#Celestial Messiah

[sweetiguessso]

The Eternal Dreamer: An Epic of Hope and Restoration

Elara stood beneath a fractured sky, her gaze fixed on the Shattered Spire—a monument to humanity's fall, jagged and foreboding against the horizon. The cataclysm had broken more than stone and sky; it had severed the connection to the Spirit, leaving the world in a shadow of despair. Yet within Elara burned a spark of defiance, a yearning to uncover the truth buried in the shards of history.

The elders spoke in reverent tones of a golden age before the Fall, when harmony reigned, and the Spirit flowed freely. But Elara, ever questioning, sensed a deeper narrative. Their nostalgia glossed over cracks that had always been there, seeds of discord that had grown unchecked. Among their tales, one thread stood out—a prophecy of the Eternal Dreamer, a savior who would restore balance and mend the fractured world.

Elara immersed herself in forgotten archives, deciphering cryptic verses and piecing together fragments of lost wisdom. She unearthed tales of Ze Li On, a luminary figure whose essence bridged light and renewal, and of the Rain—a celestial gift symbolizing cleansing and rebirth. But her relentless pursuit of knowledge drew the ire of the Keepers of the Faith.

Led by Kaelan, a cunning manipulator cloaked in piety, the Keepers branded Elara a heretic. To Kaelan, the prophecy was not a path to salvation but a tool to consolidate power, to bend the masses to his will. Determined to silence her, the Keepers drove Elara into exile.

In the hidden valleys beyond their reach, Elara found allies among the outcasts and dreamers. Jax, a battle-worn warrior with a heart tempered by loss, Lyra, a healer whose touch restored more than flesh, and Kai, a young scholar armed with ancient knowledge, became her steadfast companions. Together, they embarked on a treacherous journey to the Shattered Spire, the epicenter of the cataclysm and the key to unlocking the prophecy.

Their path was fraught with danger. They faced the relentless pursuit of the Keepers, braved landscapes twisted by corruption, and fought beasts born of the world's brokenness. Yet through every trial, Elara's belief in the Spirit's renewal never wavered. She saw the Rain not as a mere storm but as a divine essence capable of washing away despair and healing the world.

At last, they reached the Spire’s heart, a place heavy with the weight of forgotten power. Kaelan awaited them, his ambition fully realized. He had tapped into the Spire’s dark energy, twisting it to his will. The ensuing battle was a tempest of light and shadow, a clash between Kaelan’s greed-fueled darkness and Elara’s unyielding hope.

Kaelan’s might seemed insurmountable, but Elara, drawing strength from the prophecy and the unity of her companions, called upon the Spirit’s cry—a surge of radiant energy that shattered the Spire’s corruption. Kaelan, stripped of his power, fell into the void, his schemes undone.

With the battle won, the Rain descended. It was not mere water but a luminous torrent of renewal. The earth drank deeply of its essence, the skies healed, and the corruption melted away. A new dawn broke, soft and golden, as the land began to heal.

In the aftermath, the prophecy came to life. The eternal feast—an endless flow of wisdom and grace—spread across the land. The New Jerusalem rose, a beacon of harmony and light, where freedom and justice reigned. Humanity, once fractured, stood united in the Spirit's embrace.

Elara, the Eternal Dreamer, had fulfilled the ancient promise. She became a symbol of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest times, the light of truth and resilience could prevail. As the world awakened to its restoration, her name was etched into the annals of history—a testament to the power of dreams and the enduring spirit of those who dare to chase them.

@judahmaccabees

This story was written using AI based on the general idea of what has taken place. Thanks,

Dream of the Endless

Morpheus

Jesus Christ

[judahmaccabees]

greater possibility you demanded, twas for greater hope commanded, there's your Peace And Security ™ granted

Naming a thing idolizes it, separating it from itself

Force, stay off my Boundaries

Thought and Doubt,

Imagine,

Not

Delicacy of Touch

Duty of Wisdom

End of Ignorance

Beginning of Future

Cause and Effect,

Shifting Responsibility,

Faltering Rising,

Walking Death

-

[syppys-den]

"I am the celestial gardener"

He's vibingggg

[cuppajj]

What if the ancients also corrupted and became beasts, and it's one great cycle of futility?

some info on the beast ancients:

Saint Vanilla Cookie, after deducing that the horrors and cruelty of the world are caused by the darkness in cookies' dough, formed a messiah complex. Believing he is the only one who can save Earthbread, his extreme compassion for the happiness of cookies has made him an angel of death; though he believes he is purifying those he touches, he believes their cries of pain from their disintegrating bodies are simply a part of the healing process. He has brought his willing followers to salvation, and seeks to do the same for all of cookiekind.

Midnight Lily Cookie became the new monarch of the Faerie Kingdom after the death of Elder Faerie Cookie. When she turned to the path of darkness, her fiercely loyal subjects followed with her, sworn to protect her at all costs. While she holds no ambitions for conquest, she has vowed to assert the influence of her kingdom across Beast Yeast on her own terms, and to put an end to the false enchantress who shares her being.

Dragonberry Cookie reinstated herself as the monarch of her kingdom, keeping the royal family under her thumb and influence. Her passion for strength and combat drew her attention to the Red Dragon, whose power became her obsession. Now, she seeks to know how to become a great beast herself, and will do anything to achieve it; even keeping the Red Dragon shackled underneath the castle as it’s studied day in and day out.

Frigid Cacao Cookie learned to tame the Licorice Sea that had threatened his kingdom for eons; however, something of either his design or an external force led to the entire Cacao Kingdom freezing over. Cacao sat idly by as this happened, unmoving from his great throne with his head slouched and eyes unreadable. He has resigned himself to extreme solitude, but the swirling black ocean does his bidding in his favor.

Celestial Cheese Cookie never moved on from the truth. In fact, she chose to build everything from the ground up. How wonderful! She can bring her grand design to Earthbread itself, sharing her brilliance with all of cookiekind. Of course forging a new empire will come with resistance, but she is well prepared. For the devout, they will be graciously rewarded; the dissenters will become decorations. With the ability to summon as many arms as she needs, she can turn anything to gold with a simple touch.

With five new Beasts loose on earthbread, the fight to save it has become much, much harder…

[zorostitties]

Aurora; 10 (m)

⤕ Your existence had been an endless night, where shadows whispered long forgotten secrets. Trapped in a golden cage, your fragile mind and shattered memories were chains that kept you from dreaming of freedom. Then, he appeared with the first light of dawn, like a gentle sun warming your cold skin. In his gaze, the promise of a new beginning; in his presence, the sunrise your soul had longed for.

In which Alucard saves you from Erzsebet.

pairing: alucard (castlevania) x (f) reader

genre: angst, romance, slow burn, eventual smut

warnings: violence/blood, explicit language, mental health issues, grief, physical abuse.

rating: 18+

word count: 10k oof

A/N: HELLO EVERYONE!!! ANOTHER 10K BOMB HITTING YOUR HOUSE RIGHT NOWWW 💥💥💥 Many shifting POVs this chapter bc there's too many things happening at the same time!!! Just know I'm rubbing my hands like an evil fly as I post this chapter hehehheheheheh ENJOY!!! <3

⤕  Masterlist  ⤕ Also on AO3 ⤕ Playlist

Alucard would not fail.

The sky above him was painted in red. The sun, a symbol of hope and life, was hidden behind an eerie shadow that had nothing to do with the natural movement of celestial bodies. The air smelled of salt, iron, apprehension and fear. He was used to this smell – he knew it intimately. He was used to war. How many times had Alucard put his life on the front line before? Uncountable. Every time he faced an enemy, whether weak or strong, he knew there was the possibility of dying. Perhaps that kept him on edge. Perhaps that’s why he kept fighting, aside from his love for humanity.

The men behind him weren’t used to this feeling. The heaviness in the atmosphere, the strange weigh that preceded battle; some of them might’ve fought against humans, not against vampires or demons or deities. They had no idea what waited for them.

And that is why Alucard would not fail.

He stood in front of the defensive lines, his grip on the sword unwavering as he held it close to his chest as a sign to halt. The wind played with his hair and cape. His senses, sharpened beyond human capabilities; he could hear every breath, every step, every whisper, every heartbeat. His own emotions, controlled with the precision of a true master. Serenity. Severity. Confidence. These men needed it. They needed a strong image to look at; they needed an unyielding force to trust.

The moment Alucard entered the Revolutionary Commune holding the severed head of one of Erzsebet’s servants, he understood that he had taken the responsibility over that fight. He also felt that weight over his shoulders – the weight of hundreds of lives of courageous men offering to fight, and hundreds of thousands of other civilians. Elders, children, women… they had been evacuated to the outskirts of the city, but if everything went down, the Vampire Messiah’s army would not spare anyone.

And that is why Alucard would not fail.

That is why his impeccable posture and severe expression did not change when he saw a battalion of vampires approaching from the other side of the bridge. That is why he was firm when he lifted his sword, signaling the men behind him to get ready to shoot. That is why he did not flinch when she finally appeared from within the fog, being carried by two horses in a golden chariot.

Some men gasped at her horrendous figure. Taller than any human being or vampire, her giant red hair looked like a wild lion’s mane; her face was distorted into animalistic traits. While Annette, possessed by Sekhmet’s Akh, looked beautiful and dignified – the goddess of healing –, Erzsebet looked like a ferocious monster – the goddess of war.

She was extremely powerful now. Alucard could feel her pungent power from miles away; the horrid stench of profane magic. She brought fear with herself, as if gravity became heavier around her, luring weaker creatures into submission.

Erzsebet locked eyes with Alucard. Anyone else would’ve passed out with that simple feral gaze. She grinned, exposing her sharp teeth – a smile filled with vanity and anger.

“Alucard!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. “Where is my Ruby?!”

Alucard wanted to kill her.

Right then and right there.

But that was not part of the strategy. He had to keep his own emotions in place. Annette and Richter would take responsibility over fighting her; Alucard had to care for the men behind him.

He held himself back from attacking her. That would dismantle the plan. That would be irrational and Alucard had to be rational regardless of how he felt for her.

From afar, he heard a beautiful unknown male voice singing in a foreign language; Creole, he understood with a bit of surprise. Soldiers, attack. Those who die, so what?

A war cry.

Very appropriate.

Alucard pointed his sword towards her.

“Now!”

Cannons ignited. Multiple explosions. A hailstorm of shots; the front lines of her battalion were immediately obliterated, rows of vampires being reduced to pieces without having a chance to react. The smell of iron became stronger. Smoke clouded the bridge.

“Again!” He ordered. More shots. More explosions.

That wouldn’t be enough to stop Erzsebet and he knew it. Alucard got out of the way the moment she attacked – too fast for a creature so big. She was strong, but hasty, disorganized, too angry for her own good. She was no warrior and that would be their upper hand.

Fuck, Alucard wanted to fight her. He wanted to impale his sword through her chest, he wanted to cut her horrendous head off. He looked at her strength and her size and her ferocity and remembered Ruby’s size compared to her, Ruby’s fragility, Ruby’s inherent fear which was hammered into her – and that made him hate hate hate hate Erzsebet. But the battlefield was no place for hate; hate clouds your perception, your senses, your intelligence. He had to trust his plan and his allies.

So Alucard turned around and ran.

He lead his men to the backstreets, abandoning the bridge. Erzsebet’s followers saw it as weakness. Vampires were predators; if you act like prey, they would naturally be attracted… and their instinct was their doom.

The streets were barricaded with meters and meters of rubble.

Before the vampires realized they were cornered, another hailstorm of shots fell over them – coming from above.

Soldiers hidden inside the street’s buildings shot again, and again, and again. Alucard’s vision sharpened as he attacked before they could regroup. These vampires knew who he was. These vampires trembled, knowing they had no chance against him – and their expression of fear would remain forever when Alucard sliced their heads off; in their vision, he was but a red blur of death, moving too fast to be stopped.

He moved on to the next street, and the next, and the next in a frantic pace, not stopping for a second to breathe. He needed to eliminate as many opponents as possible to minimize the chances of melee battle between humans and vampires while keeping the battalions focused on that part of the city – away from the refugee citizens and away from the tailor shop where Ruby was hidden. Alucard was like the grim reaper himself: no one could stand on his way. It seemed no one was enough of an opponent for him. No one made him lose his balance, no one was enough of a threat for him to wield his sword with both hands, no one broke his sprint. To witness that was like the fire of courage the soldiers needed to keep fighting. They had a strong ally; they could win.

Alucard already knew she was coming before she even appeared in his field of view.

He felt her presence, the flap of her gigantic wings behind him. When she halted her flight on the building in front of him, holding a maniacal grin and with the gaze of a killer, Alucard was ready to face her.

He already knew at that point that Drolta was the real danger. Drolta was the mastermind, the strategist behind everything. In this great chess game, Erzsebet might’ve been the King – the most important piece in the board, but Drolta was the Queen – the most powerful piece, the one that could move freely.

The ruby necklace sat on Drolta’s collarbones.

He’d been planning to defeat her for the past five years. He had killed her once and lost to her resurrected form once, too. Now, it didn’t only feel like it was his duty; it felt like justice.

Ruby’s frightened expression upon seeing Drolta again resurfaced in his mind.

I promise I won’t fail you again. Erzsebet and Drolta won’t get anywhere near you.

It was time to end this.

Drolta launched herself at full speed towards him. He gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands.

Alucard would not fail.

Mizrak had never felt so small as in the moment he landed in Paris.

With the help of Maria’s and Juste’s magic, they managed to fly to the capital in just a few hours. Mizrak ignored the dizziness and nausea, immediately focusing on the situation at hand.

Paris was in chaos. He could hear the screams and shots even from the sky – the sounds of battle. Blood painted the streets, made the air smell of iron. Spots of smoke peppered around the city, flashes of light illuminated the red sky. He’d never witnessed a battle so big, so heated, so violent before.

And at the center of the square where Richter and Annette waited stood the most gruesome creature he’d ever seen.

Mizrak took a second to understand that that was Erzsebet. She had transfigured herself into an even uglier, unholier thing; she was worse than any night creature he’d seen. Mizrak hated her. He hated that Emmanuel had placed all his bets on her and died for it. He hated himself for helping her to some degree; he was well aware that he had his share of fault in this.

He almost didn’t notice that Annette looked different – there were too many things to take in at the same time – and Richter explained that she was also possessed by this… entity, and that somehow granted them an advantage. Maria, Juste and Richter immediately took fighting positions. Mizrak unsheathed his curved sword.

He knew there was no way for him to face that demon. Maria, young and short the way she was, already proved herself to be a powerful magician; he saw Erzsebet’s servants gasp when she opened a huge golden portal and summoned a gigantic blue dragon from it. A part of him felt proud of her for being able to control her powers after so much effort.

Juste was an old man, but just as powerful as the blonde girl. He evoked lightning and ice and fire as easily as he breathed. And Richter united his magic prowess to his brutal fighting style and muscular physique – all the while Annette (or Sekhmet, whatever) worked on weakening Erzsebet.

As soon as they started fighting, the square became literal hell.

Their attacks seemed to shake the world itself. The three of them fought like a single body, in pure synchronicity, not letting Erzsebet stop for a second to recover. Their magic made Mizrak feel goosebumps, made his stomach drop.

Mizrak was just a man with a sword. He did not compare to them in any way.

But King David was a small boy and even so, he killed Goliath, a giant; because he had faith within him. Because he had God with him, guiding his movements, clearing his path to victory. Light always beats darkness – and Mizrak believed that God, the only true God, was on their side in this battlefield.

For the Lord is righteous and loves justice; the upright will see His face.

Mizrak might be just a man in the middle of beasts, but no man is ordinary when God stands by them.

He attacked.

His sanctified sword was the harbinger of justice against his enemies. Vampire after vampire, he slashed heads and stomachs, severed members; at every fallen enemy, he felt that he was little by little avenging all these poor soldiers killed in Machecoul by Drolta. He still remembered the smell of blood and fear that filled the air that afternoon; he still remembered the tears he shed, the despair he felt, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop that carnage.

Every cloaked vampire in the square was killed either by him, his allies, or even indirectly by Erzsebet in their violent fight. There was nothing he could contribute there anymore. He ran towards a nearby street.

His heartbeat throbbed in his ears. The ground beneath his feet shook – the result of the magical fight behind him or cannon explosions. The cobblestones were painted in blood; fallen soldiers were everywhere. Some already dead, some on the verge of it. Screams and shots came from all directions. Mizrak kept running, looking for more enemies; a tall wall of rubble that barricaded the street forced him to turn left.

More cloaked servants. With a scream of effort, Mizrak slashed the nearest one and jumped to the next. Vampires might’ve been stronger and faster than human beings, but most of these vampires weren’t fighters; they were just overconfident aristocrats that lived most of their lives inside palaces, hunting clueless humans in the night to feed. Mizrak doubted many of them ever faced anyone in battle before.

Of course, even a regular vampire was much more dangerous than a regular human. The multiple bodies on the floor he saw on his way was proof of it. Mizrak knew he had to be careful; a vampire is never too weak.

He moved on to the next street. Screams attracted him; three human soldiers tried to keep the barricade of rubble standing while an unknown force on the other side tried to destroy it. His heart dropped a little when he realized the soldiers were boys – probably even younger than Richter.

Mizrak rushed, leaning his back against the ruble with the strength of his whole body, replacing the skinnier looking soldier; the three of them were surprised.

“One of you, climb the wall and shoot!” He ordered through gritted teeth. Whatever was on the other side was too strong even for him; he wouldn’t take it for much longer than a minute.

Luckily, they weren’t too shocked to move. Two of the boys, a ginger one and a black haired one, immediately climbed over the tall wall with their muskets. Each could only shoot once, so they had to hope it would be enough to stop whatever waited for them. They silently counted to three before emerging, pointing their weapons down to the other side and shooting.

The pressure stopped.

Mizrak sighed in relief and leaned away, already feeling his arms and shoulders heavy with fatigue. But he couldn’t stop, not when his allies and these young boys were giving their all. Before the two soldiers could even climb down the wall again, Mizrak already had sprinted to the next alley, looking for opponents.

Mizrak kept running and running and running. A puddle of blood on the floor almost made him trip and fall. God, there were so many corpses; the remains of humans, vampires and night creatures… Mizrak already knew these images would stay with him for a long time. His throat felt dry, it almost burned. Sweat covered his entire body. He ignored all of that. The pain, the fatigue, his feelings, all of that brushed aside to the farthest corner of his mind–

And his mind went actually blank when the glimpse of a moss green skirt passed by him.

Mizrak widened his eyes. A woman? A human woman?! What was she doing in the middle of the chaos?! Maybe she didn’t evacuate for some reason? That wasn’t a vampire – she wasn’t wearing a black and red cloak. Cold fear immediately crawled his skin for that woman. She wouldn’t stay alive for much longer there.

He turned on the same corner she did – hell, that woman was fast. She had already almost reached the end of the street. “Mademoiselle, wait!” he yelled. The woman stopped for a second and looked back–

Wait.

He knew that face.

Worry immediately turned to suspicion; his widened eyes narrowed, his expression hardened. The woman stopped running, but he didn’t. She held some sort of golden staff in her hands.

She widened her eyes in shock when Mizrak grabbed her by both arms and slammed her against the nearest wall.

“What are you doing here?!” He demanded.

The young woman looked up at him with round scared eyes that almost made him feel bad. She gripped the scepter close to her chest, sweat dripped down her forehead, her hair was disheveled. What was her name again? It had something to do with a jewel stone… was it Jade? Pearl?– It didn’t matter. What mattered is that Mizrak never trusted her for a second.

He even questioned if Alucard was right by bringing her along to Paris, but decided to not argue since he knew the vampire was strong and could deal with the situation if she offered any danger. Now, though? Her running around the streets, alone, unsupervised?

That could mean no good.

She blinked a few times. “M-Mizrak, isn’t it?!” She asked in a breathless voice. “Please, I need your help. I need to–“

“Why should I listen to a word you say?” Mizrak pressed on. She visibly shrunk. Once again, he felt a bit bad, but decided to brush it aside. “You said you were helping Erzsebet summon eclipses, and yet look up. They did it without you. Liar!”

“I wasn’t lying!” She gripped the scepter with even more strength; for the first time, a glimpse of anger crossed her features. “Erzsebet reunited with the second half of Sekhmet’s soul, that is why she didn’t need me this time!”

“And you said you weren’t a witch, yet what is it that you’re holding?!” Mizrak ignored what she said and his eyes dropped to the golden scepter she held. It had a strange symbol of the sun on its tip and multiple scriptures in a language he didn’t know. Clearly paganism. “You were just waiting for an opportunity to act, isn’t it? Erzsebet’s witch!”

She looked actually angry for a second; but her eyes suddenly locked with something behind him and they widened.

“Watch out!”

She moved faster than him.

The jewel stone girl used her scepter to push Mizrak out of the way, pressing it on the side of his body; it wasn’t enough to send him flying away – Mizrak was way too heavy for that – but he lost his balance regardless. This saved his life. If he had stayed on that same spot a second longer, he would’ve had his head ripped off by a cloaked vampire.

Mizrak turned around and unsheathed his sword again in a quick motion, slicing the head of the vampire off with a scream of effort.

They watched the body on the ground, both breathless and in silence, for some seconds.

Mizrak turned back to her slowly.

She… had saved his life. But that wasn’t enough to convince him.

The young woman gulped and hardened her expression.

“Sir, I need you to trust me. Please, I just want to help them. Y-You’ve seen how many losses they’ve had. Erzsebet’s army is stronger and you know it.” She stepped closer to him.

Mizrak gripped the hilt of his sword harder. “All the odds are against you.”

She groaned.

Jewel stone girl looked fragile and scared the entire time he’d been around her at the ruins of Machecoul – and it didn’t quite convince him. At that moment, however, the heat of the battle seemed to get the best of her.

She was also on her limit.

“Fine!” And then her voice wasn’t quiet and controlled anymore. Finally, she’s letting her mask fall, a part of Mizrak thought–

But then she grabbed the blade of Mizrak’s sword and brought it close to her own neck.

Her hand immediately bled. The tip of the blade made a tiny cut on the base of her neck, yet she didn’t flinch; she stared at Mizrak with pure anger and determination. More than that – she was challenging him.

“Cut my head off, then!” She growled in a way that took Mizrak by surprise. He… he didn’t expect her to talk like that at all, not with the way he saw her behave before. “Go on, do it if you’re so suspicious of me! I won’t die anyway, I don’t care. But many more people will die and they can’t heal the way I do, unless we do something about it! Or will you keep wasting time questioning me?!”

Mizrak didn’t move.

Neither did she.

Blood dripped from her palm to her forearm, staining the white sleeve of her blouse. The way she didn’t flinch away from pain was impressive, he had to admit. The way her gaze didn’t waver was also a bit impressive… Mizrak was as muscular as a bull. He was the one holding the sword… and she didn’t look that scared of him – at least, not anymore.

And yet… Mizrak didn’t want to trust her.

Because trusting her meant trusting Olrox and he didn’t want to trust Olrox.

Hell, he didn’t want to think about Olrox – but he was the reason she was there anyway. It was Olrox who told Mizrak about jewel stone girl’s existence in the first place. Yes, he delivered the news to Alucard, but back then, he thought she would be a hostage; he never expected that Alucard and the others would simply let her walk freely.

Mizrak didn’t want to admit that his problem wasn’t with her directly; his anger was towards the damned green eyed vampire. The coward green eyed vampire that could be fighting with them at that moment but that chose to run away to the New World instead. The coward that had the audacity to invite him; as if Mizrak would ever run away from his duties and his beliefs.

Mizrak didn’t want to think about Olrox because if he did, he’d have to admit that a tiny hidden part of him was also relieved that he was away from this chaos, away from the maniacal vampire that would hunt him down eventually.

So he focused on the girl in front of him instead, the anger and determination in her eyes, the way she told him to cut her head off as if it was nothing, the way her palm bled and she didn’t move away regardless – and Mizrak decided that she wasn’t Olrox after all, which meant he could give her a chance.

Mizrak pulled his sword away from her grip and let his arm fall to the side of his body. He looked down at her with a high chin and a tightened jaw. She seemed uneasy for a moment.

“...I will cut your head off if I notice you’re acting suspicious for a second,” he declared with severity. “What is your plan?”

She was visibly relieved.

The young woman held the scepter with both hands again. “This scepter can storage sunlight somehow. I… I can awaken it. But I’ll need a high place to make it more effective.”

Mizrak frowned. “You can enter any of these empty buildings and go upstairs–“

“A higher place. The highest point in the area.”

The black haired monk thought for some seconds. The highest point in the city…

He heard steps behind him, which immediately made him turn around and lift his sword defensively – but it was not necessary.

The three young soldiers from earlier came running around the corner. They were all visibly tired, holding swords now that their muskets were probably out of gunpowder. Were they running after Mizrak since that moment?

But they didn’t seem to care for Mizrak, actually.

“Mademoiselle!” The ginger one widened his eyes. The three of them were shocked to see her here.

“What are you doing here, Miss Ruby?!” The black haired one said. The third blond boy frowned.

“Who said you could address her by her name?!”

Oh. So Ruby is her name.

The three boys reached them, immediately offering to get Ruby to safety at the same time. She tried to calm them down – Henri, Charles and Jules were their names – while Mizrak looked around the street.

The highest point in the city…

Then, it hit him.

It was obvious. It was in the eye of the hurricane. Most vampires and night creatures were focused there. Erzsebet was also close by. Mizrak wasn’t sure if bringing Ruby there, so close to that crazy vampire, would be a good idea… but there was no better place.

He turned around.

“Soldiers,” he called with authority; the three boys immediately turned to him. Mizrak wasn’t wearing a Revolutionary uniform like them, but you’d have to be a fool to argue with him. “We will escort this lady to the Notre Dame. No questions asked, we don’t have time.”

They wanted to ask questions, but they turned to Ruby – and the look she gave them made them became puddles over her feet.

“Please. I need your help,” she asked with impatient sweetness.

They immediately straightened their backs and nodded.

“Yes, Mademoiselle!”

“Anything for you!”

Mizrak refrained from rolling his eyes and gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands again. His body was aching, his throat was burning, his heart was confused – but he still had a fight ahead of him, so he brushed all that aside.

“Let’s go.”

They ran.

Mizrak took the lead; Ruby was right behind him, while the three boys protected her from her sides and rear. Just around the corner, they faced the first group of enemies; the monk, once again, took the lead and attacked first. He managed to take down two vampires while the third one tried to approach from the sides. The blond boy, Jules, blocked his attack with the sword, while the black haired one, Charles, sliced his head off.

Although they were successful, both looked extremely distressed with what they had just done; their faces went pale, eyes widened. They probably had been facing their enemies from afar, not on melee combat. Mizrak was about to yell at them – not because he didn’t feel empathy for them, but because the battlefield was no place to freeze.

But Ruby surprised him once again.

“We have to keep going!” She rushed them in an impatient tone, breaking them out of their trance. She wasn’t shocked at all. She didn’t seem to have a lot of empathy for them, actually, as if death was too casual for her to care...

But regardless of her methods, it worked. Mizrak went back to running, not waiting for them to recover, and they followed shortly.

Another corner turned, another explosion; they met a group of soldiers running on the opposite direction. They gesticulated vehemently for them to go back.

“Retreat! There are monsters fighting back there! You’ll be trampled like ants!” They yelled.

Mizrak knew they were right and knew to ignore them. No man is ordinary with God, he repeated it in his head over and over again to convince himself, to push him forward. The group kept running tirelessly. Another cloaked vampire. They attacked.

No man is ordinary with God. His knees were heavy. His wrists ached. The muscles of his arms burned. Mizrak brushed all that aside.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but no evil will come near you. The next enemy came. He raised his sword and attacked. The next enemy came, and the next. They turned on another corner. The boys behind him protected and attacked from the sides. Mizrak didn’t stop to look back, putting blind faith in them.

No man is ordinary with God.

Mizrak knew this entire battle was already burned into his soul. He would never forget the horrendous faces, the bloodshed, the pain in his body. They would haunt him forever. Yet, he didn’t stop to think about anything; how these vampires were stronger than him, that if he let his guard down for a second, he’d be killed. But he reminded himself: The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom shall I be afraid?

So he just moved forward.

Finally, they reached the square in front of the gigantic cathedral. Without the protection of buildings on both sides, they would have no way to hide – and the square was infested of night creatures and vampires. For the first time, Mizrak stopped running and signaled for the ones behind him to halt, crossing his eyes through the open area.

The cathedral’s front doors were closed. Mizrak realized with confusion that the night creatures were fighting among themselves, but he decided there was no time to question that; if the beasts were too focused in killing each other, they hopefully wouldn’t notice them passing by, which could be an advantage. Mizrak gulped, his burning throat begged for water. His entire body ached. But no, there was no time to focus on any of that. The task ahead of them was difficult; they had to try anyway. No man is ordinary with God. No man is ordinary with God. No man is ordinary with God–

A lightning slashed the sky.

The thunder that followed was stronger than any cannon; it made everything shake. Even the vampires and night creatures at the square looked up in confusion. There were no storm clouds in the sky, what could’ve caused that? One of Juste’s powers, maybe? But it felt different for some reason–

Another lightning. Mizrak was looking up this time.

It had a purplish color.

His heartbeat immediately increased, his eyes widened. He thought he saw a strange big shadow in between the tall buildings, it looked to be flying over the ceilings… was he going insane? He– He knew the color of that magic. His chest filled with unstoppable expectation and hope; was it… Was it who he thought it was–?!

Mizrak tightened his eyes and shook his head violently. No. No, you don’t have time for that. It’s not him. Don’t think of him. You have to cross that square.

The black haired monk looked back. Ruby also had a focused expression, analyzing what was in front of them, holding the scepter strongly. Although she was sweating, she didn’t look nearly as tired as the three boys or Mizrak himself. Did her healing ability also heal tiredness?

“Let’s take advantage of the distraction,” Mizrak said. She nodded. He looked ahead again and gripped the sword with both hands once more; his wrists and fingers hurt so much that Mizrak didn’t think he’d be able to stretch them for a while.

Mizrak took a deep breath.

No man is ordinary with God.

“Come on!”

They leaped into the square.

His heart throbbed faster than ever. His vision was focused on their destination. Growls, screams, flesh being pierced, shots, rumbles from the magical battle happening not far from there, more purple lightnings; chaos was what echoed from all directions, making his head ache. They avoided the spots of night creature fights without slowing their pace, moving as a single body. They were halfway there. No man is ordinary with God. No man is ordinary with God. No man is ordinary with God. No man is ordinary with God…

“It’s her!”

Mizrak whipped his head to the side.

A cloaked vampire pointed towards them – towards Ruby – with a ferocious expression.

“It’s the woman the Vampire Messiah talked about!” He continued, drawing the attention of the vampires around him. “Whoever takes her will be rewarded!”

Fuck!

“Keep running!” Mizrak yelled looking over his shoulder. As if it was needed. For the first time, he saw fear plastered over Ruby’s face again.

The vampires chased them now.

We’re almost there we’re almost there we’re almost there keep running keep running keep running–

Finally finally finally– the group reached the central doors of the cathedral.

And they were locked.

Henri and Jules tried to push them open with the strength of their bodies, yet they didn’t move. Meanwhile, the vampires gathered around them. They were cornered.

Rage filled Mizrak’s heart.

These vampires – they would not enter the house of God. His wrists hurt his fingers hurt his arms hurt his breathing was difficult. It didn’t matter. As if he felt empowered by colossal building behind him, the earthly materialization of the Lord’s fearing size, Mizrak stood tall, taking a defensive position. They would not stain the cathedral with their presence or their filthy blood. Mizrak would be its defender despite his aching body.

For no man is ordinary with God.

Jules and Charles took their places by his sides while Ruby and Henri kept trying to push the doors open. Nine vampires against three tired humans.

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

The vampires attacked.

The three defended.

Everything became a blur of blood and pain and screams and grunts and growls. Mizrak slashed, blocked, crouched down, jumped; one enemy fell. He pushed Charles out of the way before he could be stabbed. The second enemy fell. Mizrak pierced a chest with his sword. The third fell. Jules and Charles worked together to kill one of them; Mizrak slashed one more neck. The fifth and the sixth. The seventh was taken down from behind – someone shot him from across the square, though he could not see who exactly was helping them.

A loud scratching noise behind them.

“It’s opened!” Ruby screamed; he turned briefly to see that they had burst the locks. Henri and her pushed the heavy doors open with their backs. “Quick, let’s get in!”

The three retreated with their backs still facing the cathedral, blades still held up; a slight breeze of relief hit Mizrak. The vampires wouldn’t follow them inside. They couldn’t step in, he was confident of that. No man is ordinary with God. The Lord had helped him achieve this, had held his hands, guided his blade towards victory.

An eighth enemy still stood. Mizrak stepped forward to face it.

“Come in, Mizrak!” Charles rushed him; Henri had entered, Jules too, and they were trying to pull Ruby in, but she seemed to refuse to until Mizrak joined them.

He looked ahead again. Blocked an attack, slashed another neck. There were vampires approaching from afar. He had to walk in to safety. Another purple lightning crossed the sky; Mizrak looked up for a moment, once more under the impression that he saw a strange huge shadow–

“MIZRAK!”

It was too late.

Mizrak didn’t have time to look back at Ruby.

Lacerating pain.

His body shook. His vision blurred. Strength left his legs.

Slowly, Mizrak looked down.

A dagger pierced through his stomach. A stain of blood grew larger over the cross on his uniform.

The ninth vampire.

Rage painted Mizrak’s vision in red; a scream erupted from within him while he raised his sword one last time, still carried by adrenaline, slashing the vampire’s torso and neck.

His enemy fell.

Mizrak couldn’t breathe properly anymore; a single tear slid down his cheek. He pressed his tightened fist over the wound, feeling his own warm blood drip down his clothes; the world twirled. The pain was nauseating. It was maddening.

It’s like he could hear Notre Dame’s bells ringing in his ears.

Mizrak… Mizrak was a step away from entering the cathedral.

Yet, he couldn’t walk anymore.

Freezing cold crept over his body. He fought and fought and fought in the name of the Lord; he prayed and prayed and prayed, tried to repent, tried to convince Emmanuel to repent before his death. He had cut ties with Olrox. He… he did everything.

No.

“Mizrak!” He heard Ruby’s voice again, but she sounded distant; he felt the soft touch of her hand on his shoulder, but he pushed her away with the little strength he still had.

“Get in, woman,” he groaned, feeling the taste of iron in his tongue. “You… you said you had a plan. I will… protect the entrance.”

He knew he couldn’t. She knew it, too, and still hesitated.

Mizrak refused to look at her.

“Get in, now!” He screamed.

After a few seconds, he heard steps behind him retreating – then, the sound of the heavy doors being closed again.

Another tear fell down Mizrak’s cheek.

His legs had no strength anymore. He fell to his knees.

He felt so, so cold. Not only the wound hurt, his entire body ached. He panted, the grip around the sword finally loosened.

A quiet sob escaped past his lips. Mizrak looked up. The statues of Kings of Judah seemed to be looking directly at him. Another purple lightning illuminated the sky, casting eerie shadows over their faces.

Angry faces. Judging faces.

Mizrak stood in front of the Portal of the Last Judgment – and he had just been judged.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?

The tears were now unstoppable. Mizrak gripped the fabric of his uniform, his entire body trembled. How foolish, how presumptuous of him to think he’d keep these vampires away from the house of God when he was not allowed to get in; not anymore. That was the clear confirmation of all his worst suspicions, his most horrendous nightmares. What awaited him on the other side wasn’t Saint Peter’s welcoming words, wasn’t Virgin Mary’s motherly hug; what waited for him were the fires that would burn him eternally. What waited for him was the Devil that came to reap Emmanuel’s soul.

No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Finally, his body gave up. Mizrak laid on the cold floor, feeling all of his strength vanish and every centimeter of him shake in cold fear. It was so, so cold. It was so, so painful. It was so lonely and frightening.

God was not beside him anymore – and so, Mizrak became an ordinary man.

Another purple lightning. A shrilling bestial growl crossed the air. Mizrak was ordinary. Mizrak was impure. Mizrak was a sinner.

Mizrak wished, as death approached him like the freezing winds of North, that he could see Olrox again one last time.

And then – he didn’t wish for anything anymore.

Darkness.

The sound of the doors closing echoed within the gigantic cathedral like thunders.

Your fingers were shaking, the grip around the scepter wasn’t as determined as before. Mizrak… that wound would kill him, and there was nothing you could do. You begged for his help and you wouldn’t be able to help him in the end…

This has to work. It has to, no matter what, so his sacrifice won’t be in vain.

“Mademoiselle, we’re here. W-What do we do now?” Jules asked while he and Charles kept their backs leaning against the doors. The three of them were panting and sweating, you didn’t know how long it’d take for them to be completely exhausted.

“I need to climb the tower!” You said, looking around the great entrance hall of the cathedral, pushing your worry and guilt for Mizrak to the back of your mind. The noises of the outside battle were muffled, every small sound you produced echoed. The cathedral was, in a way, even more magnificent than the Louvre; it wasn’t as opulent, and that perhaps was what brought this chilling sense of greatness. The high vaulted ceiling made you feel small; the reflex of the stained glass on the floor being illuminated by the strange purple lightnings out there was somehow eerie. The place was dimly lit by candles.

You were surprised to notice that, at the very back of the cathedral, after rows and rows of wooden benches, there were people; knelt down in front of the great altar where hundreds of candles burned slowly. They were too far for you to even recognize any face, but they seemed surprised by your presence. They wore monk tunics. Oh… you understood. They refused to leave their temple even in the middle of a war. You could respect their courage and nobility.

One more group of people that would be dead soon if you didn’t succeed.

“I’ll stay here and hold the doors,” Jules spoke up. “You two, help her get up there!”

Charles and Henri nodded. “This way, Mademoiselle!” The redhead exclaimed, pointing toward the stairs that led to the north bell tower. You nodded.

The monks were fast approaching. Before turning around and following the two boys, you looked at them; “Please, help him barricade the doors!”

Luckily, no one wanted to argue – they understood the gravity of the situation. Before finally disappearing inside a corridor, you had time to see the group of monks dragging wooden benches toward the doors in order to lock it again.

And then, you were faced with hundreds of hundreds of steps to climb.

The spiral staircase was made of stone, just like the walls around you; it was a small passage, almost claustrophobic. You held some of your skirt and started your way up; Charles took the lead while Henri covered you from behind. The tower was humid and dark; there were small windows in regular gaps, but as the sun was hidden behind that maleficent shadow, it didn’t provide much light.

“We- We should’ve taken some candles…” You heard Henri complain through ragged breath behind you.

That’s when a new source of light appeared.

They hadn’t noticed it before because you weren’t in such a dark environment, but the inscriptions of the scepter had been glowing faintly for a while now, probably fueled by your fear and apprehension; its glow got a bit stronger after you saw Mizrak being stabbed. The object was slowly becoming warmer, too.

Charles looked behind his shoulder with a shocked expression.

“How–?”

“I don’t know. Let’s keep moving,” you rushed them.

They didn’t argue.

The three of you were panting, and the sound echoed within the tower. You didn’t dare to look out the small windows, trying to not get more desperate. There were so many corpses out there… how many of the men you helped yesterday, distributing uniforms or water or food, had already been killed? How many wives wouldn’t have their husbands back, or how many children would never see their fathers again?

Of course, all the volunteers were well aware of the possibility of dying. You can’t weave into war and expect no casualties. But that didn’t change the fact that there was a great imbalance in the scales; Erzsebet’s side had much more men, and a single vampire is worth ten regular humans, not to mention the night creatures – although, surprisingly, most of them seemed to be too busy trying to kill each other down there.

Finally, the stairs opened to another great hall. The large stained glass windows indicated that you had only arrived at the second level of the cathedral.

“That way!” Charles indicated another set of stairs that led to a mezzanine; from there, there was a door that seemed to lead up the tower.

Inside that door – more spiral stairs.

Your knees were starting to feel heavier and heavier; you felt sweat dripping down your entire body, gluing your blouse to your back. Your muscles seemed to burn and a sharp irritating pain tugged on the right side of your stomach. Yet, you didn’t stop for a moment, leaping two steps at time. Your discomfort was nothing compared to what Mizrak endured down there, these boys that had cuts and bruises on their bodies, or all the other soldiers that got hurt in battle.

May Annette and Richter be safe, you wished for the hundredth time. May that goddess leave Annette’s body soon.

You looked down briefly to the red string tied around your right wrist.

If anything happens, anything at all, untie this string. It’s what Alucard asked of you.

He’d probably be so angry and disappointed that you disobeyed him. But you refused to untie that; Alucard had his duty to comply, the same way Annette and Richter had theirs. It wouldn’t be fair to simply call him at that moment. Not only did you not want to interrupt them, there was a part of you – a proud part, perhaps? Since when were you proud of anything? – that wanted to accomplish this without them. You didn’t want to feel useless anymore.

If you didn’t succeed, it’d all be for nothing. You’d have put these three young men in danger, gotten Mizrak hurt – probably killed – and would bring even more trouble over Alucard’s shoulders.

It’s going to work. I know it will. Something inside me is sure of it.

Five minutes of unstoppable climbing and you saw the outside light again.

The balcony extended around the entire structure of the cathedral, crossing it over the main hall and going around the south tower as well; the north bell tower stood tall behind you. However, it was so narrow that more than two people wouldn’t be able to walk side by side comfortably. A refreshing gust of wind hit your body; you felt hot and drenched of sweat after so much running and climbing. You leaned on the stone guard rail, giving yourself a second to recover your breathing.

Maybe you shouldn’t have.

It was tall. Unnervingly tall. You had a good view of most of the city from there – and it only made you feel more desperate.

Fire outbreaks peppered here and there; it was a complete and terrible chaos. From this distance, everyone looked like ants. The strange purple lightnings had stopped. You wondered what was causing these things; Richter’s magic was blue, and as far as you knew, he didn’t know how to fly to be the source of it. So what was that? And why did it make your stomach drop?

Was it part of Sekhmet’s power? She had told you to keep away; maybe, for some reason, her powers would make you feel ill like that?

Charles was also leaning over the guard rail, catching his breath, while Henri leaned his hands over his knees. They were probably already exhausted, much more than you after all that running and fighting. Your throat burned, desperately begging for water. You adjusted your grip on the scepter.

“Is… Is this… enough?” Henri asked, panting.

You looked around.

This height was decent – but not enough.

How you knew that? You couldn’t tell, and you didn’t have time to question it. You decided to just follow your instincts.

You looked up to the top of the bell tower. It was imposing, scary. The stone gargoyles up there seemed to be gazing at you; it was like they didn’t like your presence. Well, they’d have to bear it.

You pointed up. “I need to get to the top.”

The two eyed each other. You couldn’t even be mad at them. Henri was ready to point the direction–

A hiss slashed the air.

You turned back to see that a vampire had climbed the tower, too, from outside; he jumped over the railing onto the balcony, right behind Henri.

You moved before your mouth could speak.

Repeating the movement you made with Mizrak, you pushed him out of the way with the scepter – but this time, you weren’t fast enough; the cloaked vampire’s sharp claws gnawed his right shoulder. Henri yelled in pain; blood splashed on your skirt.

The thought process behind your next action was fast.

You remembered how that vampire burned just by touching the scepter at the alley; you looked at how it was glowing – not as bright as it was at that time, and not as hot as well, but it was awakened anyway. Anger crossed your vision. You couldn’t do anything to help Mizrak; this time, you wouldn’t just stand and watch Henri get hurt.

You held the scepter with both hands. Putting all of your strength, you swung it towards the vampire.

The rays of the sun symbol were actually very sharp.

They slashed the vampire’s eyes; he screamed in agony, the spot where the scepter touched burned. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but he was certainly blind. His blood on the sun symbol boiled and evaporated in seconds.

While the man was completely disoriented, screaming in pain, Charles run towards him and pushed him over the stone railing.

You didn’t wait to see him hitting the ground.

“Henri!” You rushed towards him; the redhead boy gripped his shoulder, blood spilled from the wound.

Henri groaned. Charles put his good arm over his own shoulders. “Let’s get inside! There are more coming!”

You ran ahead this time and entered through a door that led to – sigh – more spiral stairs. They were even narrower this time, more claustrophobic. The two boys walked in and slammed the door shut; Charles took Henri’s sword and used it to lock it between the hinges. Someone tried to push it open and the two leaned their backs against it.

“Go, Mademoiselle!” Charles said. “We’ll hold them back!”

You hesitated for a second. Henri was hurt, both of them were tired. But would you have another chance if you stayed to help them?

So you turned and ran up.

You ignored how heavy your legs felt, how breathless you were, how your knees already wanted to fail you. The scepter was slowly but surely getting hotter as your desperation increased. You jumped two, three steps at once, trying to get there faster faster faster. You tripped and hit both knees on the edge of a step, immediately scratching both of them, but ignored it and kept climbing. Would they be able to fight down there? Would they survive? What if you left them behind to get killed? Would you be able to live with this guilt?

I have to make it. I have to make it. I have to make it.

Finally – a door appeared. You ran past it.

The very top of the bell tower.

The balcony was wider than on the level below you. The view was nauseating – you were so, so high up; you could see the Seine surrounding the cathedral on both ways, hundreds of ceilings as far as the eye could see. There were no taller buildings. Nothing that could hinder the power of the scepter.

You were shaking. You were panting. Your legs hurt. Strong wind played with your skirt and hair, it even felt that if you stood too close to the stone railing, it’d push you over the edge. Strange colorful explosions popped down there, but you couldn’t see what or who was causing it.

None of that mattered, not at that moment.

You walked to the middle point of the balcony and held the scepter with both hands once again. The inscriptions still glowed faintly, it was starting to feel uncomfortably hot.

A deep breath.

This is going to work. It will. It will.

You held it in front of you with the sun symbol pointed up at a close distance from your body. The chaos in the city extended up until where your eye could see. The sky still had that horrible red color, as if it was painted with blood.

Ruby. The same color of your delicious blood.

A shiver ran down your spine.

You didn’t know why you remembered this at that moment. Just the thought of that horrendous vampire made your stomach twirl. She, who treated you worse than an animal for longer than your brain could register; she who fed on your blood constantly as if you were but a meal. She who broke your very spirit to pieces until you became nothing but the compliant shell of a woman; empty, having no more strength to fight anymore. Because you fought her. You tried to push her away, to claw her face, to pull her hair; you tried so many times and failed so many times that you were too tired to keep trying.

She who made you lost who you truly were. Would you ever be able to retrieve it? Would you be able to find within yourself, in your memories, the person you really were before she called you Ruby that night?

Who was I before Ruby?

The inscriptions glowed a little brighter.

Your breath hitched when you realized that you could see her from up there.

Blocks and blocks away at some square – the source of the strange colorful lights you saw earlier; you couldn’t understand exactly what was happening, but recognized that blue fire… Richter’s fire. And then yellow lightning and red fire, too… A blue dragon flying over the buildings. All of that directed at her.

Erzsebet was but a dot in the distance, but you recognized that red hair.

A part of you – the part that was trained to fear – immediately shook, had the instinct to run inside the tower again and hide. What if she saw you there? She’d grab you and never let you go. She’d hurt you again and again and again until you forgot about everything; all the people you’ve met, all the things you discovered and experienced in these few days, and then you’d be just an empty shell again.

The other part of you felt angry.

Erzsebet was fighting against the people that took care of you, the first people that were ever kind to you, the people that treated you like an equal. She was hurting them the same way she hurt you so many times before.

You hated her.

You hated her with every fiber of your being.

It ignited your soul, set it on fire. That woman had to die. She had to die.

You used this hatred when you started to read the inscriptions on the scepter.

Alucard had advised you against it – but you knew at that moment it was the right thing to do. Once again, you could not understand what these words meant; but, while reading the moon book you felt disgusted and weak, now you felt stronger. Exhaustion completely vanished from your body, your scratched knees didn’t hurt anymore.

The scepter glowed brighter; brighter, brighter, brighter. The sun symbol started to shine. Not as bright as it did at the alley – so you kept reading.

It felt like you fell on a trance.

All the times Erzsebet drank your blood. All the times Drolta punished you. All the pain. All the humiliation. Being dragged from place to place, not having the right to even walk out of a room; all the humans you had to watch getting killed. That woman has to die. She has to die.

The golden glow of the scepter enveloped your body. The artifact was hot. It burned your palms. You were hot – that same devastating heat that cloistered around your heart came back. It burned as if you were thrown into the pit of a volcano.

The sun symbol was shining… but not nearly as bright as it did at the alley.

No.

This isn’t supposed to happen. What’s wrong?!

You kept reading, feeling despair mix with your hatred; the shine wasn’t enough to brighten the city, but it was enough to draw attention to you. Weren’t these the feelings that made the scepter awaken at that moment? Why was it acting different now?

The sun wasn’t shining that bright, but the burn in your heart didn’t ease. No, it was increasing. Not just your heart – soon, it felt that someone had thrown boiling oil over your skin. It burned burned burned burned burned; you wanted to drop that thing away, you wanted to scream in pain. Every muscle burned, every vein, every centimeter of your skin; it was unbearable, it was maddening, you couldn’t even hear your own thoughts anymore, you couldn’t keep your eyes open, your face distorted in a scowl of pain. Drop it! Throw it away! It hurts! IT HURTS!

“You will burn from inside out, ???.”

What?

Who said that?

You felt a hand touch your shoulder softly, but couldn’t open your eyes to see who it was.

Who– Who is it?

Who is it?

The sounds of the battle down there– all gone.

It is tranquil. A soft breeze caresses your face. The scepter burns your palms.

She doesn’t back away.

“You’re always too angry, ???.” She continues in a soothing voice. Her touch on your shoulder is featherlight. “This won’t get you anywhere. Breathe slowly.”

You inhale. You exhale.

“This ritual isn’t meant to kill; it does not go well with hatred. This ritual exists to protect the ones you love. If you let anger take the lead, it will consume you; it will burn you. Love does not burn. Love warms up.”

Your frown softened.

Your tense members too.

It exists to protect.

You brushed the memories of Erzsebet and Drolta aside. It was hard – they were mostly all you knew. But you decided to focus on something else.

Annette’s encouraging words. Her strength and her kindness.

The moments Richter fought to protect you, the way you felt some sort of odd affection towards him.

The three boys that gave you the lily that was still safely stored in the pocket of your vest. Henri, Jules and Charles, who bravely helped you get to the cathedral. All the men you helped yesterday, all of them getting ready to fight to protect their families, to help defeat a force much stronger than them.

And…

Him.

His serene smiles. His soft touches. The way he respected and cared for you from the moment you first met; the way he never looked down on you, always talked to you as an equal. The way he was always willing to make you feel better. The way he showed kindness through small gestures. The warmth of his hug.

And there was something else, too. At that moment, other faces flashed in your mind – faces your mind didn’t remember, but your heart did. One of these faces was of the little boy you saw on your dream and many more.

All of these moments, all of these faces – though they weren’t much, though the bad experiences were far more, were enough to overwhelm them. Were enough to comfort you in the midst of so much pain.

And then – you weren’t burning anymore.

You just felt... warm.

This warmth consumed you. It eased your mind, your spirit, your soul. It strengthened you. There was no pain anymore, no hatred; the warmth in your heart extended to every corner of your body, expanded to your entire consciousness.

All that existed was light.

All that existed was sun.

All that existed was… love.

No one saw it coming.

Erzsebet’s servants didn’t see it coming. The night creatures didn’t see it coming. The soldiers didn’t see it coming. Alucard didn’t see it coming.

Out of nowhere, the sky started to get clear.

The white-haired vampire looked up; the eclipse was still very much intact. So what the hell was happening?

Then – it hit him.

His eyes widened. Alucard flew to the top of the nearest ceiling and looked around–

He had time to see a small dot shining atop of Notre Dame, probably two kilometers away from where he was.

The small dot grew larger. Larger. That light got brighter – so bright that he had to protect his eyes; so bright that for a moment, the sky wasn’t crimson red anymore. Goosebumps roamed his skin. That… that was pure power.

And then, he heard the screams.

Yells of agony all around the city. The vampires tried to run, tried to hide – but most of them didn’t have time to react; as soon as light hit their bodies, they burned. They fell to their knees, hollering in excruciating pain, until there was nothing left of them but a pile of ashes. The human soldiers looked around, confused at why that light didn’t harm them, only their enemies.

A strange feeling tugged at Alucard’s heart.

But he heard another scream – a scream of pure hatred this time that slashed the air of Paris.

It was Drolta.

She was flying like a cannonball towards the cathedral.

Alucard wouldn’t let her.

He gripped his sword with both hands; red glow enveloped his body. He sprinted over the ceilings of Paris on a beeline, so fast that glass windows shattered after his passage.

He got to the top of Notre Dame faster than her, standing on top of the stone railing – putting himself between Ruby and Drolta.

The night creature had a completely insane expression, maddened by rage; Alucard, on the other hand, stared at her with controlled anger.

When she was just meters away, Alucard slashed the air with his sword in a wide swing.

It produced a red energy shockwave that hit Drolta in the stomach with the force of a thousand tons.

She was sent flying back all the way she came from; she hit one, two, three, four buildings, destroying everything on her way.

That would keep her quiet for a while.

Alucard released his sword for a second, keeping it floating near his body, and turned around.

His eyes widened in shock and… admiration.

Ruby was levitating in the air, holding the scepter in front of her body with both hands; she had her eyes closed in a serene expression, almost as if she was asleep. Her hair was loose, it swayed behind her figure. A golden aura enveloped her body, but it still looked different than what happened to Annette in a way.

She looked beautiful.

The shine of the scepter was diminishing. So was the aura around her. Slowly, she started to get closer to the ground again. Alucard jumped from the railing onto the balcony; he extended his arms and took her before she could hit the floor.

Alucard knelt down with her cradled in his arms.

He put the scepter aside; it slid from her grip easily. Her eyes were still closed. The white-haired vampire pressed his hand on her forehead and neck; she felt warm, but not nearly as hot as she was that moment at the alley. In fact… there was a strange healthy aspect to her face. Her right sleeve was stained with blood, though he couldn’t see any injury.

She ran all the way from the tailor shop to the cathedral? Did she remember something? How did she know she’d be able to do this?

Alucard had so many questions – but all of that was brushed aside when Ruby frowned slightly and groaned; immediate relief washed over his body. She is awake.

She opened her eyes.

At first, Ruby looked at the sky with half lidded eyes. Then, she looked at him – and didn’t have much of a reaction. It was as if a part of her wasn’t really there. It made Alucard wonder if she was still under some sort of trance…

For a moment, Alucard thought that she wasn’t recognizing him.

And it surprisingly made him feel scared.

But she left a soft groan again.

“Did it… work…?” Ruby asked groggily.

Alucard almost sighed in relief.

“Yes.”

She looked down for a moment and saw the red string tied around his right wrist. That seemed to bring back more memories; Ruby immediately got more agitated.

“I’m sor–“

“Don’t you dare.” He interrupted her softly, shaking his head. “Don’t you dare…”

Alucard wasn’t planning on it, the same way he didn’t plan to hug her back then. But he couldn’t help it. Sometimes, he had to let his annoying mortal heart speak louder than reason. And at that moment, when adrenaline still pumped through his system, he let himself be carried again; he brought her closer to him again, he rested his chin on the top of her head. He let himself feel relief and content that she was safe, she was warm, she was in his arms. She had somehow managed to overcome her fear. She had somehow managed to destroy more than half of Erzsebet’s army on her own.

And Alucard felt proud of this human he barely even knew that well.

The heart works in mysterious ways, after all.

He leaned away again and looked down at her. Perhaps… perhaps if she wasn’t clearly dazed, affected by whatever powerful magic she just had unleashed… if she was in her right mind… perhaps Alucard would’ve let himself be carried by his stupid mortal heart again. Perhaps he wouldn’t have fought against his will to press his lips on hers.

But the battlefield was no place for it.

That would be irrational and Alucard had to be rational regardless of how he felt for her.

Alucard heard steps fast approaching. From the door beside him, two young soldiers emerged. They were clearly exhausted, one of them bled from the shoulder. Their eyes widened.

“Sir!” The black-haired one – the one that wasn’t bleeding – saluted him. “We’ll take care of her!”

“Don’t worry, nothing will happen to her!” The ginger one said, even though a frown of pain was plastered over his face.

Alucard narrowed his eyes… oh. He recognized these two from yesterday. They were some of the soldiers that flocked around her like pigeons after bread crumbs. They didn’t seem ill-intended, at least, so Alucard would have to trust them.

The vampire helped Ruby to sit, keeping his arm behind her back while the soldiers also approached. Yes, she was definitely groggy; she almost looked a bit drunk. He’d worry about that later.

A terrible feeling settled in his gut.

Alucard got up and looked ahead. There was a massive beam of red energy concentrated in the opposite part of the city; it made shivers run down his spine. It was Sekhmet’s power, and it immediately made him worry for Annette and Richter.

He stepped over the railing again and took the sword in his hand. He’d sort everything else out later. Right now, there was still a battle to be won.

And Alucard would not fail.

[magnus-marmot]

TMAGP 37 thoughts

Spoilers, obviously.

This episode feels very fanservicey, so consider me serviced. It's nice to hear about the aftermath of the Eyepocalypse and to hear from Melanie again. Good that the power couple is still going strong. It's also nice to hear a good old statement where I don't have to make theories about the metaphysics. Though another part of me hungers for more data to support my model.

I love the Archivist being super confused about its potential victim thinking it's some sort of messiah for the Beholding, when in reality it's probably just an alchemical experiment (or quite possibly a lab accident), a Jungian shadow archetype designed to hold a mirror to your darkest feelings and separate the salt from the mercury. Speaking of, we get some interesting description of the Archivist here:

We learn that the Archivist is usually a formless mass (like a shadow), very mercurial in its intangibility, and then it coagulates into a physical form. The word choice here is not incidental, because all alchemical work revolves around the idea of solve et coagula (or dissolve and coagulate), in which matter is molded through a repeated process of separating and rejoining. Dissolving is a mercurial process, and coagulating is usually related to salt. And what does the Archivist do when moving on?

I've also started to consider that the transformative force in the metaphysics is not solely tied to sulphur, but that it's divided into celestial niter (or the active principle, solve) and celestial salt (or the passive principle, coagula). I'll have to make another post on this once I've wrapped my head around it, because I might have a tentative proposition for what the DPHW measures.

[victoryai]

Do you feel astrology and religion are one and the same?

This is such a great question, I must say and I'll answer it from a Christian perspective.

No.

Astrology and religion can never be one and the same for me. As a Christian, Astrology is an integral part of my religion. I always have this special definition, Astrology is 😁 the signals of God coded in the stars which are interpreted by astrologers.

It is the way by which God gives us information about what is to come and when. An astrologers work is to tell you what is ahead but it is your duty to figure out how you want so solve that issue.

One verse that shows us just how important astrology is, is Matthew chapter 2:1-2

Matthew 2:1 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Matthew 2:2 (KJV) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The multitude of wise men that came to see Jesus had clearly used astrology to locate him and there is no doubt about that. They star they saw was likely a remarkable celestial event that signified the birth of the Messiah

Religion involves a God, Astrology is of the stars and I don't worship stars lol😂 .I worship the one who created them!.

I'm of the belief that whatever religion you believe in, astrology should be an integral part of it.

Peace ✌️ out!🕊️.

©Victoryai2025.

Donotsteal

[databoyreekoo]

The True Dandelion [theory thread]

!Find the original twitter thread HERE!

Theory aside, I think Strel and Ava are both really good potential candidates of the True Dandelion’s identity. But...

From the beginning, Nomura has been setting up a grand reveal regarding Riku and what he truly is. I believe he may be revealed to be the True Dandelion. We know Nomura loves symbolism, and that he’s really inspired by mythology. Riku is a prime example of that.

Riku is symbolically tied to the following;

Dawn

[The] Sun

Halos

Hearts

Yellow (as well as purple and blue)

Dawn represents;

triumph over darkness

rebirth, regeneration, creation

unconscious into consciousness (awakening...destati?)

illumination and enlightenment

the beginning of salvation

Dawn is associated with;

Aries, The Ram

white horses (especially a chariot pulled by winged horses)

Note for later: Dawn is also connected to lightning/thunderbolts, also known as the celestial fire, which is a symbol of Zeus (Jupiter’s bolts symbolize chance, destiny and providence, said to be forces that will mold the future).

The Sun represents;

life, energy, will, earth and heart

the promise of salvation

the direct son and heir of the god of heaven

the guiding light

The Sun is associated with;

Apollo, Helios, Baldr and Jesus (sun/light deities in general)

Sun-heroes (Hercules, Siegfried, Mithras, etc.)

royalty

Pride (capital sin - superbia...y'know, what's written on the black box)

gold and yellow

tripods and discs

Apollo is the Greek god of oracles, truth, prophecy, light and the sun.

Helios is the Greek god of and personification of the sun, he is also the guardian of oaths.

Baldr is the Norse god of light, purity and the sun.

Jesus, a figure of Christianity, believed to be the son of god and the messiah (a savior of a group of people).

Halos, also known as solar crowns, aureoles and nimbi/nimbuses, represent;

glory and virtue

supreme power and divine energy

spiritual light and solar powers

eternal life (for those who "conquer" themselves and remain steadfast under trial)

Another note for later: Halos denote holy or sacred figures, rulers, heroes and demigods. They are attributes of Zeus, Apollo, Helios, Dionysus, Sol, Jesus, the Virgin Mary and angels. In ancient Egypt, the solar crown was depicted as a disc framed by the horns of a ram or cow.

Heart represents;

love, love as the center of illumination, the center of being, will, understanding and truth

the sun

Bonus: Sankofa, an African word and symbol, represents the importance of learning from the past in order to build a better future.

Yellow represents;

dawn, sun, earth, sunlight, illumination

intuition, dissemination and benevolence

jealousy/envy, deceit, betrayal, secrecy, melancholia

Yet another note for later: Yellow is associated with Apollo and Leo, The Lion. It can also denote traitors and heretics.

Purple represents;

royalty, noble birth and sacerdotal power

pride, dignity, justice, truth, sorrow and love

Blue represents;

sanctification, time and space, revelation, eternity, devotion, the unveiling of truth, hope

I brought up the connection between dawn and thunderbolts, as well as Apollo, the sun and tripods. A sacrificial tripod actually appears in Olympus - realm and home of the gods - in kh3, decorated with suns and thunderbolts…it’s where Riku’s heart ends up.

Almost forgot to mention, tripods are a solar symbol associated with heaven. They were sometimes given as prizes… the three legs correspond to sunrise, midday and sunset; future, present and past, respectively.

I also brought up the connection between dawn, the ram (Aries) and Apollo…

The ram represents sacrifice and atonement, the opposite of what a scapegoat represents. End of Pain and No Name reflect this; similar, but in different ways.

The Dandelions were a group of exceptional wielders assembled by Ava, a task granted to her by the Master of Masters. The role of the Dandelions was to maintain the balance by collecting Lux (fragments of light).

With that in mind, the True Dandelion would need to have the same or similar qualities; exceptional abilities, an aversion or resistance to darkness, and a desire to maintain a balance.

Luxu describes the True Dandelion as a “seed of light to be sown into the future.” This light would need to guide the others as a beacon of hope.

Others have pointed out the similarities to when Ventus was wrapped in white cloth and the replica body delivered by Demyx.

However, the scene where Luxu places the True Dandelion in the pod reminded me of how Jesus is depicted as a baby; swaddled in white cloth and placed in a manger.

The Master is looking for wielders with strong hearts, able to trap the darkness without falling to it.

Riku is the only wielder out of the current Guardians that has this ability, which was brought up by YMX in khddd.

This ability of Riku’s was also brought up in coded. He was used as a shield to protect the journal data.

He also became a Dream Eater in order to protect Sora from nightmares.

This ability is framed as natural, instinctive, something second nature to Riku.

So many different symbols that connect to each other. There’s so much set up…both symbolically and throughout the games.

Regardless if he gets revealed to be the True Dandelion or not, Riku definitely isn’t human and is someone incredibly special.

Oh. And there’s a Jesus fish in the Book of Prophecies on the same page as a black crown (Oblivion or Kingdom Key; both connected to Riku).

ICTHUS

Iota - i - “Jesus”

Chi (χ) - ch - “anointed”

Theta - th - “of God”

Upsilon - u - “son”

Sigma - s - “savior”

“Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”

[bardic-tales]

Day 18 | Day 20

31 days of FF 7 Headcanons: Day 19: Connection to the Cetra

In today’s reflection, we dive into Bianca’s enigmatic connection to the Cetra, a people whose role in the world of Final Fantasy VII has always been intertwined with Gaia's very essence. While the Cetra are known for their communion with the Planet and their guiding role in the history of the world, Bianca’s connection is one marked by absence, divergence, and a deep, cosmic dissonance.

Her ties to the Cetra are not rooted in heritage or spiritual alignment, but in the ripple effects of her mother’s distant involvement with Gaia long ago. Join us as we explore how this alienated relationship shapes Bianca's existence and her disruptive role in the unfolding of events that threaten to unravel the world.

Trigger Warnings: abandonment, celestial trauma, demonic violence, existential isolation, parental loss, spiritual rejection

Bianca's connection to the Cetra is not one of heritage or spiritual alignment, but rather a distant, ancestral ripple through her mother, Seraphine. A Celestial who came to Gaia long ago, Seraphine was drawn to the Planet not by prophecy or destiny, but by duty: one rooted in the Celestials’ divine role as stewards of balance across all realms. When the Cetra faced the threat of Jenova, Seraphine descended with others of their kind to aid in sealing the Calamity. With the Weapons’ support, Seraphine helped contain Jenova within the North Crater. This act was not driven by foreknowledge of any future messiah or harbinger, but by the Celestials' intrinsic mandate to protect the equilibrium of creation.

Bianca herself was never meant to interact with the Cetra directly. She was not born of the Planet, nor does she share the Cetra’s innate bond with it. Her origin is external: her soul cast from a higher plane, fractured as part of the Creator's attempt to prevent a prophecy involving the merging of light and dark.

Bianca's very presence on Gaia is artificial in nature. Planted into the womb of Sarah Moore, Bianca's earthly path began as a child until she was displaced from her intended realm at 23: not a child of Gaia and certainly not one welcomed by the Planet’s will.

Unlike the Cetra, Bianca cannot hear or commune with the Planet. In fact, her very existence would be considered hostile by it. With her corrupted powers awakened by trauma and her alignment with Sephiroth, who embodies Jenova's will, the Planet would sense only danger in her essence. The wounded and wary Planet would reject Bianca as an invader rather than a protector. Even if Seraphine once stood beside the Cetra, the legacy did not pass on to her daughter. Bianca is marked by the influence of Jenova and the abyssal powers she has both battled and reluctantly embraced.

This absence of connection to the Planet isolates Bianca in a world where spiritual resonance is crucial. She has no access to the ancient knowledge the Cetra passed down. What little she does understand of the Planet's history comes from observation, confrontation, Sephiroth's cryptic rantings, or from those she opposes, such as Shinra and Hojo, who exploit that knowledge for their own ends. Her understanding of Gaia is filtered through pain, war, and betrayal, not through communion or reverence. The Planet’s voice is forever silent to her, replaced by the haunting echoes of her past and the distant guidance of Seraphine’s fading influence.

Ultimately, Bianca’s role in the FF7 world is one of disruption, not continuation. She is a force that neither the Planet nor its guardians anticipated. Her journey collides with the remnants of the Cetra’s legacy, but not as an inheritor or revivalist. Rather, she is a celestial anomaly forced into a realm already teetering on the edge of collapse.

Her fate is not tied to the Planet's will, but to the prophecy that even divine hands failed to prevent. She walks a path entwined with Sephiroth and Jenova not to restore the world, but to end it and Existence, and perhaps, rebirth something that will never hurt her or her loved ones again.

@themaradwrites @shepardstales @megandaisy9 @watermeezer

@prehistoric-creatures @creativechaosqueen @chickensarentcheap

@inkandimpressions @arrthurpendragon

[auraametrine]

What if the prophecy took a different path?

In Marvel Comics lore, Mantis, the Celestial Madonna, was destined to bear the Celestial Messiah through the union of “the perfect human” and “the perfect Cotati.” But in this alternate vision, Solaris Warlock is born of Mantis and Adam Warlock, The Celestial Madonna and Him, a being of cosmic light and divine mystery. Rejected by the Cotati, they are branded a false prophet and crucified, paying the ultimate price for a fate they never chose. Solaris would later be born again.

This concept draws inspiration from the comics, where religious symbolism has long been woven into both Adam Warlock’s and Mantis’ narratives. Adam Warlock himself was once crucified, and Mantis was prophesied to be the mother of the Messiah. Despite these striking parallels, their stories never truly intertwine in canon.

This reimagining explores the idea that Mantis’ destiny as the Celestial Madonna is not bound by prophecy, but by her own choices. No matter who she bears a child with, that child will be the Celestial Messiah—no matter what.

I plan to continue developing this concept through more art and potentially a fanfiction to be posted on AO3. Stay tuned!

[judahmaccabees]

Welcome Home

Mah-low-ichi-kaen-how-aut-whakh.

Translated,

"Understand?"

[sihayadunee]

🌘 THE ECLIPSE a UNION of OPPOSITES 🌒

an analysis of the mythic motifs in dune part two through the lens of mythologist joseph campbell, and some predictions for dune messiah

• Divine Couple

• Death and Rebirth

• Redemption Through Divine Union

• House of Atreus

• Lunar-Masculine / Solar-Feminine

• Goddesses

THE ECLIPSE

This motif has been connected to Dune since the first film’s promo, especially with the concluding track of Dark Side of the Moon accompanying the initial trailer. Some fans believed this theme had been dropped as it wasn’t very present in the first film. However the eclipse continued throughout the promo of the second film. This was because Part Two is where the real pay off is, already in the first 10 minutes.

This concept is intrinsic to Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation. Since the first film I have been saying that Dune embraces the Lunar-Masculine (Paul) and Solar-Feminine (Chani). However beyond just that, Dune: Part Two showcases multiple pairings of the lunar-solar dynamic.

But before we jump into that, let’s establish the meaning of an eclipses in general mythology. Typically they are a symbol of death and renewal. Common interpretations have a beast devouring the sun, or a celestial couple evading or pursuing one another. These interpretations are consistent over and again in Dune.

What we will see, is that the greater Imperium holds a Solar-Masculine identity, but when it comes to Arrakis there is a distinct shift to the Solar-Feminine archetype.

PAUL as the MOON

There are an innumerable amount of connections. Bull motifs are reoccurring throughout the first film, where he grew up on a water world. After all, the moon is associated with the tides. He takes the name Muad’Dib, and one of the moons of Arrakis has the icon of a Muad’Dib aka Desert Mouse visible on its surface. And ultimately, Paul experiences rebirth in Part Two.

The bull is a figure of sacrifice which aligns very well with the lineage of House Atreides which can be traced back to the House of Atreus and it’s curse of familial murder, betrayal and symbolic consumption. Sacrifice of the children in each new generation.

IRULAN and the GOLDEN LION THRONE

Starting here is a good place, because it shows the transition of the Solar-Masculine of the wider Imperium toward the Solar-Feminine of Arrakis. Irulan Corrino of House Corrino is the daughter of Emperor Shaddam who sits on the Golden Lion Throne. His reign is coming to a close as Paul rises on Arrakis, and with no male heirs Irulan his eldest is the successor destined for marriage. In this way Irulan becomes the embodiment of the Lion Throne, and her determination in Dune Messiah to produce Paul’s heir becomes clear. That function of the Queen Mother and how that feeds back into the Solar-Masculine as the King becomes tied to the lion and the throne once more.

In particular I would say her story is best reflected in the myth of the goddess Cybele who falls for Attis and when he falls for a mortal girl Cybele plots betrayal. Something for which she later feels guilt and tries to make amends for (Children of Dune).

PAUL and JESSICA

Their dynamic is incredibly complicated, but I think the opening of the film during the eclipse sums it up very well. You follow the path of the moon as it covers the sun, and as it meets its full coverage Paul is the one taking action in the fight against the Harkonnen. However as the moon passes by and the sun takes over again, Jessica emerges to save Paul’s life.

This was intentional by the filmmakers, as is revealed in the Art and Soul of Dune Part Two, DP Greig Fraser identified the exact time, date and location in order to shoot the sun as it appears directly behind Rebecca Ferguson.

Jessica represents the sun on Arrakis, and in this scene we see how the moon dies into the sun to be reborn in their dynamic. It also lines up with motifs of the sun goddess giving birth to the sacrificial bull. Sacrifice toward this death and rebirth.

What we see is the separation of mother and son that brings them back together in the same place. Paul takes the lead and rejects his mother’s influence, but she leads him toward the death and rebirth he must experience, and this brings them back to a common understanding.

This is also why having Jessica sit the Atreides “throne” in the finale instead of Paul (who did so in the book) makes mythic sense. Because again we return to the Solar-Feminine mother as the throne, and her son as king. But in a different context here then what Irulan aspires toward.

A SYMBOLIC UNION aka THE BULL SACRIFICE

The House Harkonnen family seal in the books is the griffin, which makes his introduction in a gladiator arena killing Atreides even more appropriate. Feyd’s birthday is also associated with a solar event. Because ultimately Feyd is the matador and Paul is the bull.

What works so fantastically about the dual, is how it is bathed in the sunlight. After all, the sun figure (day) is facing off against the moon (night) figure in this sequence. Plus the bull was the eventual demise of Paul’s grandfather who was a matador. This takes place at sunrise, and it’s a dual for the throne, where whoever is victorious inherits the Golden Lion Throne. The

Denis specially describes the dual as a symbolic union, and it works on multiple layers. This bull sacrifice, is in essence the quote from part one of “when you take a life you take your own” so Paul killing Feyd is penetration, intimacy, it is rebirth.

It is also reminiscent of how Campbell describes the sun-moon twins of Navajo myth:

The two, Sun-child and Water-child, antagonistic yet cooperative, represent a single cosmic force, polarized, split, and turned against itself in mutual portions. The life-supporting sap-power, mysterious in the lunar rhythm of its tides, growing and decaying at a time, counters and tempers the solar file of the zenith, life- desiccating it its brilliance, yet by whose heat all lives.

— Joseph Campbell's Commentary from "Where the Two Came to Their Father: A Navaho War Ceremonial" by Jeff King and Maud Oakes

DESERT SPRING TEARS and DIVINE UNION

There is a section in the Dune Encyclopedia that talks about the foundation of the Bene Gesserit beliefs. In particular the teachings of a certain ancestral memory personality, called Inanna (yes that is the name of the Sumerian goddess who was also in a divine union caught between life and death glad you asked) about the Kwisatz Haderach. It basically establishes that the entire premise of the Bene Gesserit and the Kwisatz Haderach is in essence the Divine Couple.

It specifies two mirrored dynamics the son saved/resurrected by the mother and the husband saved/resurrected by the wife. Inanna called them Au Set and Au Sar. The Kemet names for Isis and Osiris. The idea of the Bene Gesserit would have this as the mother of the KH, and the Corrino princess he would have married. But with things thrown off course, it represents outside their control.

In Dune, we see it between Paul and Chani. Like Isis who has the solar disc and Osiris who is tied to water and death, her lover has died and she is the one to revive him.

Furthermore the concept of mythical tears can be found in the goddess Freya (who arguably is compatible with sun-goddess motifs) who weeps when her husband Odin is lost to her.

But perhaps most compatible—the healing tears of a phoenix. A bird archetype similar to Isis as bird. This is where the yin-yang dynamic of Chani and Paul becomes most apparent, since the serpent is synonymous with the bull and therefore Paul who “makes peace with Shai-Hulud” encompasses the dragon (yang) as a complement to Chani’s phoenix (yin).

In the behind the scenes of Dune Part Two, the Maker Temple is said to be designed like the infinity symbol with the two circles (one of sand and one of water). Sand being death and water being life, but also the reverse. As the sandworm thrives in the sand but is drowned in the water. And Paul is stuck between life and death, literally laying between both pools, when Chani comes to resurrect him.

This film literally has three kisses. Their first kiss when Chani says she will show him the way of the Fremen, their second kiss on screen when she says he will never lose her before going South, and the third symbolic kiss of life.

This marriage/death is also foreshadowed in Paul’s visions in Part One when Chani kisses him and then stabs him. Which is where we return to Isis and Osiris because Paul’s death state (dying again as we established, after killing Feyd, similar in a way to Set and Osiris) is where we will eventually get the twins Leto II and Ghanima with Leto II being the Horus in this equation.

As the Pink Floyd lyrics say, the sun is eclipsed by the moon and this is captured in the heartbreak Chani feels over losing Paul and losing her people to the Lisan al Gaib. The Fremen way of life has been eclipsed and over taken by the Atreides and the Bene Gesserit. Here we see more of the concept of that beast devouring the sun from the beginning, verses the celestial couple dynamic.

Chani leaving the residency chamber is also reminiscent of certain myths like Amaterasu going into hiding, or the Inuit folktale about the sun goddess fleeing her moon god brother/lover who pursues her.

However the Dune Encyclopedia also talks about the concept of redemption (which is why in the film Mohiam asks Margot if Feyd is capable of redemption) of the “mate savior”. The Kwisatz Haderach. They would bring about a release from bondage through redemption and rebirth.

Which is relevant to the dynamic of Paul and Chani in Dune Messiah for Denis, because he has said Paul is going to be looking to save his soul in part three, and how Paul and Chani come back together won’t just be explained away off screen between films. It will be that continued cycle of rebirth, through redemptive love. Rebirth as a whole in Dune is worth its own discussion, since all the different Jungian descriptions of it can be found within this universe.

CONCLUSION

The eclipse, a lunar-solar dynamic representing the union of opposites, is very significant in Dune Part Two and sheds a lot of light onto what we can anticipate next in Dune Messiah, particularly in regards to the central romance between Paul and Chani and the changes Denis has made from book to screen.

[cuppajj]

How would the Ancients react to the Beast Ancients and how would the Beast Ancients react to the Ancients?

Ok so I’ve gotten a lot of asks for this, initially I was waiting to make a big post about it but to satiate everyone’s curiosities:

White Lily would pale at the grim reflection of Midnight Lily. She sees the darkness in her other, the freedom in its most toxically extreme form. The unsettling factor is that they both still adamantly hold similar values, so who knows how she came to be this way? Midnight Lily on the other hand would simply pity the other. She sees White Lily as weaker and more fragile, but understandably so. She’s yet to truly realize how she can save herself by making the world bend to her. She’ll learn soon enough.

Golden Cheese is interesting because I see her understanding Celestial Cheese and even kinda seeing through her. She’s understanding of the kingdom she lost, but at the same time wishes it were back; deep down I think they share the same sentiment. However, Golden Cheese would disagree heavily with Celestial’s actions; greed and abundance are practiced by both, but Cheese was selfless to some degree while Celestial victimizes those around her. There’s a difference between abundance and horrid gluttony.

The cacaos… I think Dark would be both disturbed and disgusted to see that he could decline the way Frigid did. Taming the Licorice Sea was an awe-inspiring feat not even he has done, but neglecting the kingdom he built with his own hands and the citizens who care for him deeply, letting them freeze underneath the ice? If only he knew what caused the Beast to become the way he is… unfortunately, Frigid wouldn’t give him any time or mind. The solitary king is so kept to himself that his thoughts of the other are also unknown.

On the surface both Berrys would respect the other for their intense desire for glory, their enthusiasm, and their adventurous spirit, but once Hollyberry learns of how she became obsessed with dragons to the point she imprisoned one of her closest friends, the horror quickly seeps in. Dragonberry wouldn’t take her seriously when she argues that what she’s doing is wrong, simply because she sees her uncorrupted self as weaker and uninspired. I think Dragonberry would be itching to fight her, so if she wants to prove that her Passion is stronger than her own Pride, be her guest. Let’s see who’s the real warrior here!

Poor, poor Pure Vanilla, faced with the utter nightmare that is Saint. A version of himself where his morals of love and peace have been amplified to such a horrific level that he views himself as a messiah, a savior who wants to exterminate every soul on Earthbread under the pretense of salvation… it’s worse than he could’ve ever imagined; and the worst part is that he knows Saint truly believes in everything he says. A soul who believes the world is too far gone to continue as it is, that there is too much irreparable suffering for anyone to live on. Pure Vanilla wishes everyone could live in peace, but not like this—not when everyone is dead. Curiously, purifying his other wouldn’t be on Saint’s mind if he sees him. There’d be an underlying curiosity, almost solemnly so, in the way he looms over him. Does he see Pure Vanilla as his weaker self, or his better self?

[cedric-k-rossignol]

Cedric K. Ros- & The Significance of Being Born on March 25

AKA Undertaker is the New Year's Baby. Happy New Years Eve! Did you know that March 25th used to be considered New Year's Day?

For most of Europe, March 25th was considered the start of the New Year throughout the middle ages. In France, they moved the start of the new year to January 1st in 1564, and in England it wasn't changed until 1752.

I share the opinion that Undertaker is Cedric K Ros-, and I have a theory outlining why I believe his last name is Rossignol. Based off the popular theory that his reaper serial number means he died in 1366, and a connection I believe they share with a medieval French romance tale 'Floire et Blancheflor', I think that he was born on March 25, 1331. In a way, this would mean he and Cloudia were born on the same day, as both their birthdays would fall on Holy Monday, a day of the holy week that precedes Easter Sunday.

But if he was born on March 25, 1331, that would also mean he was born on New Year's Day. March 25 is the day of the Annunciation - the day on which the archangel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that "she would concieve and bear a son through a virgin birth and become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Christian Messiah and Son of God, marking the Incarnation." Girl, ya knocked up. This is exactly 9 months before December 25th, in case you were side-eyeing Mary 🤨. The day was chosen as the start of the new year by some dude in AD 525 because according to Christian theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ. But that's not all!

It was traditionally believed that the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Exodus from Egypt, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and Death of Christ, and the Last Judgment all took place or will take place on March 25.

...And also the birth of Cedric K Ros-! Woo 🎉 What a special baby boy our Undertaker is.

Depictions of the Annunciation also usually show St. Gabriel the Archangel handing lilies to Our Lady. Mary is often represented by lilies, and the Madonna Lily, named for her, is often called the Annunciation Lily in honor of this Feast and is a perfect ornament for the day. The Venerable Bede (A.D. 672-735) described the transluscent white petals as symbolic of Mary's pure body, and the golden anthers as a symbol of the glory of her soul when she was taken up to Heaven at the Assumption

Madonna lily is just another word for the white lily, the flower that is often associated with Undertaker's presence in the story in the manga (further discussed here)

This flower is also strongly associated with Easter, and there are a lot of links between Undertaker, Cloudia, and Easter. It has several meanings - notably associated with purity, loss, renewal and resurrection. The lily is a symbol strongly tied to France, French Royalty, and French Christianity - beginning when the first pagan King of the Franks was persuaded to change his insignia from three toads to three lilies by his Christian wife, Clotilde, patron saint of the lame, after an angel gifted them to her. (My write up is in the works for King Clovis, Queen Clotilde, and Emperor Charlemagne, all of whom relate back to Floire et Blancheflor.) This is the origin of the fleur-de-lis as it relates to the French Monarchy.

But wait, there's more! You thought this was just a boring history lesson? Wrong - buckle up for some head scratching astronomy!

March 25 was also the date on which the spring equinox was originally set (the date now varies from the 19-21 March), also known as the Vernal equinox. This is the date where the day and night are more or less equal at 12 hours each. The location of the Vernal equinox is also known as the first point of Aries;

The first point of Aries, also known as the cusp of Aries, is the location of the Vernal equinox, used as a reference point in celestial coordinate systems. The first point of Aries is considered to be the celestial "prime meridian" from which right ascension is calculated.

So, right ascension is a way of locating a celestial body - and it's measured in hours. Instead of 360 degrees, one full rotation is 24 hours. And the Vernal equinox/first point of Aries is the starting point from which you measure. Grab the tape measure stopwatch!

I wasn't able to find any particular superstitions in French/Breton/Celtic culture for children born on this day. The general consensus seems to be that New Year's babies/babies born on the day of the Annunciation would have been considered lucky, blessed by God, and perhaps gifted with divine foresight/prophecy.

I don't think Undertaker would agree with the whole lucky and blessed thing...but I'm not going to rule out the potential link to him having foresight - or even him believing he had the gift of foresight. A sense of impending doom is a common phenomenon in people who suffer from depression or PTSD.

The Vernal equinox, along with the Annunciation, both pertain to the idea of spring, of renewal, of sowing seed 😏 Nice. I have nothing further to add.

Finally, and of course most importantly, this makes him an Aries. Undertaker would be an Aries...says me, a notorious Aries' lover. Him AND Cloudia, Lord help us those two would have been trouble...

Thanks for reading! My ask box is open and I'm always happy to talk about this stuff. You can find a masterpost of my Black Butler theories here - they mostly revolve around medieval French/Breton literature, French history and French Christianity.

Have a happy & safe New Year's everybody 🎉 May emerald witch grace our screens in 2025, and may the great hiatus come to an end 🙏

[idol--hands]

STAR TREK #29 - When the Walls Fell 5/6 [full issue]

⭐️: key prequel chapter before the “Lore War” saga, explains how Captain Benjamin Sisko becomes/was the progenitor of Bajor’s religion — 2,000 yrs preparing and becoming enlightened. Ready to battle again.

It is said when Bajor came of age, she reached her hand towards the five moons in her sky. For her great work had grown beyond even her ability to sustain.

So she sent her children to them, to build and dream and prepare the way. She knew how to do this because it is as she herself had been taught…

The universe is gone.

Starfleet never existed for stars were never born.

In an attempt to escape, Captain Benjamin Sisko returned to his mother’s people and surrendered himself to the Bajoran Prophets. He hoped they would save his friends. He hoped they would save his son. But only Sisko was saved — locked away in what appears to be an alternate history of Bajor: where the Prophets never rise. Where the Wormhole never brightens the sky. Beyond this strange pocket universe, everyone Benjamin Sisko ever knew — his crew, his family, his son — are being painfully rewritten to serve the whims of a new cosmic god: the android Lore. For thousands of years, Sisko has lived through Bajoran history, trying to uncover the purpose of his existence there. He has thought it a prison, a lifeboat, a test. But recently, he has discovered that it is something more. It is a forge wherein he can build a solution to Lore’s conquest and save his son. And so Sisko announces to all of Bajor he will build The Celestial Temple. He will find The Prophets. And he will save existence.

⭐️: watercolor/indie comic style works - good storytelling choice.

⭐️: notice similar concepts & terms used in Lore’s dark universe.

⭐️: Will each Trek character (10) become a Prophet/Orb of Bajor?

⭐️: Why was this document written in 1955 - can someone explain?

⭐️ : Pay attention, words here are important; cold to us, but valid.

IDOL ⭐️ HANDS: As I said, Sisko’s journey dovetails nicely with Kahless II getting a chance to truly fulfill his role as a messiah — the “oroboros” concept plays out there too. This is like the movie of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that we never got! However, AGAIN, as here, the authors cannot resist shooting the notion of God(s) to bits and pissing all over it (gets heavy-handed). Which is too bad, because everyone knows a GOD vs GOD plot is a damn cool story. The way these writers set up the rules, Lore & The Sisko are the only things that actually exist — everything else is at their whim. Of course, ahem, The Lore was never mentioned in DS9 despite apparently playing this key role in the formation of their theology. 🤷🏿‍♂️ Lore (and Data) have had thousands of years to hone their positronic brains on quantum mechanics and far beyond — TWO of the most intelligent beings ever to exist, eons of universes have come and gone — and when we readers catch up with the mighty duo… we get an Abbot & Costello routine! 🤨 Isn’t it lucky that Lore chose to put so very many of our current heroes back into play, into recognizable forms, just as Sisko is finally showing up nonetheless? Why “the mad android” is now so interested in biological beings is mysterious and convenient — we’re told boredom and whimsy. Suddenly, the writers gutted the character of much else…despite thousands of years to evolve or reflect, positronic androids being fantastically adaptive beings. Then what about this, at least: Wouldn’t Lore spend time focused on the MAIN THING (though it seems far from the only thing) that he cannot control? Kardashevs. Montgomery Scott and even Beverly Crusher managed to break known physics to get to The Pleroma via a warp drive…I think Soong’s sons should be able to do a damn sight better. OK. I’ll shut up for now. Three issues in the arc to go. 🕰️

[avatarpabu97]

In coherent Gambit theory and rambles. That is months in the making.

Spoilers I guess for the comics and a shit done of spelling Mistakes i literally did this at 5 in the morning. It’s is a collection of Gambit lore and story beats and a theory to help make sense of Remy LeBeau

- [ ] Th guilds or at least the New Orleans branchs needs to find the old kingdom

- [ ] Apocalypse and his servant know of it despite it being ancient Even for them but their original time period was much closer then 1891 era was.

- [ ] The Celestial technology has the same writing system as the old kingdom and may straight up just be the same technology

- [ ] The Guilds can only find the kingdom by working together and somehow Remy is the one to unite them hence the Le Diable Blanc prophecy

- [ ] The old kingdom is a utopia of coexistence regardless of skin tone, religion, or human and mutant( coexistence like Xaivers dream)

- [ ] Marvels earth seems to have artifacts spread throughout the world

- [ ] Including a statue in turkey that looks suspiciously of Remy( maybe a byproduct of 90s art gambit volume 3)

- [ ] Said statue was filled with Kinetic energy that caused the new sun’s own internal energy to go nuclear and destroy his home world

- [ ] The Prophecy of Le Diable Blanc mentions their Messiah(Remy) was to bring forth heaven’s light(but new son is from another reality with the same prophecy hinting at multiple seers across Time and space to misunderstand a certain event)

- [ ] Oddities with the thieves guild. LeBeau is specifically a clan of the old kingdom

- [ ] The thieves guild or all the thieves guilds seem to have a secondary agenda of keeping certain artifacts out others hands

- [ ] Could explain why Jean-Luc and Stephan strange know eachother and consider each other friends. The Guilds work with the sorcerer supremes closely.

- [ ] The all new Xfactor has Remy stealing an artifact that will unleash a doomsday creature (Logan dismisses because the language is supposedly dead. Remy is still very concerned about it being used regardless. Cypher exist Logan.)

- [ ] The Madripoor set that can open realities. A set of six crystals that go with a temple in Madripoor that acts like the gate way to other dimensions. Also something the Thieves Guilds try to keep out everyone’s hands only acting when people try to collect them all. (Why they don’t lock them away make me think it falls under Dragon Ball logic.)

- [ ] Ororo Mother gave her a ruby that has been pass down from mother to daughter for generations.( the giant red gem she wears with her costumes sometimes. Ororo maternal ancestors were powerful queens and sorceress one of which was a sorcerer supreme for nearly 4000 years. Weather her family has the stone because of the sorceress supreme was to keep out of other hands is unknown or if they had a connection to the old kingdom or guilds but theirs a possibility.)

- [ ] During the series extreme X men storm and her team search for the destiny diaries.

- [ ] In the diaries Destiny foresaw Gambit being crucified by the Madripoor set and his kinetic energy is amplified to through the crystals( This is post reverse lobotomy burn out post new Sun battle Gambit so their is a lot of power being used dangerously)

- [ ] Side note both Gambit and Storm have a lot of connection to magic and can possibly use magic.

- [ ] Perhaps this why a centuries old Wizard known as the Antiqury wanted Remy as a child.

- [ ] The portal opens up and Khan an alien who conqueres across the dimensions.(No relation to Kang as far as i can tell.)

- [ ] Gambit eventually gets free almost dies and is burned out on his powers. Again.

- [ ] Sage jumps starts him and then he goes blind and then he’s has future powers

- [ ] They do not stick for long plus it’s up their with the wacky stuff the new Sun potential

- [ ] Now some random shit. Gambit technically knows what the old kingdom is because his adopted grandfather and his allies figured out with Apocalypse’s chamber but Sinister ripped those memories out and sealed them away into Remy’s brain and only a surgeon of Sinister’s level could unleash them.

- [ ] Remy is a key.

- [ ] Some weird connections. That will make sense.

- [ ] Irene, Sinister and a woman named Amanda muller all worked together on a project known as the Black Womb. They experimented and killed mutant children. Not only that but to map out the genetics of human evolution and eugenics. Technically Juggarnaunt, Xaiver and Shaw were apart of this program when they were children.

- [ ] Black womb is also Amanda Muller because her unique mutation gives her long life and Sinister paid her to kill her unborn children for science.

- [ ] Amanda Muller is the Ancestor or at least allegedly of the Summers family.

- [ ] Irene Adler a precognitive mutant was part of the Black Womb Project. It also was not as controlled with their experiments. Because of Muller.

- [ ] In New Sun’s(the alternative gambit) reality Black Womb under a semblance of control became Alpha-1 and was more successful in its experiments. New Sun was born their by organization paying his parents to combined their genetics. If his flashback siliouettes are to be believe he was born from an actual person not a test tube like X-Men the Ends Gambit( no mention of sinister on New Suns part)

- [ ] The Alpha-1 knew what Gambits powers were gonna be.

- [ ] Perhaps because of a certain precog mutant predictions in a controlled environment.

- [ ] New Sun somehow killed an omine present being the Phoenix. Which is possible. Wanda can apparently do this because of the nature of her powers.

- [ ] New Sun eventually made his way to the New Orleans guild and was mentored by his realities Jean-Luc. Hence why they went to Turkey to see the statue of the Old Kingdoms king. (The unification of the Guilds is important for this step because they both have Tomes on how to reach the old kingdom. Jean-Luc jumped the gun.

- [ ] The New Sun has the power to travel time and Space.

- [ ] The Witness(Real name only LeBeau) is allegedly an alternative reality version of Remy from Bishops future who helped raised him and his sister.(It’s Remy he’s Cajun! And shit!)

- [ ] The Witness is a temporal anomaly. He exists at the confluence of all the timelines. This simply means that he is able to exist at all points in time at once. It is in this way that he is able to know everything before it happens. He is technically Schrödinger Cat of Marvel.

- [ ] He is the biggest enigma. He may or may not be Remy because he and Remy exist at the same time (the man is an alternative reality version of Remy. Possibly a dark future for him)

- [ ] He technically own stark industries in Bishop’s future.

- [ ] The man calls refers to himself as both a prisoner and a prison. Unfortunately he was killed in preparation of Hopes birth but he seems to have a reemergence in the Askani timeline because their was a group called the Order of the witnesses founded by a man trying to redeem his past sins( so basically Remy.)

- [ ] Also he sits on alot thrones. Very similar to Remy. Like a lot. Remy has a lot of throne imagery.

- [ ] But also one throne he sits on is in front of a Collume of pure energy. Very similar to the one Remy emits during his crucifixtion

- [ ] Interestingly he apart of a story were a symbiote who is the opposite of the Phoenix known as Le Bete Noir(The Black Beast and The White Devil. Funny)

- [ ] The Witness also created something Called the Momentary Princess an egg like deceive that travels throughout time and space gathering information.

- [ ] Once again an artifact that the New Orleans Guild specifically the LeBeaus are tasked with retrieving it. Canadra also wants it as well so it maybe because of her but it’s also maybe because of the old kingdom stuff.

- [ ] Also a random piece of Info in the Ultimate Universe there is no Guilds and Remy seems to be an Actual LeBeau not adopted like all his counterparts. I include this because it’s interesting tidbit and somehow still has a connection to Sinister.

- [ ] Again Maybe because of 90s art work but if you were to compare some of the panels of Jacques, Jean-Luc and Remy out of Context you would either think that three are the same person or all related by blood.

- [ ] The LeBeau heraldry is a Sun and the name irl was originally estimated to be established between 1840 to 1920.

Ok so what am I getting with all this Random info that I know that I’m missing bits and pieces and have greatly misssplelled.

First what is the old Kingdom. The Old Kingdom seems to be a utopia created by using Celestial technology and somehow Remy is involved.

Gambit is the Key to access it or was the source of power to access it. One would assume he like Ororo would be a descendant of someone special hence why he seems so important to the imagery. But Remy’s entire life is a Paradox so why wouldn’t his connection to the Old Kingdom be. Given how the Witness seems to exist essentially at every point of time and created something to appear at every point time I believe that the King of The old Kingdom was the witness himself. I believe he came from reliaty where his orgins are similar to Ultimate Gambits with the twist is he joined Xaivers cause. I believe given all the really weird shit that happens to comic universes to begin with a catastrophic event took place and nearly decimated earth. In order to save everyone he and what other survivors maybe a few scientists like beast or forge or Reed or Stark came together and found some old Celestial Technology maybe specifically Apocalypse chamber. They reverse engineer the tech in hopes to help eart but they need a power to keep the tech going. Here we have Witness!Remy who can power it. Perhaps when jump starting it a large amount light could be seen across the planet.(Heavens Light)

Slowly but Surely Earth begins to bounce back. Witness! Remy begins to learn more about the tech he’s powering. Maybe because of some strange Osmosis he learns about it. But there is one thing Witness!Remy is changing. Over time a new Kingdom of earth is made in a sense. Over Time the original scientists begin to fade away due to time and age. But not Remy he remains enternal. Remy becomes a leaders champion Xaivers message of equality Over time Remy is declared a king and new tradition are being created ones that will be carry on to the Guilds.

Over time earth is a utopia that begins to expand to other empty planets in their solar system. Over Time they created tools which will eventually become artifacts to tap into Remy’s power so they can better transverse the starts without having issues returning home over time other space Empires grew jealous of their unique resources and their mass of allies due to their coexistence policy.

Over time an alien Conquer name Khan rises and starts a war that threatens to destroys their reality. In a last ditch effort Witness!Remy hands covered in blood from the wars he was forced to fight tries to save every one the tools that let them go from one planet to another with ease are reworked by the new Kingdom scientists and mystics to transport everyone across time and space. They just need to use Remy to fuel the path. He does and it shattered him. His mind his soul. Across time and space at every moment and time he is there. His people survive across the multiverse tech and artifacts scarttref across the ages being reused and retooled for othe purposes.

But the old kingdom clans remember. They plant the statue down of the old kingdom clans as memoriel and scatter across the world. Starting the guilds and maybe other organizations that have strayed from the path. The LeBeaus are recognized as being an old kingdom clan. Perhaps clan LeBeau descendes from the witness himself. If he was the king who’s to say he didn’t have any heirs. Because Remy’s entire life is a Paradox his adoptive family is technically his descendants from another reality.

But the Witness is broken and he bares Witness to everything. Sometimes he active sometimes he’s reactive and sometimes he just sits down in his chair watches. We know he watched over child 616 Gambit. Letting him play in his crypt.

Jump foward to 616 Gambit and Jean-Luc is stealing him from the hospital. Jean-Luc and his Nephew are the only ones who know Gambits true origins.

All we know about Gambit is he was taken. Given to the Antiquary for four years taken again given to Fagan a bastard of a thief assassin for 6 years. Until at the ripe age of 10 Jean-Luc brings him home. We know in 1891 he travels back in time and meets the original Nathaniel Essex who will later create the four suit clones. A motif heavily associated to gambit. Another connection to Sinister.

Perhaps Gambit is the Bastard Son of Jean-Luc perhaps he’s the actual son of The Banished son Jacques LeBeau making him Jean-Luc’s younger brother. Perhaps he the child of an unknown Jean-Luc sibling. He has two unnamed sisters why not a third or a brother. Perhaps Remy like his tempory guardian he too was a bastard of an assassin and a thief. Given the long age of the Thieves of the Thief guild it could have been anytime.

Maybe like the New Son Gambits Parents were hired by the Black Womb accept one was from the LeBeaus and one was an assassin maybe they got wrapped up in it and had a kid maybe it was one Remy’s parents or Remy himself. Maybe it was Remy’s mother who had the same eyes as him. But regardless weather it was Remy or a parent he and everyone involved are in trouble. Because the two guilds basically have a shared bastard and that a no no and Sinister now knows the man who came from the future is born or possibly is about to be Born. It’s also possible that Sinister during the experiments he spliced his dna into Remy in utero technically making him one of Remy’s parents maybe he spliced his sons dna in utero just to what would happen and what results would be yielded or maybe when Remy’s mother was raised in the Black Womb project Sinster used her like he used Amanda Muller a new source of DNA to make various children to experiment on and eventually through his genetics into the mix and out came Remy

Regardless of how the events happened Remy’s parents end up back in New Orleans maybe the hospital they gave birth was a secret facility for Sinister.

Remy is born regardless and should technically not exist because both Guilds at best will abandon him or at worst kill him on sight if they ever know the truth. Regardless Sinister now knows Remy exists in the modern era and has sunked his claws into him and watches Remy’s life like he did the summer grey bloodline. Waiting for the opportunity to get ahold of him in some capacity. He only views Remy as a son when he knows he can use it to fuck with Remy and manipulates certain events to test him. (Hiring him at 15 to retrieve his journal at weapon X. Theirs a version of him in the multiverse that worked for weapon X)

What we do know for a fact the Antiqury learns of Remy’s birth alerts Jean-Luc maybe he knows of Remy’s true origin and tells Jean-Luc or maybe Jean-Luc figures it himself all he knows is that the child is the key to his guilds survival both past and future and give him to the antiquary. Eventually the guilt gets to. Jean-Luc and rescues Remy and puts him with Fagan’s mob.

Remy LeBeau is the key to the old kingdom due to time and space multiversal bullshit. He has the potential to be a god his powers can break reality. He is the Messiah for both Guilds that is both Praised and Cursed in the same breath. He is character that is very under utilized and has many great opportunities to explore some really cool lore in the Marvel universe if you can somehow attached it to the guilds. He’s an even deeper connection to Ororo because of her mother’s Ruby.Perhaps it was fate that brought them together or the multiverse echos of the past. Regardless Remy becomes an X-Men and his life is even more intertwined with Sinister and Irene.

Hopefully 616 Remy doesn’t follow the same path as the Witness and he too becomes a broken shell of himself.

Gambit has potential for a great story about fate and family and choosing his path in life. Perhaps one day the old kingdom will come back into play and Remy will become a damsel and it takes the combined effort of his friends family and allies to save him so he doesn’t go down the same paths as New Sun and Witness.

I’m sorry if this isn’t coherent but I literally did this at 5 in the Moring and I know I’m missing shit for this. Feel free to add stuff you think is relevant.