The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Hit Streak

The world began to shimmer, shifting patterns of space rippling outwards from the palm of my hand. That light gathered in my hand and it was all but solid, reminding me distantly of the Brahmastra, of the spear I'd formed out of thin air.

But no, this was something else, if every bit as intense. Instead of roaring from my hands in a colossal torrent of pattern, something strange happened—the light seemed to curl in upon itself. Fourteen tendrils began to slowly stretch from my palm, twisting around some central point as they did, before connecting at a point less than a meter from my skin. The moment they did, something seemed to pulse within me, beating alongside my twin hearts, and the light shinned, brightening almost painfully for a moment before a narrow, hair-thin line of power began to emerge from my hand, intersecting cleanly with the point of connection directly in front of it.

My first thought of it was that it was strange—the light, bizarrely, moved slowly. It seemed to cross the space between Malkuth and I at a glacial pace, burning through the world like it was a candle melting; if not for my senses, I wouldn't have been certain it was moving at all. It took me a moment to realize that wasn't what was actually happening, cross-referencing it against my view of the world. Malkuth seemed frozen, along with the chaotic storm of heat and light I'd made of this world. Where I could distinguish matter as a meaningful thing, it seemed halted and still, as though time had stopped around me again.

Except, that wasn't it. I'd notice if I was the subject of time manipulation; this was something else, if still familiar. In fact, I was reminded of the last time I'd met Malkuth and of what had happened shortly before, when I'd used a whit Dust crystal.

The world wasn't moving any slower. I was just perceiving it as if it were standing still—as if I myself were light.

And then things began to change. It seemed to happen slowly, but I was aware that, if not for my current view on reality, I probably wouldn't have been able to see any of it at all. The burning chaos I'd made within my Sanctuary with Lucifer's power—it all began to flow towards me. With a twitch of bizarre motion, I felt my thirty-six wings unfold behind me, moving and not moving as Sahasrara shined through my skin. The hell I'd been building seemed to gather in them, flowing into them in a flood of light until I wasn't certain where they stopped and the rest of the world began—and soon it didn't matter.

The world began to condense around us, the heat that had filled my Sanctuary shrinking steadily inwards as it was drawn into Lucifer and then into me, leaving nothing behind but a lightless void. The star I'd created followed it, shrinking in pulsing waves as it was drawn into me and flowed beneath my skin. Soon, only Malkuth and I remained, and I was only able to perceive the former thanks to my more esoteric senses.

Then my view of the world began to narrow, even as I shed my skin. Sahasrara sprang forth fully from where it had been hidden beneath my Metamorphosis, and I could feel myself being drawn into the Light again. My wings began to shrink into my body, fading from the tip inwards, and the rest of me was quick to follow. I felt as though I was being crushed and twisted, drawn and pulled around a central point, and I was able to see it as my body swirled around and through itself until my head, limbs, and chest were all indistinct. I watched from the outside perspective Sahasrara granted me as the last of my body was sucked down into my arm until even that began to flow into the gather light. After a moment—for I wasn't sure if or how time applied in a state such as this—the only things left of 'me' were the fourteen spiraling columns that circled the central pillar, and those too soon flowed into the central point, which gathered and encompassed everything I'd created, everything I was. My power, my other, my created inferno, we were all drawn into a point that was no larger than Malkuth's portal had been.

And then…that point flickered out, as if consuming even itself, and there was nothing lift but Malkuth and the darkness.

But then there was light. There was no shape too it, nothing that could truly define it—it just exploded outwards from an infinitesimally small point to an unspeakably huge one. I couldn't feel it, watching it from the outside as I was, but I could see its immensity, the power that filled every corner of my Sanctuary and seemed to strain the very confined of space. Whether because of how I'd fueled it or the numbers I'd used, it was a massive attack—something even more intense that what I'd created with Lucifer. It reached the boundaries I'd laid down and washed back upon and over itself, growing and shrinking, creating and destroying, and simply filling the world with its majesty. Simply seeing it was amazing, awe-inspiring, and more than a little terrifying. If I'd been caught in the wake of such an attack, I wasn't certain I'd be able to survive it, even with all my defenses and advantages.

Malkuth, though…he wasn't the center of that attack, but he was still caught within it. I watched as the Light expanded to encompass him, washing over him like a tsunami, and where the Astras had done nothing, I saw him burn. Gilgamesh's body seemed to ignite at the very touch of it, going up in blue and white flames that seemed to consume and unravel him where even Lucifer had failed, eating at his flesh in pursuit of what laid within and burning with unspeakable brightness. I saw Malkuth resist instantly, raising power against the attack and sending sparks of his own strength flashing over the Grimm's dark flesh to defend it from the light and replace whatever was lost. At a glance, it seemed like he was doing a pretty good job of it, but it seemed this wasn't something he could simply ignore.

That was good news for me; it meant I was right. He couldn't use his full power within another's body, or he'd had significantly more options available to him. If I had to guess, I'd say he was using whatever connection he had to the Grimm to alter them, exerting his power over Gilgamesh and the matter that composed him. He was transforming it and altering how it interacted with natural laws, but he had his limits, or else he'd be shaping the entire world around us; at best, I was only fighting a dim shadow of Malkuth. Still a terrifying foe, perhaps, but not an unbeatable one, even as I was right now.

I could hurt him.

Now it was just a matter of doing so a lot. Lux Aeterna wasn't up to that task, I could tell that much right away; whatever damage it was doing to Gilgamesh was superficial at best, at least for someone that had gotten his entire body annihilated and gotten back up. The Light washing over him reduced him to an almost stick-like figure, but it wouldn't kill him.

Of course, I'd figured as much. As I'd already noted, if it was that easy, I'd have won the first time. Granted, I liked to think turning what had basically been hell in a bottle into a weapon was pretty good even by my standards, but I'd known full well I'd have to go for broke in this fight. I wasn't going to be able to win this with just one trump card; I'd need to layer dozens, letting them build off of one another. I'd used Thaumiel to create my barriers, my barriers to strengthen Lucifer, Lucifer to power Lux Aeterna—and now Lux Aeterna to power something else.

The Light that had burst outwards with unspeakable force suddenly withdrew, as if being sucked back down the way it came. It didn't swirl or writhe or anything of the sort, every bit of it completely indistinguishable from the rest—but it contracted into a small sphere that then unfolded and began to reshape itself. Thirty-two wings uncurled from the sphere as 'I' stood tall once more and looked at Malkuth.

Then I split twice, two identical copies of myself drifting out of me and to either side. One was, of course, my counterpart, but the other was my Light Elemental Keter, perhaps the truest representation of my soul now all but bursting with the power I'd gathered and contained to shape his form. Bringing him out like this, to actually fight, was difficult at the best of times, but the situation was about as ideal as it would ever be—and I needed his help.

So here we were—me, myself, and I.

"Well," Malkuth's voice echoed in the near void we had now found ourselves in—between Lucifer and Lux Aeterna, there was almost nothing left within my barrier besides the three of me and my enemy, who continued to burn with those same odd blue-white flames. "That was cool—and isn't this interesting? I suppose I should say it again, seeing you all like this—so hello again, Keter, Keter, and Keter."

The flames around him abruptly flickered out, leaving behind a charred looking skeleton that quickly began to fill in, matter growing around and over it in a matter of seconds. In moments, Gilgamesh's body looked as though it had never been harmed—at least, on the surface. Without being able to Observe him to find out the details, I couldn't tell how far along the Brahmastra's Decay was, or if it was even still there. With Malkuth being…himself, it was entirely possible that Gilgamesh had been immunized to it, which would be…unfortunate. In the bigger pictures of this fight, its interference had been, and would continue to be, invaluable.

But while its loss would be a touch saddening, it wasn't entirely unforeseen. I hadn't been quite optimistic enough to believe that my opening move would be enough to decide the battle and had considered the possibility of Gilgamesh overcoming its effects; if that happened, it was still okay. That he'd been hindered and held back by it thus far had given me enough time to get this far, after all, and while I wouldn't have been confident opposing Gilgamesh at his full power from the very start, I'd had enough time to build things up to feel a bit better about my chances. Lucifer had been an important point to reach, Keter even more so, but…now I had.

All I had to do now was keep building on my minor victories until I managed to pull through. At this point, I definitely thought I had a chance at winning—at least, as long as I didn't run out of cards to play before the end. I'd just have to hope I'd done enough preparation.

"Hello Malkuth, you fucking piece of shit douchebag cunt," Keter—that is, my Light Elemental—answered amiable, saying what we were all thinking. "It's been a long time."

I got the feeling that Malkuth would have been smiling at the words had his mouth been visible.

"I thought it was you," He replied. "So I was right—you managed to draw out your Light, after all. Good, good; it seems everything's progressing nicely. But, hm…you know, you caused me a bit of trouble the last time we met, Elemental."

"And yet you survived," Keter said, all but heaving aside. "I suppose we both walked away from that fight disappointed."

"Certainly seems that way," Malkuth answered, something sharp briefly entering his tone. "I hope that Death treated you kindly in my steed, shadow of Keter."

Then, slowly, he tilted his head, looking to the other side of me.

"Or perhaps I should call you that, hm?" He asked, the feeling that he was smiling growing even more intense. "I was as surprised as Gilgamesh when I saw you for the first time—not a clone or an image or even a true division. You didn't split your power when you separated; you simply doubled it, seemingly out of nowhere. All the power of Keter, recreated in the blink of an eye. I suppose this is the first time we've met face to face, but…you must be Thaumiel."

I felt a flash of surprise at the mention of my second soul's name, but not as much as I probably should have. Thaumiel was the shadow of Keter, created from its imbalance, but as a concept…I suppose I wasn't surprised to find that it existed. If anything, I just felt expectant.

"Call me what you like," My other said, brushing it off. "But if this is the part where you make me an offer to join your side and complete your plan, save your breath. I know it must have seemed like a miracle to get to see two of me, but don't think that means you get two shots at this plan of yours—we're two, but we're also one, divided but united. That's what makes us strong."

"Two sides of the same coin, huh?" Malkuth said, voice a touch rueful. "No, I suppose that's not the best analogy; you two are separate and the same, the Duality of God. A bit of a pity, I must admit, but I suppose I wouldn't have believed you if you'd said you'd be willing to obey me that easily."

"We are Keter, after all," I said. "You know, the Crown."

"Which means we're sort of like kings," Thaumiel agreed. "The Twin Kings of Awesomeness. Maybe we should get actual crowns."

"We should," I replied. "You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we're worth it."

"You're smart and beautiful, you realize that?"

"Yeah. You, too," I told him. "I mean, I'm not saying you're the best looking person I've ever seen, but…I sort of thought it went without saying, you know?"

"I do know," I answered.

"Enough, both of you," Keter interrupted. "Let's focus on the matter at hand—there's no reason to waste time fawning over ourselves, after all, because we'll always be gorgeous."

"All that Light and this place is still full of hot air, I see," Malkuth mused, interjecting himself into the conversation with what I imaged to be a roll of his eyes. "I knew this would happen the moment I saw there were two of you. Maybe I should do a little more pruning of your family tree."

"That's a scary thought," I said, glancing at myself. "You think we'll be okay?"

"Don't worry," My other self-assured. "We're too beautiful to die."

"Yeah, but he's already trying to threaten us?" I wondered, shaking my head. "It does sort of make me feel unwanted, you know?"

"Don't worry about it," Keter assured. "I think he might just be jealous because he's single."

"Oh!" Myself and I said at the same time, drawing out the word.

Malkuth snorted slightly, shaking his head.

"I feel as though I should have expected this," He mused to himself. "Is it time to fight yet? For some reason, I want to hurt all of you."

"Eh," I said. "You wanted to do that from the beginning—and you were the one who wanted to talk."

"You're not wrong," He admitted, turning his gaze my way. "I was just think it was impressive, how quickly you brought the pieces together—expected, perhaps, but impressive. You found your shadow, you found your past, and continued on without succumbing. It's quite something and I wanted to let you know I appreciate all your hard work. Isn't it a wonder what a little motivation can do?"

He was talking about my father, obviously, but I brushed it off—it's not as though I'd ever forget what he'd done, but I wasn't exactly struggling to find reasons why I should pummel his head in until he looked like chunky salsa dip; I was just trying to figure out how to actually do it. In that regard, buying a bit more time was more useful to me than throwing stuff at him that probably wouldn't work to begin with.

So instead, I snorted at him derisively.

"And look at you—all these years and you're still trapped in that cage," I replied, applying gentle emphasis to the words to make sure he knew their meaning.

He was silent for a moment before chuckling again, though this time there was a slight edge to that.

"Perhaps," He said, without bothering to ask which cage or whose. "But I suppose it's one of those things that can't be helped—you're Keter and I'm Malkuth. And just as you are Thaumiel, I am Nehemoth."

I snorted slightly and shook my head.

"Bullshit," I said. "I don't remember everything, but I remember enough—I remember the very day you were born. Even then, I knew what we were made of, but so what? We're more than the sum of our parts or what people make of us; we made that clear enough. We're both what we chose to be, in the end."

"Oh, I know that better than anyone," Malkuth said and he seemed almost…pleased. "That's why it can't be helped, you see—because you're you and I'm me. Here and now, then and there, forever and always and even after that, there are some things that just don't change."

I—we—closed our eyes for a moment and huffed out a trio of quite laughs.

"Fine," We said in unison. "If that's what you chose to believe, come on then. I'll show you how much things have changed."