'I am Chaos'
The words seemed to reverberate around in Aku's mind, bouncing around like they were physical objects in his head. It made his skull throb, like a pulsing headache.
'You're… Chaos. That Chaos?' He said at length.
'Yes, Akuma. That Chaos. The dead one, in case there's a different one you're thinking of.'
'The demon. Chaos.' He mumbled, more to himself than to her… it… whatever they were.
"Aku?" Bast called out, snapping Aku out of his reverie.
"Uh, yeah?" He looked down at Bast, who was at his side, his brow creased into a frown.
"You alright there? Blanked on us for a bit," he said, easing up and taking a step back.
Aku took a deep breath, steadying himself and taking a glance at Geoff to ensure he was okay too, which he seemed to be. Everyone seemed to be fine, albeit shaken, which was to be expected. The ordeal had left Aku himself quite unsteady, especially now that he knew who the voice was.
Speaking of…
'We'll talk later.' He thought, hoping it reached Chaos, and felt what seemed like a mental nod from her.
"Yeah, I'm alright. You guys?" He asked, just as precaution.
"We're fine. But… you're sure you're ok?" Geoff chimed in, walking closer.
"Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" Aku asked, eyes shifting between Bast and Geoff.
Bast and Geoff exchanged a look before Bast unexpectedly blurted out, "Aku's a Wielder."
"What?!" Geoff and Aku cried simultaneously.
Bast shrugged at Aku, "What? He was gonna find out eventually."
Geoff stared wide eyed at Aku, then turned to Bast with an angry glare. "Are you kidding me, old man?! You brought a Wielder of all people into your house? Seriously?" He seethed, taking a step towards the old smith. "Oh, and not only that, but you also had the nerve to involve me in this? You selfish little shit, I should turn both of your asses in!" He yelled, backing up towards the door.
Bast walked after him, holding his hands up placatingly, while Aku buried his face in his hands, groaning. "So much for keeping that secret."
"Come on, Geoff, he doesn't seem so bad to you, does he?" Bast said, trying to reason with the bulky barkeep.
"Bast, you and I both know that that's not the only reason he's a danger to have around. What if the Enforcers find out, hm? What then? You'd have us both be hanged, and for what? To keep this kid around like a stray dog you found on the street?" He growled, shaking his head. "Give me one reason I shouldn't turn the both of you in right now."
"Because you can't," Aku piped up, looking off to the side.
Geoff pierced him with a glare, nearly making him shiver. "Excuse me?"
"You can't. If you do, you'll be killed," Aku said, forcing himself to meet Geoff's gaze.
He flinched as if hit, sneering. "What the hell are you talking about, boy?"
'Show him,' Chaos said in his head.
Aku nodded to himself and pulled his sleeve up, revealing a dimly glowing red rune on his upper shoulder. "This. This is what I'm talking about," he said, gesturing to the other man's arm. "Go ahead, take a look."
Geoff narrowed his eyes dangerously and lifted up his sleeve, and there it was. Another rune, identical to the one on Aku's shoulder. His eyes widened and he snapped his eyes back to Aku. "What the hell have you done to me, demonspawn?" He snarled, taking an aggravated step forward.
Aku raised up his hands defensively, taking a step back. "Hold on, now," he said,"it isn't what you think." He planted his feet, trying not to look scared of the man. "It'll protect you. It masks your…" He paused, seemingly thinking,"presence," he finished.
"My presence? What are you on about, Aku?" He questioned, stopping just short of a comfortable distance ahead of Aku.
"I mean, that rune stops the Pillars from finding you," he paused again,"or Enforcers."
Geoff raised an eyebrow, tilting his head dangerously. "And why, do tell, would I need to hide from them?"
"Because…" He paused again, for the third time, "they don't care if you were around me knowingly or not. Now that you're aware of what I am, they won't let you live."
'Nice job,' Chaos said, who'd been feeding him information to use this whole time.
'Thanks,' He thought back.
This final point seemed to give Geoff pause, as he closed his mouth for a few moments, and his brow creased. After a few moments, he finally spoke. "How can I trust what you say is true? And also, who's to say you aren't the monster our people say you are?" He lowered his voice. "Maybe death would be worth getting you killed as well if you're going to slaughter all the rest of my people."
Aku frowned, his nose scrunching slightly. "I'm no murderer. I hold no ill will for your people." He said. "And you know what? You can't trust me. Hell, I'd call you an idiot if you truly trusted me. But I don't need you to trust me. I need you to believe me." He finished, letting his face relax and head tilt up.
Geoff huffed and whirled around, stalking out the door and slamming it behind him. Aku was about to chase after him when Bast's cane hooked around his shoulder, stopping him. He turned around to look at the old man, a silent question on his face.
"Leave him. You convinced him." Bast said, not yet looking Aku in the eye.
"But he's-"
"I know. But he won't turn us in. Not yet, at least," he said, the faintest smirk on his lips.
Aku sighed, but nodded.
Bast turned to him, the smirk growing slightly. "So, wanna tell me what happened back there?"
Aku shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know."
Bast laughed, clapping Aku on the back. "Of course you don't, kid. When do you ever know anything about what happens to you?" He asked. His smirk slowly faded, his features turning serious for a moment. "Is there anything you're not telling me? Well, silly question. Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Aku opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come out, so he closed it. He averted his eyes, feeling somewhat ashamed. Bast had been kind to him, trusting him more than he probably deserved. But he couldn't tell him, not about this. Not yet.
Bast just nodded, seeming to understand. "Alright then. That's fine." He said, a hint of hurt in his voice. "Is everything you said true? About the rune and all that?" He asked at length.
Aku nodded. "Yes, it is. As long as that rune is on your shoulder, your presence will be masked and Enforcers and Pillars won't be able to find you." He paused for a moment and scoffed. "Hopefully."
"Mhm, I see," Bast said, lips curving up into a wry smile. "And when did you suddenly become a master of runic sorcery?"
Aku returned his smile, pretending to look thoughtful. "Ah, you know. About ten minutes ago."
"Ha! Alright, alright, I get it." Bast chuckled, turning away from Aku, walking over to the window above the kitchen sink. He looked out at the sun, which was preparing to set, shining a red-orange glow over the city. "Well, Aku, I'd say it's about time I rest these old bones of mine." He turned to look at Aku. "See you in the morning."
Aku flinched, his eyes turning to the ground. He'd phrased it as a question, not a statement, as if Aku was planning on leaving him. Even the thought made Aku's stomach clench. "Yes. See you then." He assured, turning to walk to his bedroom. He heard Bast's door close as he opened his, and he stepped into his room.
"Hello, Akuma." The moment he walked in, he was greeted by a woman laying on his bed. She was dressed in flowing, long robes made from a fine red silk. Her hair was black, but her eyes were… changing. They were changing to millions of different colors every moment, shifting endlessly. He stared into them, transfixed.
This was Chaos. The Demon of Chaos.
In his room…
He shook his head, taking a deep breath. "Hello, Chaos. I'm ready to talk."
She chuckled, nodding. "I assumed so. I'm sure you have a litany of questions," she smiled warmly, pointing to his desk chair. "Please, sit down."
He obliged, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees. He looked up at Chaos, who was sitting cross legged on the edge of his bed a few feet from him.
"Would you like to start, or should I?" She asked, folding her hands politely in her lap.
"Why are you in my head?"
"Ah, direct, I like it."
"It doesn't make sense, why me? Why are you in my head? Why am I special?"
She giggled, a strangely melodic sound, and smiled at him. "Well, because you're the last one."
"The last… what?" He asked, leaning forward.
"The last Wielder, Akuma. Well, not the last Wielder, but the last Chaos Wielder." She said with a shrug, as if it didn't even matter.
That was it, he finally knew what he was. A Chaos Wielder.
"But… why? Don't you decide who to make a Wielder?" He clasped his hands together, cracking his knuckles.
She nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do. However… I don't. Refuse to, actually." She said, looking down at her lap.
"You refuse to? Why? Wouldn't it help with, you know, the war and all?" He asked, confused.
She nodded again. "Yes, you're right, of course. It would help greatly. However, I've grown tired of watching them die… or worse. You must understand, Akuma, that us demons, we see our Wielders almost like our children. We give them a part of ourselves, which becomes a part of themselves. So when they die, or as is the case in many of my Wielders, go insane… It's painful to watch. So, I refuse to make any more. I won't watch my children die, especially in a selfish war between selfish deities."
"So, how am I alive, then? Where did I come from?" He asked, forcing himself to drop his hands to his knees. "Why am I the last one?"
"That, I unfortunately cannot answer. I'm uncertain where you came from, or how you're alive. But, I do know where I came from in relation to you." She said, looking over Aku's shoulder at…
"Are you… are you kidding me? You were in my lantern?" He asked incredulously. "Wait, is that why it was red?"
She laughed, leaning back on the bed. "Yes, I was. When you lit it, some sort of seal broke and I entered your consciousness. You're rather interesting, I must say." She stated with a smirk.
He glared at her, scoffing. "Mhm, thanks a lot," he grumbled. "Alright, next question, I guess." He paused for a moment, letting his face soften. "Are you controlling my magic?"
She looked at him seriously. "I am, yes."
He pursed his lips. "So you're refusing to allow me to use them freely, or what?"
She shook her head. "Your mind isn't ready to handle the amount of power you wield just yet. If I allow you to use your full power, you won't be able to handle it, so I'm willing to give it to you in bursts, but not full control."
That made sense enough to him, so he nodded. If he couldn't handle his full potential, then it was wise not to allow him to use it. Still, though, it was somewhat upsetting to him that he didn't have control over his own abilities, even if they were technically more hers than his.
Hers…
He held his hands up, tilting his head to the side. "One odd question. Are you female, or…?" He trailed off.
She stared at him for a few moments, her lips quirking up into a grin, then snorted. "Well, not a terribly unreasonable question I suppose. To answer it, I'll explain part of how my own powers work. I can manipulate reality, and as my Wielder, so can you. This allows me to change my own form at will, including my physical appearance. I am whatever sex I deem suitable at the time. Right now, that just happens to be female, but…" 'Her' body began to contort, her features shifting and her tissue rippling, until a completely new person sat in front of Aku. Now, Chaos had taken the form of a man who appeared to be in his thirties with black hair. Their eyes were the same as before, shifting endlessly. Their features were sharp and handsome, with a shaved face and short hair.
"Wow…" Aku muttered. "Could… Could I do that?" He wondered aloud.
He laughed, his voice much deeper and huskier now. "You could, yes. With time, that is."
He looked down at his hands, then back up at him. "How powerful am I, exactly? You said it would be so much that I couldn't handle it, so how strong does that make me?"
"If I were to give you your full power, then you'd be at about a Master Rank. Though, I suppose you don't know what that means, do you?" He put their elbows on his knees, leaning forward. "As the old man, Bast, told you, Wielders start out at the Rank of Keepers. From there, they advance to Holders, then Users, to Masters, to Deities."
"And I would be… a Master? I seriously have that much potential strength?" He asked elatedly.
"Don't get too excited, boy. At best, the power you can handle right now would put you as a high level Holder, and that's stretching it." He chided, giving him a paternal look. "But enough about that. Right now, you should get some rest. I believe Bast has some plans for you tomorrow. Ones that involve a whole lot of smithing and not a whole lot of rest."
Before he could respond, Chaos was gone, disappearing into thin air. On the desk beside him, Aku's lantern flickered to life for a moment, illuminating the room in red light before flickering off, descending the room into darkness.