The Creator focused on a woman speaking on the stage in front of the crowd. She seemed to have difficulty speaking without breaking into tears. The Creator’s expression remained unmoved, and without shifting his focus he addressed Cody.
“I don’t know what this was supposed to show me. You can’t really compare the wars of your world with the wars of my universe.”
“You’re right,” said Cody, “The wars in your world are infinitely easier to resolve.”
This was enough to break the Creator’s focus, as he turned his head to Cody with blank, surprised eyes that demanded an answer.
“We don’t have some cosmic being walking among us who can intervene in times of strife,” Cody explained. “If there is a God, he’s letting us humans run the world, unlike you who can step in at any time to save your people. Had you done that during the War of The Baggins, who knows how many lives might have been saved?”
“I have made every attempt to remain impartial in the control of my universe,” the Creator said. “I only intervened when I felt I had no other choice.”
“Yet you still had a choice,” Cody argued. “From the moment The Baggins was born, you could have killed him and spared Carvon from of all the suffering. The same could be said for every other evil that crept into existence in that world. And still you did nothing, you sat by and allowed things to unfold as they did while you watched. How can you walk around and call yourself benevolent when you knowingly allow suffering?”
“I can’t save everyone, Cody.”
“Well why not? You’re supposed to be the highest level of existence in your universe. Shouldn’t you have that kind of power? Or do you just choose to ignore it?”
“It’s that kind of thinking that allowed someone like The Baggins to justify his atrocities, Cody,” the Creator warned. “It’s not becoming of you to make the same accusations. The last thing we need is another The Baggins in the world.”
“Don’t you ever compare me to him,” Cody said darkly. “I will never become what he was, nor will the world see someone on his level of wickedness again.”
“And what if it did?” the Creator posed.
“I don’t see how it could. No one could be as horrible as he was when he was still alive.”
“And what if I told you he was still alive? What if he hadn’t been destroyed?”
Cody, who had turned his attention to the stage, froze completely. The Creator watched him for a moment for a response and suddenly received one as Cody lashed out in a fury and struck the Creator’s face with his fist. The deity recoiled backwards in shock while the crowd took no notice, too focused on their own cause. Cody stood glaring at the Creator, his fists still trembling with rage.
“You unbelievable son of a bitch!” he roared. “How could you let that monster stay alive!” The Creator turned his glance away, his cheek still burning from the assault. Cody gripped his collar and pulled the Creator inches away from his face. The calm, demure young man he met in the apartment was gone, replaced with this savage brute whose furious eyes were locked on the Creator.
“Is that why you’re here?” Cody demanded. “To try and recruit me to go fight him again?” The Creator didn’t answer, keeping his gaze averted. Realizing the extent to which his patience had been tried, Cody loosened his grip and pushed the Creator away from him. He began collecting himself, but his rage was still very visible.
“You can forget it,” said Cody. “Go find yourself another sacrificial lamb. I won’t let myself be a part of your war game anymore.” With that, he turned and began moving away from the crowd of people. The Creator raised his hand up and called the boy back. Cody ignored him and disappeared down the street, leaving the Creator alone amidst those who sought to bring an end to their own war. He prayed that the troubles of two foreign nations would be the worst of the world’s problems if The Baggins could not be stopped. His cheek grew redder as it began to swell even more.
Dusk brought a chill over the city as the neon signs and street lights began to kick on. Outside, the streets were busy with cars making their way back home while the sidewalks were full of pedestrians window shopping during these last few days before Christmas. One couple walked away from the city, making their way past suburban streets towards Lake View Cemetery. The cemetery would not be open for much longer as it closed early during the winter, but the two hurried to their destination before they would be made to leave. The cemetery was wide, but the couple had been to this spot many times before and knew their way easily. Before long they arrived at their destination, surprised to see that they were not the only ones at the grave.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Cody demanded, stepping in front of Melody. The Creator stood before a polished granite gravestone with the name “Moon” carved at the top. Below that the names and dates of birth and death of Cody’s family dating back to his grandfather were listed, including Cody himself.
“I’m simply paying my respects,” the Creator said, turning to face the couple. He smiled weakly at Melody, who remained silent as she clutched a bouquet meant for the grave close to her body. “You never told me that your grandfather passed away, Cody.”
Cody kept up his guard, not forgetting his encounter with the Creator this afternoon. “Not that it’s any of your business, but he passed away early this spring. He developed pneumonia during the winter and it stayed with him. That was just before Melody and I got our own place.”
“I see,” the Creator responded, turning back to the grave. “My sympathies to you and your family.”
“I don’t have much of a family to speak of any more, Creator,” Cody said sharply. “Aside from Melody. My grandmother died before I was born, my mother died giving birth to my brother, my father’s been missing for years and might as well be dead, and Maro…”
Cody paused, clenching his fists. Melody laid her hand on his shoulder to calm him and looked to the Creator.
“My Lord, please, can’t you see what Cody’s been through?” she pleaded. “He had to endure so much during the war, both of us did. Is it so much to ask for him to live his life in peace now and forget about everything that happened to him?”
“I only wish it could be so, my dear,” the Creator responded. “I cannot imagine the personal strife that the two of you went through because of the war. However, I saw the devastation that it brought to Carvon. It was damage that took hundreds of years to repair. Believe me, I never wish for something like that to happen again. But like it or not, the source of that suffering has come back, not in my world but in yours. If The Baggins isn’t stopped now, that same devastation will be wrought on Earth.”
“And what good will it do for me to face him again?” Cody interjected. “I had your powers to help me the last time, and even then I could have easily lost me life. What guarantee is there that it will be any different now?”
“There is no guarantee, Cody,” the Creator admitted. “I can only do so much to help this world. Please remember that I’m limited here, and as you said earlier there is no one here to intervene in times of strife. No one, that is, except those who step forward and choose to do what is right.”
“Don’t you dare try to twist this to make me out as a villain for refusing to fight,” said Cody.
“I cannot blame you. I can only ask you to consider how many more people are going to die if you cannot stop him. What would you do if he is victorious? What would happen to Melody?”
“Leave her out of this!” Cody shouted, causing Melody to shrink behind him as he accosted the Creator.
“It’s not up to me to leave her out of this matter,” the Creator answered coolly. “Like it or not, Melody is at risk. The whole world is. Will you really do nothing while The Baggins burns the world to the ground?”
Cody clenched his fist as a cold wind blew over the three of them. The sun was low in the sky, and heavy shadows fell over them while behind Cody the face of an angel looked down on him, her stone face as silent as he.
“You’re a twisted man,” Cody finally said, “using the whole world to make me feel guilty.”
“It’s not about guilt, Cody,” answered the Creator. “You’re the only one on Earth I can count on to do this. You’re the only one with experience fighting against him, and who he’s likely to be drawn to. I know you won’t do it for me, but do it for Melody’s sake. For Maro’s sake, even. Cody, please, I’m begging you.”
“Shut up!”
Cody’s outburst startled both the Creator and Melody, who now understood that the boy had been pushed beyond his limits. He turned to Melody and took the flowers she was holding. She looked into his cloudy eyes and a few tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wouldn’t smile, but she accepted that a decision had been made and she would have to go along with it. It was a feeling she had been waiting to express from the moment the Creator arrived on their doorstep earlier that morning.
Cody walked over to his family’s grave and set the flowers down, taking note of the most recent name added to the stone:
Maro Peter Moon
April 15, 1989 – September 10, 2003
“I’ll go,” he said, “under two conditions.”
“Name them,” the Creator answered.
“First, when this is all over, you will make certain that The Baggins is really dead and gone. No matter the cost to you, see to it that he does not keep living.”
“And the second?”
“Once this conflict is over, you will return to your universe and never come back. Seal the gate that ties our worlds and see to it that nothing from your world may ever trespass on Earth again.”
The Creator seemed uneasy about this second condition, but realized he was not in a position to negotiate.
“Very well,” he answered. “It shall be done. If all is settled, we must be on our way. Time is of the essence.”
“Will you give me some time before we go?” he asked, not taking his gaze off of the grave.
“We cannot waste much time, an hour at most.”
“Is that alright, Melody?” Cody called. “Time enough to say goodbye for now?”
Melody didn’t say anything, as her tears began to flow freely now. She nodded her head and turned away from the Creator. He was well aware that he had lost any sympathy he had from her, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Cody stood and walked towards Melody, stopping to address the Creator directly for a moment.
“If anything happens to me because of this,” he said, “and she is left alone in this world, don’t think for one second you won’t be held responsible.”
“I wouldn’t think otherwise,” he responded as Cody walked passed him to take his lover’s hand. As the couple made their way towards the cemetery’s exit, the Creator took one last glance back at the grave. Before he could dwell on the spot, a chill blew over him and guided him after the others out of the field of the dead.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Beautiful Sunrise
Kyoto, Japan
December 20th, 2004
Outside of the Ninomaru complex of Nijo Castle, The Baggins was looking out of the sky to the east. The sun was almost midway up the sky and its light reflected off of his smooth mask. He had been sitting outside from the moment he arrived to join forces with the doppelganger. When asked why he wouldn’t come inside, he replied that he was waiting for something. Several hours later, he watched the sun rise for the first time in over 1,200 years.
Now he was enjoying his first morning in over 1,200 years. It was serene in the garden on the property where he sat. Though covered in snow, he could make out the forms of the trees in the beautiful garden that would one day blossom again. For now, they slept and waited as he had waited. Your time will come, he thought.
Behind him, the exterior door of the closest of the connected buildings making up the palace opened. The Baggins didn’t turn around, but he could tell who was standing behind him. It was the same familiar aura that had followed him around for days.
“You’re a real freak, you know that?” Friedrich Gien said sourly. “Who just sits out in the snow for hours on end?”
Gien was worse for the wear, but he was alive and intact after his encounter with New Baggins. His head was bandaged and his right arm in a sling, but he was otherwise his same miserable self.
“Good morning to you as well,” The Baggins replied, turning his attention back to the sky.
“Mr. Black wants to talk to you.”
“Not right now, I’m a little busy with the sky at the moment. Tell him to come by later.”
Gien slammed his good hand against the side of the building. “When your superior gives you an order, you’re expected to follow it!” This time, The Baggins stood up slowly, cracking his stiff bones as he rose. He shot Gien a wicked glare.
“Let’s get something straight,” his ghostly voice echoed. “Unlike you, I don’t work for him. I don’t intend to follow his orders. We’re just collaborating towards a common goal. Once that’s done, I don’t plan to have further affiliation with any of you. So just shut your mouth and don’t speak to me unless I speak to you, understood?”
“You’ve got some nerve,” Gien growled. The Baggins stepped towards him and raised a threatening hand. Gien inched backwards and jumped when The Baggins thrust his hand against the wall.
“In case you didn’t understand, the only reason you’re still alive is because the seal that was placed on me prevented my other half from taking a life. But I’ve worked my way around the seal now and I won’t fail to tear you apart atom by atom if I wanted to.” Gien stared into the hollow whiteness of The Baggins’ eyes and didn’t doubt him for a second. He cleared his throat and looked away nervously.
The Baggins moved away from the bitter Gien and entered the complex. With each step, the floor creaked in a manner similar to a bird’s chirp. It continued all the way down the hallway, much to his annoyance, until he reached the final chamber. Sliding the door aside, he found Adam’s doppelganger slouched in his chair. A young blond man was sitting in the corner, polishing a golden disk. The doppelganger’s eyes, moved towards The Baggins.
“If you want to talk with me, have the courtesy to come yourself instead of sending your lackeys,” The Baggins said.
“I’ve tried that before, and you were unreasonable when I did. Both of you.”
“What do you want then?”
“Now that we have your commitment, it’s time that we go over the mission plan with you. Abernathy has the necessary documents for you to read.”
The doppelganger signaled the blond with his hand, but the man didn’t get up. Instead, he felt for the folder by his side and tossed it to The Baggins’ feet before getting back to his polishing. The Baggins picked up the folder and looked over it. In a moment, he had taken in all the information it held.
“That’s what your plan is?” he scoffed. “You honestly expect to carry this out with only the four of us? You must be out of your mind.”
“We would have been capable of doing it with the seven we originally were, but because of the interference of the Creator’s group and the fledgling, our numbers were reduced. That’s why I sought you out. Your powers make up for our lost men, and give us more possibilities than we ever had before.”
“You’re going to be dealing with one of the most important men in this country. You’re going to have to get through local and national security, not to mention the interference of the Creator.”
“We won’t be executing the operation until after the fledgling arrives in four days. The Creator will be certain to come with him, and we can eliminate both at once. After them, a few policemen and guards will be no trouble at all.”
“You seem pretty confident about beating him,” said The Baggins. “After your last encounter, I would say he has the upper hand over you.”
The double scoffed. “If you’re referring to the light he created, it will take more than that to best me. What you must realize is that our power comes from anger. It is th
e ultimate fuel that drove us to become an unstoppable god of death. But when he threw it away—when he threw me away—he gave up the source of his strength, whereas I am nothing but that strength. No matter what tricks he has, he and I are in an entirely different league.”
“If you say so,” The Baggins said. “At any rate, he’ll be an obstacle for this plan. Not to mention national security has been elevated in light of the recent attacks around the city. You’re going to need to run this seamlessly if you want it to work.”
“That’s why I have you.”
“And when this is over?”
“I’ll get the next part of the plan and we’ll progress from there,” said the doppelganger, waving his hand. The Baggins narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t have an exit plan? Why would you even begin setting things in motion without one?”
“I’m just following orders,” the doppelganger responded, growing irritated. “I may be in charge of this group, but there are others over my head and I need to ensure that their wishes are met.”
“I didn’t take you for the kind of person to so quickly become a dog,” said The Baggins.
“Likewise,” the double responded. The Baggins laughed lightly, then left the room without another word. Abernathy finished with his disk and look up at his leader, whose eyes were still fixed on the door.
“I don’t like that man,” he said. “His aura is clouded and it’s impossible to read him. Those are the types of people you can’t trust.”
“You may be right, but either way we need him. Besides, I like him. He’s got a dark sense of humor, like me. I imagine we would have gotten along better if the circumstances were a bit different.”
The Kyoto Ordeal (Tales of the Other Universe Book 1) Page 22