together, and worked for and kept that connection every day of their lives. And no matter the fight, that string did not fade. She held up her hand, that string became visible for all to see. The living embodiment of connection, no matter if they argued or fought or loved and kissed. She and Fang Xu were willingly bound.

"Fang Xu and I share many of your ambitions, albeit in different ways. We also want to make it fair, and if not peaceful, at least not harsh. So I ask you that you listen to us, and come to us with questions and doubts and arguments. Because we are all connected. We all share, in the end, the same fate, and the same origin." She clapped her hands together then, and beamed at them all. "That was permission, by the way. I was not being metaphorical when I said the Heavens are giving us their blessing. I already spoke to Statera Luotian Themself. Go claim your slices of heaven. We are all eager to make something of our own."

And they scattered, and Celene smiled as she and Fang Xu took their first step in making their own thing, as the gods chattered in cheer and walked away with ambition growing in their hearts.