The Emperor was a proud being. He led the way into his Realm with head held high and chest puffed out, six arms spread wide as he welcomed the familiar embrace of his Kingdom. The light of heaven kissed his golden skin, a cool breeze ruffling his hair and setting his cape to fluttering. Before him lay golden fields and green hills, purple mountains rising in the distance. Clouds touched the mountaintops like halos, glowing red and gold from the ever-present light.

  “Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven,” he said, turning to face his esteemed guests. He knew that in the light and background that he cut an impressive figure; but far more impressive should be Heaven itself. And he was pleased to find that appeared to be the case; as almost all eyes were fixated on the surroundings, not himself. Only Statera Luotian’s daughter, the winged girl named Elvira, kept her golden gaze fixated upon him, her white robes ruffling in the breeze, wings spread as if she wanted to take to the air.

  “Beautiful,” Yueya Oshun breathed, smiling and sucking in a deep breath. His grin grew wider, and he gestured for them to turn around. As one the group turned, and beheld the true Kingdom of Heaven.

  Tall towers gleamed white in the light, flying vehicles weaving in-between the tall, glass-covered buildings of the city proper. Beautiful villas dotted the hillsides, vineyards fed by aqueducts filled with clear, pure water, growing in neat patches around many of the red-roofed houses. A river wound its way down from the mountains that ringed Heaven’s Caldera, flowing through the city, streams of it lifting off into the sky like flying snakes to wind between the buildings, the water glittering like gemstones in the sapphire sky.

  “That is the first Holy City, and my seat of power.” he said, beginning the slow walk to the city. Smooth cobblestone roads wound lazily through the hills and orchards, the few people who lived this far out waving as they passed by. “There are dozens of cities like this all across Heaven, with countless villages and towns filling in the gaps between.”

  “There’s lots of energy pouring from the city,” MR-10 noted.

  “We will get to that in a moment. First, these are my people,” he said as a Storm Bird hurtled by above, each flap of its wings crackling with lightning and thunder. From here they could see a large number of the souls that inhabited Heaven. All were humanoid in nature, as they were made in his image, though their skin colors and body structure varied. Some had skin of silver or bronze, while others were more gem-like in appearance with sapphire, ruby, emerald, or diamond-like skin. A few had two heads, some had four arms, with others having only three or two. Others still were covered in fur or scales – but all had one thing in common besides being humanoid.

  “They have powerful souls,” Reilly noted, sipping a rich red wine from a crystal chalice that he must have stolen from one of the nearby vineyards. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the beggar, catching his eye. “What? I paid for it. You use crystallized power as currency, right?” The Emperor just sighed and let it slide, making a mental note to check and make sure Reilly had, in fact, paid, before continuing his explanation.

  “Such is one of the requirements to enter Heaven.” The Emperor said. “Mortals in my world live in the mortal plane, otherwise known as Earth, where they grow and change. Once their contributions to our collective kingdom reach a certain point their souls undergo a metamorphosis, turning them into what you see here.” He gestured to a man with four arms pulling a cart filled with golden wheat, the plants filled to the brim with the holy energy of the divine, who waved back happily. Though there were plenty of methods to transport such grain with far greater ease, the Emperor knew he just liked pulling his cart.

  Far more important, though, was the amount of energy the man himself gave off. The wheat was a curious thing, but the man’s soul burned like the sun, golden light spilling from him in waves, soaking into the ground and flying high into the sky. And his was not the only one; all souls in Heaven gave off this holy, pure energy.

  “So the souls act like a fusion reactor.” MR-10 droned, lights flashing on its side. “Once they reach a critical mass and fusion begins, they ascend here.”

  “Indeed. The weight of one’s contributions, or karma, I suppose would be another word, helps ignite the soul.” Emperor said.

  “What do you mean by contributions?” Statera’s plus one, Elvira, asked. “It sounds worryingly like it would lead to elitism, that those ‘in charge,’ as it were, would be raised up to Heaven faster. Kings and the like.” The Emperor laughed at the accusation, even if the spirit of the question had been far less damning.

  “Excellent question! The answer is simple –“

  “What defines a contribution?” Jester drawled, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Emperor beamed at his fancily-dressed companion as he spoke, refusing to meet his King’s eyes. “I was a comedian before coming here. Made people laugh. Apparently was so good at it and touched enough people’s lives with humor that I ascended here after death. Emperor liked me so much he made me the court Jester, the bastard.” Emperor laughed at the insult, shaking his head fondly at his long-time friend.

  “He’s not the example I would have used. He wrote a few books and plays and such that endured for a long, long while and helped many, many people. No, I would use…well, that one, right there,” he said, pointing to a man with dull grey skin standing just outside his villa, inspecting a brick wall he was putting together. “He was just a brick-layer in life. Made roads and built homes. But his actions both in his job and in his personal life affected enough that he rose to Heaven. It doesn’t matter what you do, but the quality in which you do it.”

  Elvira did not respond after this, and Emperor continued to lead the way, marching down the streets. The closer they got to the city, the louder and more intricate their surroundings became. Cobblestone streets transformed to solid, white and red granite. Villas turned to mansions, then skyscrapers. A few scattered souls became a dozen, then a few hundred, then thousands. People waved to him or cheered as he passed, welcoming him with open arms. Soldier and guards, clad in metal armor and wielding swords and shields, flooded the streets to clear the way, ensuring Emperor and his entourage – foreign diplomats, in essence – had an easy path through the city and to his palace.

  The cheers were loud and Emperor soaked it all in, knowing he had not made anyone do this. He was a beloved King here in Heaven, and though it was not perfect, that fact alone made his heart swell with pride.

  “Gaudy,” Reilly drawled, draining the rest of his wine as they reached the palace. A hundred stone steps carved of pure white marble rose up to a truly massive domed building, its roof gleaming with gold and silver. A statue of him, forged of precious metals, stood just outside the front entrance, overlooking the square. A massive great sword was planted in the ground before it, his six hands resting on the hilt, guard, and pommel. It was a little embarrassing to have such an ostentatious representation of himself, true, but he was a God-King, and visitors must know his worth as they enter the palace.

  “Come inside, I will have Butler and Gerard attend to us as we discuss,” Emperor boomed over the roar of the crowd. A quick glance back showed Reilly covering his ears, scowling, while Nyxteria pecked curiously at the road. Elvira was staring back at the crowd while Statera had her gaze fixed skyward as she rubbed her chin. A flower crown had been placed atop her head at some point, resting on her impressive-looking horns. “After all, I am hoping that this will be more than just a tour.”

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  “What do you mean?” Yueya asked, voice impossibly melodious even through the roaring crowd. Emperor set two of his hands on his hips and smiled at them all.

  “This is a meeting between sovereigns, of course. My hope is that in the following stages of our [Trials] trade will be allowed between universes, and what better time to start developing good relations and fostering trade than now?” He said, and bowed his head slightly. “I am sure we have much to offer each other.”

  With that he turned and led the way into his palace, squaring his shoulders. Now came the interesting part.

  Only, he hadn’t participated in any trade deals in eons. I hope I’m not too rusty. Normally I leave this kind of thing to my Dukes…but it would be disrespectful to not at least attempt a non-formal agreement and discussion with gods of equal standing.

  Elvira had to admit, the Emperor’s Heaven was fascinating. Certain things were eerily reminiscent of the Four Realms, but still clearly different. Not all souls, for example, were capable of producing energy for the Realm itself to use. In addition, only Heaven’s denizens and certain mortals in the lower Realm produced usable energy, as opposed to the Four Realms where all souls created usable energy, even if said energy was flavored by their actions and some flavors were more beneficial than others.

  “…and where does all this energy go? How is it used?” Lord Shin asked, the skeleton leaning forward and linking his boney hands together. For such an ominous-looking being he was certainly very calm.

  “We mostly distribute it as needed throughout the physical plane, as you have come to call it. Whether that energy is used to bolster the shell of primordial chaos that protects Heaven and Earth from the Void, to fuel the expansion of the universe, or to nourish land in Earth is changed based on need.” Emperor explained from where he sat on his throne. The other Origin Deities had been sat around a U-shaped table before him, various foodstuffs and valuable items of Heaven and Earth brought out before them. Elvira, for one, stood behind Father to listen to the conversation. “But a lot of energy is sunk into Heaven as well. The divine energy produced here nourishes everything, be it food or mineral, vastly increasing its quality. We do ship quite a bit of it to the Earth, as there is far more than we could ever eat or use, but there are far more people in the Earth Realm than supplies we have.”

  “It’s a carrot to get souls to try to rise to Heaven,” Elvira whispered. “Because his most valuable asset is the people who create this energy, he tries to entice them to contribute to the Kingdom by sending rewards down to Earth.” Father nodded, though He had a complicated expression on His face.

  “That is a very clinical way of looking at it, but that is what I gathered as well. It’s very well organized.” He agreed.

  “And what happens in the reincarnation cycle?” Shin continued. “I notice there is something set up there, but it appears underwhelming compared to the others we have seen.”

  “It is. I am already having my Architect drawing up plans to revamp the entire process to make things more efficient.” Emperor agreed. “Most mortal souls do, however, tend to stagnate after a point. Up until we’ve been having to recycle them after every fourth lifetime or so, wiping everything clean if they don’t show any movement. Souls are made up of energy, after all, and before they come to Heaven most are a drain on our energy reserves. Divine energy is powerful and goes a long way, but we cannot continually invest in a losing scheme. If it’s a net loss for too long, with no hope for improvement, eventually we have to cut ties.” Emperor said.

  “And what about souls that go the opposite direction of Heaven?” Yueya asked. Emperor sighed and shook his head, an expression of pure frustration plastering itself on his face. Elvira knew the look. She’d seen Father make it plenty of times, and therefore expected what was coming next.

  “If they reach a certain point they become Demons. They too produce energy, but we cannot use it. It is destructive, poisonous, meant solely to degrade and undo all of creation. It is the purest form of evil, as are they; they prey upon the mortal and immortal alike, only able to grow through the consumption of others.” He explained, fists clenching. “They are what my soldiers are for. By law it is illegal to destroy a soul for its potential to turn into a Demon, as they can turn themselves around with the right influence. Only when they actually are turned into Demons do my men march upon them.”

  “Are they like our dark spirits?” Elvira asked, wings fluttering as she looked skyward, straining her eyes to see through the dense energy of Heaven to spot Earth, and hopefully any demons.

  “No,” Father whispered back. “As far as I can tell, they are more like Morgan’s spirits. They are predators to the mortal soul, and meant to destroy and degrade creation.” Elvira felt herself heat up, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at the mention of the Shadow.

  “So…”

  “Yes. They are a part of Emperor’s Shadow, though the conflict has yet to truly begin. I can hardly even call the storm brewing yet, honestly. I do not think he knows exactly what they are, but he is aware enough that I do not need to mention it.” Father continued. Elvira crossed her arms and accepted that, tails flicking angrily as she took a few steps back.

  There was plenty to focus on here, and her attention was being drawn every which way. One of her incarnations had accompanied Father and a few others into the lower realm incognito, and it was…odd.

  Earth was a mirror of Heaven, just lesser. The land was very similar, be it desert or forest, though Earth tended to form planets that circled the light of Heaven, as opposed to being a single landmass. Things were harder there, as people weren’t as rich in body or soul; and most energy that was used by souls or planets either came from Heaven, or were produced by the planets themselves, funneling out of the cores like heat from an oven.

  Some planets were more well-off than others, and though Emperor tried to raise as many people up as he could, there were points where he had to call it quits. Usually he didn’t directly involve himself in the minutiae of running a universe and kingdom; instead, he left that to the dukes and earls and barons, as he called them. Essentially, they were powerful souls that he trusted enough to give power beneath his. This planet, however, was one of the few under direct management of the Emperor.

  Her incarnation cringed as she saw a soul that had given up trying was funneled down into the core of the planet, where its energy was recycled and remade. Did they not have truesouls here? Elvira shuddered, glancing at Father who watched on with a stone-like expression. The other gods watched impassively, most seeming to accept this as a matter of course. Lord Shin was the most dismissive of it.

  “Souls in my realm are occasionally remade as well,” he said to Emperor. “Though not with a purpose, as is here. Sometimes they just fade away.”

  “You are the leader of your Realm, are you not? You remind me of my Empress,” a voice suddenly said, breaking Elvira’s true body out of her trance, watching the Earth Realm through her incarnation as she had been. The being that had snuck up beside her was all shadow, and radiated an aura of destruction. But beneficial destruction, not one of raw hatred like the demons Emperor talked about. Elvira fluttered her wings as she turned to face it, meeting its red eyes. This was…Steward, right? The Origin God Reilly’s companion.

  “I am the ruler of Heaven in my own universe, yes. I lead the gods.” She allowed. He nodded his head, black skin trembling as a bit of dark mist seeped from his body.

  “I have noticed many beings push the duties of ruling onto their creations. My own creator, Reilly, did the same. Emperor is different, acting as creator and ruler both. Why the difference, do you think?” he asked. Elvira clicked her tongue as she considered her answer.

  “I cannot speak for the others,” she said slowly. “But Father is our parent. He is the Patriarch of our family, and it does not always fall to the eldest to lay down the law. And children must grow. He will always be there for moments of indecision and sources of wisdom, but we must come into our own. Father’s role is more complex than a mere guide, but that is the general idea.” Steward matched her gaze for a long moment, nodding slowly.

  “I can accept this. Thank you for indulging my curiosity. If I may, would you like to visit the palace library with me? The other Plus-Ones will be joining us. I admit to wishing to know how this universe was made, and Scholar, who is Emperor’s record keeper, has promised to show me around.” Steward said. Elvira stopped herself from shaking her head, convinced as she was that she needed to listen to Emperor speak and act…but already she knew she was a different kind of ruler than he.

  He was brilliant, and a just king from what she’d heard. But she was already different than he, and her path was slightly different. The things she needed to learn were not being discussed, anyways.

  “Yes, I will. Thank you,” she said, following after him as he turned to go. As she left, their group following a grey-haired, sapphire-skinned man dressed in a simple brown monk habit, she glanced back once to meet Father’s eyes.

  His gaze was soft, His smile encouraging, and she nodded her thanks to Him. Though Steward’s words stuck in her mind, even as she walked away.

  Why was there such a difference, when even Father had once been an emperor?