Chapter 5
"Mother, may I ask why we are in the archery range and not with the boys?" Daeva questioned as she and Tiamat entered into the massive room. The arena was filled to the brim with a myriad of different types of bows, arrows, shuriken, daggers, etc. Hundreds of different sized shooting and throwing areas were lined up perfectly next to one another, and all featured uniquely shaped targets of different sizes and dimensions. Tiamat picked one of the largest areas for her and Daeva to train in, and pushed open the door to the inside. She grabbed up twenty-five throwing knives and dumped them into Daeva's arms, much to the young girl's surprise.
"We are here to test your precision, my dear. You may wield incredible speed, but you will not be able to utilize it properly if you do lack the required finesse." Tiamat elegantly clarified and strolled right in front of a nearby target.
"I understand that piece Mother, however what I do not understand, is why you are currently standing IN FRONT of a target?" Daeva remarked puzzled.
Tiamat chuckled and crossed her slender arms. "To give you a worthy challenge of course. You are going to throw each knife as fast as you can into the target behind me, WITHOUT striking me. I do not even want to see a scratch in my flesh, understood?" Tiamat advised firmly.
Daeva's eyes widened in shock and she reeled her back. "But Mother, I cannot, I am not read-"
"YES you are Daeva, I have complete faith in you. Just focus on the goal at hand, breathe in deeply, and strike the target twenty-five times." Tiamat calmly reassured with that a delicate grin.
Daeva stared into her mother's eyes for several moments, and finally, with a deep breath, crouched down into a throwing position. "I am ready." She asserted with ferocity. Tiamat nodded and placed her hands firmly on her hips.
"Go." She blurted. With that, Daeva launched the first knife screaming towards the circular target at light speeds.
______________________________________
"Well...Ummm... That was abrupt." Evron muttered as he looked on in the distance. Dante had already arrived at the finish line while Ubel was still a few miles out. "So what happens now, Dad?" Evron continued. Marise folded his arms and narrowed his eyes as Ubel and Dante were returning to the starting line.
"I will say that I am a tad bit disappointed in your latest performance, Ubel." Marise calmly berated, causing the big ninja to hang his head in embarrassment. "But... I am overall quite proud of you today, my son. You have improved considerably, and that is something to be commended." Marise concluded with the tiniest of smiles.
Ubel glanced up into their father's eyes and bowed respectfully. "Thank you Father, I shall make you proud and improve even more by the day; that is a promise that I intend to keep." He stated firmly.
"Better luck next time little brother, you are going to become so incredibly powerful." Dante reassured and slapped Ubel's arm playfully.
Marise nodded softly and turned to leave. "Do not fail me, that goes for all three of you. Now, go and replenish your energy levels, for we shall train again later this evening." He informed and teleported into nothingness.
Dante crossed his arms and glanced at his brothers, whom of which were simply staring at him. "What?" He chided.
"You're usually the one who thinks of something for us to do, and we're kinda waiting on an idea." Evron muttered.
"Well, today I do not have anything, I am going to visit with a friend of mine. The two of you shall have to entertain yourselves this time." Dante taunted with a grin.
Evron groaned in annoyance. "Don't tell me you mean that asshole, Zero. He's a damn pest, bro."
Dante rolled his eyes. "He is not, and he is one of the only beings that actually likes us. I am going to meet him in another star system, I shall see the both of you later on." Dante calmly asserted. With that, the young ninja took off into the sky at sub-light speeds, leaving Ubel and Evron alone.
Ubel glanced at Evron and shrugged. "Have anything in mind?" He asked.
Evron sighed deeply and patted Ubel on the shoulder. "I feel like blowing something up, come on." He motioned towards the mountains, and took off in their direction, with Ubel closely behind.
Added in 14 minutes 30 seconds:
Chapter 6
As the last throwing knife slammed into the target, Daeva was breathing heavily and shaking from the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She slowly and cautiously opened her eyes, only to find Tiamat still firmly standing in the exact same position; she hadn't budged an inch. Daeva breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto her butt, allowing for her body to calm itself down. "Can we please never do that again?" She pleaded, wiping sweat from her forehead. Tiamat grinned proudly and strolled over to sit beside Daeva.
"We will not have to, as you passed this trial with flying colors." She calmly reassured and wrapped a gentle arm around the tired girl.
"Thank the Yakuza for that." Daeva said enthused. "May I go and see what the boys are up to now?" She asked anxiously with glowing blue eyes.
Tiamat chuckled and moved a strand of Daeva's hair back into place. "Of course, my dear. I must go and see what Dad is up to anyhow. Go have fun, you have earned it." She stated warmly and received a tight hug from Daeva.
"Thank you, Mother!" The young ninja joyfully exclaimed and dashed off to wherever Evron and Ubel were.
With that, Tiamat pulled herself up and proceeded to make her way out of the archery range, towards Marise's own personal sanctuary.
______________________________________
Deep within the trenches of a fairly young, and tiny galaxy, Dante cruised towards his destination at breakneck speeds. Said destination was an abandoned and fractured planet, of which was about a few thousand miles away from home. Zero had invited Dante there for a little chat, and whatever else the strange being had planned. It was funny yet sad as well, that the only real "friend" the ninjas had, was a floating and sentient eye. No matter, beggars couldn't be choosers, and Dante had grown rather close to Zero out of the years they have known one another. As such, Dante sped along through the infant galaxy, searching every crevice for this rather mysterious planet. After nearly an hour of searching, the ninja finally spotted in the distance; it was no more than a few hundred yards away.
Dante blitzed towards the eerily blue, defaced, and dead planet; his curiosity was peaked at this point. Entering the incredibly thin atmosphere, Dante pulled up at the last second and landed into the surface with a bellowing thud. The landscape was covered in craters of different sizes and shape, and a gargantuan fissure ran across the entirety of the planet. It was an absolute wonder that it was still somehow together. Dark and light blue sand washed over the surface, and a constant breeze displaced the alien particles every which way. Why Zero had asked for Dante to come here, the latter would make sure to find out. The curious ninja made his way across the tiny space rock and soon began to pick up a familiar energy signature. It must have been Zero's; he and Dante were the only two beings left on this ruined husk.
Several minutes later, Dante's eyes darted towards a floating red sphere that was a few feet away. Upon closer inspection, the strange ball was in fact Zero, who was currently awaiting his friend's arrival. Dante allowed for a small grin to sleep and strolled up beside the giant, winged, eye.
"It has been some time, Zero." The young ninja mused whilst staring off into the distance.
Added in 1 minute 55 seconds:
Chapter 7
Evron and Ubel touched down atop of a large cliff overlooking a vast, and seemingly endless field of a myriad of exotic flowers and other foliage, of which were only found in The Realm of the Ninja. The pair plopped down on the very edge and took in the gorgeous vista. The star of Orion was now high up in the sky and cast a bright, warm glow across the land. The scent of cosmic lilac, self-growing honey, and fresh berries filled the incredibly crisp and pure air.
"I'm not usually the type to just sit here and stare off into the distance, thinking about the 'meaning of life' or whatever... But this... This is pretty amazing, isn't it?" Evron mused starstruck.
"Indeed." Ubel was quick to agree as he himself gawked at the view. "We truly do live in such an extraordinary place. This may sound a tad bizarre, but sometimes I simply cannot believe that this all truly exists."
Evron pondered the notion briefly before nodding softly. "I know exactly how you feel, bro. I mean, and I know the multiverse is unbelievably massive when I say this, but I honestly wonder just what out there could be better than this right here, you know? Like, what planet, or realm, or dimension, whatever... Is quite as unique and beautiful as ours?"
Ubel furrowed his brow a little bit and pursed his lips. "That is a question that I feel shall never truly be answered, unless there is such thing as a heaven, that is. One thing is for certain, however: I would not wish to live anywhere else." The big ninja stated proudly.
"I think it is pretty hard to beat." Daeva suddenly affirmed right in the middle of where Ubel and Evron were sitting, causing them both to jump in surprise.
"Shit Daeva, you know I hate when you do that!" Evron snapped.
Daeva's piercing blue eyes cast a subtle glow as she flashed an innocent, pearly white smile. "Forgive me, I guess I forgot." She taunted.
"My ass you 'forgot'." Evron grumbled and took in an deep breath.
"What brings you by anyway? I though that you and Mother were training?" Ubel inquired.
"I finished early and Mother is now off somewhere with Father, so I decided to come find my dearest older brothers to spend some time with them." Daeva responded in a matter-of-fact tone. "Though it seems that from the look of it, I may have disturbed... Whatever the two of you were doing before I got here?
Evron sighed and gazed back out towards the fields. "No, you're fine, you just startled the hell out of us, that's all. We can't abuse light speed and borderline hyper speed like you can." He jeered.
Daeva made a face before rolling her eyes. "For your information, I do not 'abuse' my speed, I-"
"You used it to pants me in front of everyone at dinner, and that was yesterday." Ubel chimed in.
"Oh yeah, I remember that shit. Your face was literally the color of a boiled lobster." Evron cackled loudly.
"Ugh, shut up." Ubel hissed as his violet eyes cast a subtle glow.
"How do you know if that was even me or not? It could have merely been a rogue wind that was so forceful, it pulled your pants straight down as it passed by." Daeva retorted slyly.
"There was no wind present at the time, and I am quite certain that I heard high-pitched giggling soon afterwards. I do not think that wind has the ability to snicker like a little girl." Ubel casually retorted.
"Yeah, and there was also that one time when I woke up in the library, with my ass glued to the seat." Evron chimed in.
Daeva simply stared at the both of them and pursed her lips. Finally, she couldn't help but giggle and slap her brothers playfully on their arms. "Alright fiiinne, it was me."
"Yeah, we know; that's what we've been saying." Evron smirked.
"Ohhh hush, they were just harmless pranks is all." Daeva said with a flick of her hair. "I swear, the two of you act like grumpy old men."
Ubel sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "Whatever. Wait a second... Why have you not gotten Dante yet?" He asked with a sudden realization.
"Out of the three of us, he should be the biggest target, right?" Evron followed in agreement.
Daeva pondered the question for a moment, before laying down on her back and shrugging her shoulders. "Because somehow, Dante knows when I am near and when I am in the midst of pranking him. It is honestly a tad annoying at times, but I do not mind it." She responded groggily with a yawn. She blinked twice to remove any tears and furrowed her brow. "Speaking of Dante, where is he anyway?"
Evron sneered in disgust and wrapped his arms firmly around his knees. "With that asshole, Zero. I keep telling Dante that hanging out with that weirdo isn't good for him, but he never listens."
Ubel pushed himself back up with a small groan and rested on the palms of his hands. "Well he is the oldest, meaning he can do whatever he pleases; we just have to accept that." He said nonchalantly.
"Besides, Zero is not the worst being that we have ever met. I would almost go as far to say that he is harmless." Daeva murmured, now half asleep.
Evron snorted and stared off in the distance. "That's what the two of you idiotically think." He grumbled to himself.
Added in 21 hours 54 minutes 4 seconds:
Chapter 8
"Indeed it has, my friend." Zero responded warmly and peered over at Dante. "How is your father?" The giant eye asked curiously.
Dante casually shrugged and pursed his lips.
"Still as dry and strict as ever I suppose."
"Ah yes, that will never change unfortunately." Zero chortled. "And your siblings?" He continued.
"Ubel and Daeva are growing up so fast; it is incredible." Dante smiled enthusiastically. That smile soon faded and the young ninja let out a sigh.
"Evron... You are already fully aware of how he feels about you." Dante muttered.
Zero merely floated in place and stared off into the star-filled abyss before them. "He still does not like me... Even after all this time." The strange being stated in a melancholic tone.
"It is the same nonsense Evron spews as usual: 'He is a bad influence on you, there is something off about him, you are friends with a giant eyeball'... All complete fallacy." Dante jeered drly.
Zero turned to Dante and stared into the ninja's eyes intently. "Perhaps we should no longer be acquainted with one another, Dante. Our friendship obviously creates tension between you and your brother, and I would not want to be the reason that the two of you had a falling out. Maybe it is best if we-"
"You are my friend, Zero; you always will be, no matter what." Dante cut him off and rested a hand on one of Zero's wings.
"If my brother cannot accept you for who you are, then that is his problem. Evron can think whatever he wishes to think, and say whatever he wishes to say... That will never change the friendship that you and I share." The young ninja warmly and firmly reassured with a smile.
Zero continued to peer into Dante's eyes silently for a moment, and then did the equivalent to that of a nod and gazed off into the sky once more. "Thank you, my friend." The winged being murmured appreciatively.
Added in 23 hours 29 minutes 51 seconds:
Chapter 9
"Do you ever wonder what life is like outside these walls?" Evron quietly asked Ubel. Daeva was sound asleep in a patch of tall, pearl green grass behind them. Evron and Ubel were still sitting together of the edge of the cliff, overlooking a sea of exotic flowers and other foliage. The Star of Orion had set just a tad, and cast a rich orange and yellow hue over the entire realm. A calm breeze whispered across the mountaintop, and caused the blades of grass to dance elegantly in place.
Ubel nodded subtly and leaned back on his hands. "I wonder about such things everyday. What else is out there that we will never get a chance to see?" The big ninja mused solemnly. Ubel sighed heavily and glanced at Evron. His eyes were heavy.
"Evron, why does the multiverse despise us so much?" He sadly asked.
Evron looked deeply into Ubel's eyes, and saw how hurt and confused his little brother was. The former slowly shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know. It's just... It is what is it I guess. We're the dreaded scum of the multiverse everywhere we go." Evron grumbled and furrowed his brow. "Dante may not have a problem with it, but I sure as hell do." Evron's red eyes glowed brightly.
Ubel made a face and stood up. "Dante just has faith in the multiverse is all; he knows that one day, everyone will come to accept us for who we are." The big ninja stated firmly.
Evron rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, I forgot, Dante can do no wrong. We all have to take whatever he says to heart, don't we?" He responded dryly.
Ubel frowned at his brother's sarcastic statement. "At least someone has a sliver of optimism among us. You should let some of it rub off on you, brother." He retorted.
"All I'm saying, is that we should have our own ideals and opinions about crap like this, and in my opinion... Dante is an idiot for thinking that everyone will suddenly, and magically start accepting us." Evron threw back. "Face it Ubel, for all of the immense power that we have, we're still the demons of the multiverse. Dante's 'optimism' isn't gonna change that."
Ubel closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "You are wrong, Evron." He murmured, and proceeded to walk over to wear Daeva was sleeping, and gently picked her up his arms. The big ninja then turned and stared at Evron with disappointment in his eyes.
"For once, brother, it would be nice if you were the least bit supportive. I am still hoping that that day will one day come." Ubel exasperatingly said. With that, and Daeva in hand, he screamed off back toward the kingdom at supersonic speeds.
Evron stared after his brother's disappearing image, before turning back around to gaze at the setting sun.
"If only they knew." He murmured to himself.
Added in 6 hours 53 minutes 43 seconds:
Chapter 10
"Dante, do you have it with you?" Zero asked with notable anticipation.
Dante looked at Zero, a hint of both dread and hesitation shown in his eyes. He had hoped that Zero would have forgotten to ask; Dante already felt bad enough for taking it. The ninja nodded timidly and opened his palm. Suddenly, with a bright, gold flash of light, appeared a round stone within Dante's palm. The rock was absolutely beautiful in its appearance, containing virtually every single color in existence, and radiating with an alluring glow. Zero's iris widened in excitement, and he leaned in closer to gaze at its magnificence.
"Extraordinary." Zero muttered. "This is the stone that your father always talks about?"
"Yes." Dante replied, guilt filling his eyes. "The Ettrene Crystal. It is the most powerful object in our realm."
"So Marise has told me." Zero stated as he floated around the crystal. The winged being turned his attention to Dante, whom of which looked as though he had just committed murder. His green eyes glowed dimly, and his lips were taught. "Are you certain that you want to do this?" Zero asked.
Dante didn't answer at first. He was thinking of all the things that would happen to him if this went south, and worse... If Marise were to find out. The young ninja took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He turned to Zero and stared deep into his friend's bulging, and awaiting eye, and nodded.
"I'm sure, let's get this done." Dante replied firmly. His eyes suddenly glowed brightly and created a swirling portal in front of them. The two beings looked at one another for a moment, before entering the rift, and disappearing into nothingness. The portal soon collapsed in on itself, and the ravaged planet was left alone once more.
Whatever Dante and Zero had planned, would change the face of an entire galaxy forevermore.
