The Gate of Genesis

This will be the final chronological storyline featuring Arbiter as an active protagonist. As edits are made, it will be rewritten in the style of a short story. All characters (especially those well-known to Arbiter) are welcome to join. Feel free to create crossovers to your own character's histories as well, for this story will contain several flashbacks. This story will also explain a bit more in depth about Arbiter's origins and the nature of the Balance.

Chronologically, it follows Court Of The Red Queen, which was preceeded by Dusk.

 (So sayeth the Arbiter)  19:07, April 8, 2011 (UTC)

The Gate of Genesis
Across a barren rocky plain, blasted countless years ago with the horrors of war, walks Arbiter. His emerald green hair dances gently in the soft wind, while his golden eyes gleam with purpose. On the horizon, he sees his destination; a tall, ancient bronze tower that stood alone, surrounded by an empty and wounded ground. "How incredible," he mused, "that an ancient structure like that can withstand brutal war and the passage of immeasurable time."

He stopped, and the world suddenly seemed to stop with him. Slowly, he held out his hand, and flipped his palm to the sky. With a red glow, a rose appeared in his hand; a rose that he knew had changed hands twice- from Queen Red to Inferno Pendragon, and then he had picked it up after Inferno had dropped it. He marveled about how the rose had meant something different for each of them. An image appeared in his mind's eye- a young girl with a cheerful grin and silver hair. Arbiter weakly smiled. "Over a couple thousand years, and I still cannot forget?"

"You... I remember you..."

"That voice... it strikes a chord in my memory..."

"You were once here, long ago... you were a child of the shadows, living here once."

"...wait a moment... I thought I died... I gave the last of my energies to those who would save their worlds from destruction... is this-"

"This is neither Heaven, nor Hell, nor any kind of limbo, purgatory, or any afterlife for that matter."

"What is it, then?"

"This is the origin, the beginning of everything, for creation must be brought forth from destruction, light from darkness... such is the nature of the Balance..."

Amnesty appears next to Arbiter, dressed in a long silver dress.

Arbiter glances over at the sudden appearance of an old friend, without shock from her instantaneous arrival, but with a small grin. "Hello, princess," he says, greeting Amnesty. "It certainly has been some time..."

Amnesty nods with a sad face. "Yes indeed. I am no longer a princess. My people now call me their queen. Things change, as they have always done, and will always do..."

"Yes," Arbiter agrees, the small grin leaving his face. "Things do change. We can either make the best of it or simply give up..." he pauses, studying the face of his friend. "You never wanted to be crowned queen, correct? Not after..." Arbiter stopped, not wanting to bring up an uncomfortable subject for Amnesty. "So... have you ever visited this world before?" he asked, quickly changing the conversation.

"No. I've never been here, but I sensed your energy... As for your unspoken question: No, I didn't want to be a crowned queen, but we can't always choose our own fates. What can you tell me about this place?"

Arbiter sighs. "This world was once a thriving civilization, although split among two species, who each championed a separate and different lifestyle. Tensions arose, it broke out into a full planet-scale war. Now, almost nothing is left..." Arbiter looks over to the tower in the distance. "Walk with me. I'll tell you more." He begins to walk to the tower.

Amnesty walks with Arbiter, watching her surroundings with great interest.

"The two species that waged war over my world were known as the Intrids and the Archics. The Intrids championed the ways of science, while the Archics clung to the ancient magics, believing science to be heresy. If children with both an Intrid and Archic parent were born, they were looked down upon by the rest of the world. Half-breeds, they called them. They were marked at birth." Arbiter pulls back his sleeve to reveal a brand tattooed into his arm, which bore the appearance of a dragon, curled into a spiral.

Amnesty looks at the tattoo. "I see..."

"This war destroyed my homeland, the few whom I loved, and now... thousands of years later, it may have caused the destruction of our universes... unless I do something about this, time will soon run out..."

Amnesty nods. "The end is near... always... in one place or another... everything is transient... nothing remains forever... we all struggle to survive, yet none of us will... One could call it unfair, wouldn't you say?"

Arbiter regards Amnesty with a curious gaze for a moment, before proceeding forward. "Perhaps..." he says quietly.

Soon they arrive at the base of the tower, which stood tall, looming above them like some monstrous entity. "This is it." Arbiter says. "The Starborne Tower." Arbiter pushes open the heavy bronze doors, and he and Amnesty enter.

"Over here." Arbiter calls. He pulls down a lever, and suddenly, the room is lit with an etheral blue glow. "This tower was built from ancient sciences and magics, the likes of which are far greater than most." Arbiter explains.

In the center of the room, a circular platform stands. On it's edges are rails that stretch up to a ceiling hidden in a seemingly infinite blackness.

Amnesty walks up to the platform, studying it with great interest.

Arbiter steps upon the platform. "Climb aboard." he says.

Amnesty jumps upon the platform as well. "What is it?"