Middle: Hades
Top Right: Jade Bottom Right: Dark Seeker
A journey back to the dawn of life would reveal a realm of pure darkness. No land or skies. Void wrapped around the infinite universe and housed a war between three beings of pure energy. Their conflict was illuminated by the distant gaze of Inferno’s Star. The first of these beings was a spirit of flame, known simply as Phantom. The second, a silhouette of shadow with a chilling aura bore the title of Dark Seeker. These companions faced onward to life’s greatest foe. The final being, their enemy, Hades. Hades wore the vivid colors of a swallowed world in his aura. Green emerged upon his flesh while trails of blue followed behind its aura.
A journey back to the dawn of life would reveal a realm of pure darkness. No land or skies. Void wrapped around the infinite universe and housed a war between three beings of pure energy. Their conflict was illuminated by the distant gaze of Inferno’s Star. The first of these beings was a spirit of flame, known simply as Phantom. The second, a silhouette of shadow with a chilling aura bore the title of Dark Seeker. These companions faced onward to life’s greatest foe. The final being, their enemy, Hades. Hades wore the vivid colors of a swallowed world in his aura. Green emerged upon his flesh while trails of blue followed behind its aura.
“Marvelous,” Hades started. “Just as God intended. The three of us, battling for the essence of life itself. You won’t hold Superbia back. He will have his perfect world.”
Phantom burst with rage, light and heat burning around it.
“Hades,” he bellowed, “your unmitigated lust to wake your deity has ravaged our realm. We will not be subjugated by Superbia, nor will we be destroyed by you.”
Hades changed its posture, leaning and propelling forward with a loud bang behind itself. As he prepared to lunge, the Dark Seeker roared with loss and rage churning its insides.
“Hades, you’ve claimed your last soul. We will have our loved ones back!”
Both Phantom and Dark Seeker charged forward, lunging at Hades. Hades’ glow expanded as a dark brown wall emerged before him. Hades used its astral force to project the wall toward his enemies. As the foul beast lunged for Phantom, it lashed out, generating manifestations of its energy and striking its foe. Phantom snapped back as its fire exploded in a wave around its body.
“My flames will incinerate the pages of your destiny, Hades,” it cried out.
As the flames settled and Hades returned to an attack stance, mists of Dark Seeker’s power surrounded the battlefield. Hades slowed its movements as the frost paralyzed its body.
“This is the power of the mighty Hades? I expected more from you. Where is the power that you used to slay my brethren? Where is the strength that you used to massacre all that I love?”
Hades screamed, piercing the void with a burst of energy so intense it shattered the ice around itself. Pieces of Dark Seeker’s form dissolved and melted into space.
Hades generated more energy above itself, this time taking the form of a dark brown sphere. The sphere expanded, reaching indescribable magnitude. The Phantom and the Dark Seeker gathered their own power as they sought a method to destroy the sphere. Hades launched the sphere in their direction but the Dark Seeker lunged forward and unleashed a wave of mist onto the object. Ice shrouded the entire sphere, and it came to a complete stop.
The three spirits took the battle to the surface of this sphere. With each movement forward, Phantom’s radiating heat melted the ice into the round rock.
“Credit is given where due, Dark Seeker,” Hades said. “You are capable of greatness. Become one with me and we can create whatever we desire.”
“You are a fool, Hades. You obsess over power that does not belong to you. If you revive Superbia, if you reset the universe, you’ll only bring about ruin. Even you are not immune to the consequences of your own actions.”
Hades materialized sharp brown rods around itself and launched them toward its opponents. Phantom incinerated the projectiles with yet another burst of light. The spirits found themselves skating along the surface of the sphere, trails of aura lingering behind them as they clashed. The ice and fire crashed against Hades and its barriers.
Each successive strike aligned further than the last until finally, they delivered the perfect synchronized blast. A combination of ice and flame that left a crack in Hades’ being. Hades, now filled with rage, unleashed a wave of energy so fierce and dense the ground shook until trillions of wooden spires emerged from the surface. Its shout shook the foundation of the battlefield, sprouting lush green upon these planetary appendages. Hades sought an advantage as it disappeared into the lush of the world’s first forest.
“The mighty Hades runs? Imagine this,” the Phantom roared. “After everything you claimed to stand for. You wish to dominate all, yet when you face opposition you run and hide? No ruler goes unchallenged, Hades. All the more reason why the position does not suit you!”
“On the contrary, Phantom,” Hades began. “Only a fool stands and fights when they find themselves outmatched. What you deem pride, I would call rash foolishness.”
“Well how far can your cowardice take you, Destroyer?” Phantom snapped. The fiery spirit materialized a spark and expanded, creating a flame large and wide enough to incinerate the entire forest. As heat incinerated each and every tree, Hades fell back, overwhelmed my the smog’s weight. The fallen trees and the ash they created shrouded Hades, burying it beneath the aftermath of the attack.
Hades emerged from the ashes and lunged toward Phantom, unleashing a shriek that echoed throughout the entire void. Dark Seeker attempted to move, but Hades’ sphere gripped him, trapping him in the ground. Hades finally pinned Phantom, dark power overwhelming it with every strike. A barrage of violent attacks all lead up to a final blow delivered to the center of the flame.
Phantom unleashed the largest flame it could muster, severely burning Hades. Hades dropped to the ground as it screeched in agony. Phantom unleashed a series of flaming spheres at Hades. Each attack burned brighter, smashed harder, expanded the crater beneath.
In a state of vulnerability, Phantom remembered those that Hades consumed on its quest for power. Phantom remembered the Crimson Spirit, whom it had loved. Phantom remembered reaching for Crimson’s touch as it fell into the abyss that was Hades. With this grief overpowering it, each attack grew stronger. Hades’ form distorted as its shape shattered. Phantom approached Hades, preparing one final strike. As the energy between the two spiked, another jagged spire tore through the ground and impaled Phantom.
“No,” The Dark Seeker cried out. “Phantom, retreat, now!”
“Prepare to become a part of Hades,” Hades shouted. “Goodbye, Phantom.”
Hades took hold of the Phantom’s very essence. Hades then opened its mouth and the inside flashed with a bright yellow light. The flames of Phantom dissolved as the spirit faded into the aura of Hades.
“Mark my words, Hades. Even you, with strength this great, can never truly extinguish the flames of the Phantom.”
As the Phantom fully vanished, a faint red aura surrounded Hades. The beast slammed its body to the surface as its mass expanded. Hades growled ferociously as its celestial shape continued to expand. Dark Seeker looked in shock as Hades reached the size of a titan.
“You are the last spirit I have yet to consume. When I feed on you I shall become a truly omnipotent being. How can you hope to defeat me without the help of your precious friend? The Phantom is part of me. The only way for you to be reunited with those you love is to follow their path. We can awaken god together, Dark Seeker.”
Dark Seeker trembled in a state of terror. Looking in horror the being of darkness finally attempted to escape. Dark Seeker’s speed increased as it skated along the surface. Dark Seeker’s mind was shrouded in an overwhelming sense of fear and isolation; being the last of its kind. As Dark Seeker focused its mind, the image of its comrades burned brighter through its mind. The beautiful Crimson Spirit that stood against Hades. The Jade Spirit that was its lover. Even the Phantom Spirit that was its best friend and bravest ally. Dark Seeker had lost all of them to Hades. When things seemed to be at their worst, something happened to the Dark Seeker. A golden aura surrounded it, encasing it in a warm glow. The Dark Seeker could feel its aura radiating with every passing second. Feeling this increase in strength, the Dark Seeker charged toward Hades.
“You would still oppose me? This will make swallowing you far easier than I thought it would be,” Hades said before striking Dark Seeker.
The Dark Seeker flew low to the ground avoiding Hades’ strike and charged directly into it. Hades clutched the impacted area and fell forward. The Dark Seeker flew toward Hades and delivered a slashing strike, launching the evil spirit into the atmosphere. The Dark Seeker ripped toward Hades but was blocked by a brutal and decisive strike. As the Dark Seeker went crashing into the ground, it created a pillar of ice and latched to its side, landing on the ice pillar and gently sliding down to the surface. It used the ice to project itself back into the atmosphere with Hades.
“This is it, Hades,” Dark Seeker shouted. “The end of this battle is upon us. I will destroy you and all that you are.”
Hades charged down upon the Seeker, and with its substantial size created a quake that launched the two across the surface. Dark Seeker managed to stop its own momentum. Upon stopping, it created a large ball of ice and launched a barrage of shards. The shards of ice slashed through Hades.
“Is that the last of your power?” Hades asked as it unleashed waves of fire upon Dark Seeker. Dark Seeker continued to fly away from every wave; dodging, surviving. Suddenly, however, a voice echoed throughout its soul. A familiar voice forged in fire.
“Have we fallen for naught?”
“Phantom,” Dark Seeker internalized its words. “The Destroyer is more powerful than we can hope to match. I cannot stand against this beast. Not alone.”
“You are never alone, Dark Seeker. We are all one. We are all pieces of the universe. Show Hades the might of those it would destroy. Use the power we share to end this war!”
The Dark Seeker slammed the ground as the yellow aura expanded around it. Dark Seeker started to grow as well, expanding to the size of Hades.
“I am forever tied to those I love, Hades. Prepare to perish beneath the might of all of the spirits.”
Dark Seeker subdued Hades with a full-bodied charge, and, as the large titan fell to the ground, the giant ice shard impaled it. That ice melted and the water filled the crater beneath. Hades kicked the Dark Seeker, and he fell into one of the other craters. Dark Seeker then launched itself into the skies with ice, which would melt and fill the crater shortly after, creating the oceans.
The two landed on opposite sides of the surface. The two engaged in one final charge towards one another. Hades delivered a deadly strike to Dark Seeker. As this strike connected, Dark Seeker created a large blade of ice and impaled Hades. This strike created a massive shockwave and melted ice spread across the surface.
The two dropped to the ground, and this battle was truly over. Hades and the Dark Seeker dissolved slowly. Hades fell through the surface and changed shape, becoming spherical as it melded with the core of the sphere. Finally the flames of the Phantom lit brightly around it creating a burning core. Dark Seeker shed tears, even in triumph. These tears would bring life to blades of green across the sphere. An entire sphere once completely barren was now covered in green and blue. But it was still empty.
From within the center, the flames of the Phantom rose to the surface. These flames didn’t burn any of the matter on this sphere, however. These flames took the shape of new spirits. Spirits of creatures that would swim throughout the oceans, or dance upon the grass, or grow from the dirt. What arose from this battle was neither chaos nor the Hell that birthed it. The battle between Phantom, Dark Seeker, and Hades created the world.