Origin Seeker

“Mom! Dad!”

Alice waved as two people appeared. Her parents looked around at the dark space, confused, but happy to see their daughter. 

“Alice? What… What’s happening?”

“Take it easy, I’ll explain everything.”

She ran over to them, taking their hands and giving them a reality they could understand. 

After that, two more people appeared. Luna and Iris’ eyes widened in happiness, seeing their own mother and father. 

Riddick and his wife Selene were similarly in a state of confusion, but they focused on their daughters to ground themselves. 

“Iris!”

“Hi dad!”

“And Luna!”

“Yes, I’m here too.”

Riddick and Selene went and hugged their daughters.

At the same time, Sophia nudged Dream’s shoulder. 

Four people were approaching, all of them looking just as familiar as Dream remembered. 

They also saw Dream. 

“Son!”

“Dream?”

“What’s going on?”

His parents and brothers. They all rushed over, but before he got caught up in greetings, another presence manifested. 

“Damn, drag me through a universal war again, why don’t you? What the hell was all that?!”

Melody stamped her feet, walking over and poking Dream in the chest. 

“I’m a god, the highest Asura god! I took control of the Concepts of Severance and Discord, so why was I jerked around like a doll by you guys? Since when are gods so easily killed?”

“It’s good to see you too, my lovely little sister. It’s been a while.”

“Yea, you finally come and see me after countless lifetimes. I’m flattered.”

Melody huffed with childish frustration. At that moment though, their mother came over and whacked her on the head. 

“Ack.”

“Now now, let’s not banter over the small things. We’re the ones who died of old age while you two galavanted around the universe. Now, Melody does have a point.”

Dream’s mother Shannon looked at her long lost son. 

“At least she came and saw us when our times came.”

“Heh, sorry mom. I was kind of dead too.”

Dream scratched his head with an apologetic smile, causing her to shake her head. 

“It’s fine. I’m just glad I got to see my children again. Now… where are we?”

They looked around, seeing the endless black space they were suspended in. 

Dream looked back toward his wives and their parents, who were in turn all facing him. 

“Well, I guess you could say we’re home.”

With those words, he snapped his fingers. 

And light began to bloom from the surroundings. Green grass sprouted from the darkness, and a blue sky painted itself up high. 

They could see massive trees sprout in the distance, one after the other rising up in a ring around them and blooming with crowns of leaves that reached over their heads. 

It formed a canopy that spanned a dozen miles, yet the sun continued to light up the surroundings. Its rays poked through the branches like drops of heaven, and a gentle breeze graced their skin. 

It was a familiar environment. 

“The tree dome…”

Melody sighed in nostalgia. Then, they all saw houses pop up across some of the flat land. They were all luxurious, one made of marble, one made of wood, another made of brick, one made of metal…

They had their own styles, and some were bigger or smaller than others. 

Thinking, Dream added a lake nearby and a river that flowed from it through the area, producing the graceful sound of trickling water. The river was so clear and blue, enough to make Melody want to dive right in with the fish she could see swimming along the surface. 

Then, Dream gleaned at Sophia, nodding to her. 

“Invite our friends.”

“Okay.”

She smiled, and then waved her hand. 

Luna and Iris both felt something titngly at that moment before four figures appeared before everyone. 

A blacksmith with an ashen face.

A cyclops with six arms.

A shrouded reaper.

A beautiful woman that looked so motherly.

Luna’s eyes widened. 

“The archons?”

“I’ve just recalled their ego. They are nothing of what they were, but that’s okay.”

The four archons below order and chaos glanced around them in confusion, seeing Luna and Iris first before all of the unfamiliar faces. 

“Luna?”

“You fox, where have you brought us? I’ll kill you again if I have to.”

“Is this an illusion?”

“...”

The four asked their questions, prompting Luna to go over and explain everything. 

At the same time, Dream’s father approached his son, leaning over with a weird gaze. 

“Who are they?”

“Primordial gods who created the universe.”

“...Right.”

“They’ll be your neighbors from now on, so have fun getting to know them.”

Dream smiled before looking in another direction. 

There, he saw many more people appear, including many faces he didn’t know personally. 

Riddick’s friend Graff and his wife Elaina, along with their two sons and their families.

Ciroc and Idona, two people Dream bonded with over his time on the other war during the batlte against the demons. 

John the crab tamer and his wife. 

Many friends of Luna’s. 

No friends of Iris’, as she didn’t make any.

Solomon, the god of wisdom, who sacrificed himself for Sophia. 

Tersa, who had become the ego of Luna’s Cosmic World.

Vela the Asura envoy, along with other asuras who were close with Melody.

Corvastch of the Wanderer Faction and Alice’s master.

The Archangel Giros who officiated Dream’s wedding. 

More friends, more families…

And finally…

“Keeper! Even after so many years, you still don’t have arthritis. I’m impressed!”

“...”

The guardian was silent as he watched Dream approach with open arms. 

But when he noticed the oddity of his location, he looked around in confusion. 

That’s when four others caught his eye. 

“Archons…”

His eternally stoic visage broke, catching the attention of those four. 

The archons gazed upon an old subordinate. 

“Oh? Is that Emperor Eternia?”

“The 15th Emperor greets the Archons!”

The Keeper kneeled before the Archons, and it was Yao who came and picked him up. 

“Rise, Keeper of the Legacy.”

“I accept your grace, Starsmith.”

“Haha, that’s a title I haven’t heard in a while.”

Yao couldn’t help the laugh, patting the Keeper on the shoulder. 

“Eternia, we are no longer the Archons you know. The Legacy has been passed on, the succession completed. Your job, our purpose, has been fulfilled. You are no longer the Keeper of the Legacy.”

Yao let out a long sigh. 

“You are free. We all are.”

“Yes! And I freed you!”

Dream suddenly appeared, putting his arm around the Keeper.

“Hey, now that you’re not in that cage, we need to get you out in the world! Here, let’s go to a bar and get a drink. Though, what would be strong enough for you? Hm, maybe we can churn something up from a star. You like liquid star? Maybe top it off with a dash of nebula?”

“Don’t touch me.”

The Keeper bent space, warping out of Dream’s grasp. Dream flicked his head with a smile. 

“You know what you need? A wife! Mark my words Keeper, by the end of the next millenia, I’ll be officiating your wedding!”

“No, I get to officiate the wedding. I’m his master!”

This time, it was Yao who stepped forward. 

Dream narrowed his eyes. 

“I’m his best friend.”

“A master is more important.”

“Nobody asked for your opinion.”

“The implication surrounding your declaration prompted my refute.”

“Oh? Did I stumble upon a fellow smartass? Very well, let’s break it down.”

“Dream!”

Luna’s shout interrupted just as Dream and Yao were about to sit down in debate. 

Dream sighed. 

“We’ll talk later.”

“Don’t worry. You have a thousand years to find a nonexistent argument.”

“Oh really?!”

“Dream! Time and place!”

“...Fine.”

With a huff, Dream turned away. 

He walked back to his wives and looked around. 

There were many people, too many for the few houses they had. So Dream waved his hand. 

And the view changed as everyone was taken beyond the tree dome. They stood in the sky, looking down on a mountainous landscape with all manner of natural formations, like valleys, rivers, caves, and forests. 

Looking around, Dream lowered himself to the floor. 

Everyone watched as he landed in the center of a flat valley next to a mountain range. The temperate climate, the lush life surrounding him, the curious wildlife that took all kinds of exotic forms. 

Nodding, he looked at the ground and pointed. 

Then, black stone began to rise from the ground. It was a rectangular monolith, colossal in size as it rose to be nearly a mile tall. 

Then, he traced his finger, and script began to appear on its surface. 

Luna read it as he wrote. 

“The town of beginnings…”

“Here I establish the first settlement of this reality, a place destined to grow in the future under the banner of the Dreamer Ascendency. But first, it will be populated by everyone here who isn’t part of my immediate family. Hey, Starsmith.”

Dream turned toward Yao. 

“You’ll be the builder for this town. Keep the scale reasonable. 

“Hm, I guess it’s something to do.”

The Archon shrugged. 

With that, Dream sighed. 

“Alright, that’ll be all from me for now. By the way, everyone will need to relearn all their magic and whatnot. There’s no such thing as a Record anymore, so have fun feeling around. Now, I must go. I have things to do.”

Dream clapped his hands, and then, he and his family vanished from the area, leaving everyone to their own devices. 

Once they reappeared in the tree dome, he looked toward everyone ebsides his wives. Among his and his wives’ immediate families, there were also the Archons and the Keeper. These were the only people who would live within the tree dome. 

“You guys can come and go whenever you want. Aegis will help you until you figure things out yourselves. Aegis!”

“My lord.”

The butler appeared, his top hat dipping in a bow. 

Dream smiled.

“Take care of them while I’m away.”

“Of course.”

“Where are you going?”

As Aegis rose, Melody eyes him curiously. 

Smiling, Dream pointed to the largest house, an expansive log cabin that was built over the river.

“I’m going home. As I said, I have things to do. Nnow, please excuse us.”

With Dream’s usher, he and his wives made their way to the house, disappeared through its doors. 

As Melody’s face scrunched, Shannon smiled weirdly. 

“Well, at least he’s finally giving me grandchildren.”

“Ugh! Mom!”

“Oh please, you old lady. Still haven’t gotten married after countless lifetimes?”

“Not the point!”

…

“Hey Dream.”

After the doors closed, Iris came up behind him. 

She pressed her body against his back. 

“You said you’d fill the Dreamer Ascendency.”

“I did.”

“Well… I am the Dreamer Ascendency.”

She grabbed his shoulders, spinning him around and pushing him against the wall. 

“Now fill me up, like you should’ve billions of years ago!”

Her breath came out as fire, her black hair falling beside his face as her fnaatic eyes looked into his. 

Dream grinned.

“Hm, I guess our work is pretty much finished.”

“Shut up and kiss me already.”

“Hm.”

He hummed, and then her lips were planted on his. 

After several seconds, she finally pulled away with a wide smile. 

“Ah, you have no idea how much it took to hold back out there.”

“Well, considering you just sucked out my soul… Anyway, let’s take it to the bedroom.”

Dream snapped his fingers, and they were all moved. 

The five all dropped on top of a huge bed. 

This time, it was Sophia who jumped on him. 

“Hey, remember how we did it in your mind space?”

“Those were very creative times.”

“Well, let’s try some of that with them.”

Laying her body next to his, Sophia eyed the other three wives with a playful grin. 

Then, they all began to tear off his clothes as he lay there. 

He smiled at their challenging actions, grabbing their bodies and tossing them under him. 

The passion escalated. 

Iris turned violent.

Nobody was able to stop Alice from stealing their spot as she blipped in and out of existence. 

Sophia dilated time in ecstacy. 

And Luna inadvertently froze the bed a few times. 

Their tumble lasted well through the day. 

And it just kept on going.