Alpha to Omega

No laws to live by, she is the one to determine the end of the war, for life or death...

A woman prays alone in an ancient temple. To her right is the ancient scroll held by two winged dragons in gold. Above it are two smaller dragons of the same nature, holding two yin yangs between body and tail. The scroll reads thus:

"It is said that when the first star was formed, it became a being, and created all that exists. The being said he would come again and bring the beginning or the end. A temple was made, guarded with two dragons. When the being returns, he will step on the platform and decide. The dragons will allow no one else upon the platform..."

Holy Strangeland remembered those times, long ago when the paintings and tapestries weren't in this temple. At that time, the walls had been bare save for the dragon ornaments and scroll. She remembered further back, when all that existed was a face...

 

The face had parted into five like an image in a kaleidoscope, and stretched further into four faces. Yet even then, this was not the beginning of Aellanlie. The world had always been there, growing and adapting. Every entry into such a place, though, began with a reflection upon the face.

Upon entering you would be greeted by a wilderness, filled with landscapes of unbelievable nature. There was a river, trees and a waterfall. Holy loved that waterfall, for she always seemed to enter Aellanlie from the hidden cave behind it. In this place, she could be centered wherever she went. The mountains would reach amazing heights and the hills would tower over the forests, but she would always live peacefully... or so she thought.

One day, she came upon a massive city filled with skyscrapers. She decided that, to avoid confusion, she'd hide under the pseudonym of Natsumi. From sunset to sunrise, she would watch over this city from the rooftops, praying for blessing upon the lands. She watched as the city grew vast around her, and knew that dark times were ahead. She visited the temple to pray, and asked the priestess Haruka to spar with her.

After a while she joined a small band of ninja, though she was never truly welcome. They tried to teach her their ways, but no matter the amount of training she'd undergo, they would not trust her. They'd pray at the same temples, talk amongst each other in disguise, but a life of lies was not Holy's way. After considering the danger, she revealed her identity to the ninja. Their grudges overtook them, and war ensued. There were many battles, temples were destroyed by gunfire and narrow escapes, and eventually Holy had to wear a mask of iron. It covered three quarters of her face, and over it she wore sunglasses. Clothed in black stitched skin-tight leather and covered by a trenchcoat, The Woman of Secrets prepared for a final battle.

Everyone was watching. Their violence had spread chaos throughout the land, and everyone predicted the end of times. Though the battle began in the biggest arena Aellanlie possessed, it went far beyond the city's boundaries. Wherever they fought, people were watching on the scene or through worldwide broadcasts. Eventually, Holy was defeated and killed. Awe-stricken, Haruka rushed to the temple and screamed upon the yin-yang platform, "I CHOOSE!"

Save for Haruka, the universe and everything within it faded to darkness. For a time there was complete silence. After a time Natsumi reappeared, and Haruka told her of the scroll.

"You are one of the two dragons, the one whose soul was destined for a life of friendship," she stated. "Your opponents are the other, though they have been led astray by turning on you. So I shall return you to life for one final contest. As I must choose the destruction of this place, or its rebirth, the dragon who lives at the end of the contest will determine my decision. Fight well."

The  battle was vicious and more ferocious than the first. They changed from human to dragon to human again, using magic they never knew before. Finally, all that remained was Natsumi, and everything was made twice as beautiful than the first. However, the spirits of the fallen remained, and she was sent back to guard Aellanlie.

 

This world continues its cycle of life, death and rebirth, and with each new world the characters' names, forms and stories change. The cycle itself, however, is constant.

Haruka remains in the stars, and can sometimes be seen on the craters of the moon between her 3rd quarter and full phases.

Author's Note

This was the first story I ever created. Originally it was in illustration format, and I'm always working on it.