To be a Universal, born in the Empty, was… all she had known. Her body growing, birthing stars, matter, time, space… everything came from her. She found herself so beautiful. Her power…so great.

  While those Others could be annoying, they never truly bothered her more than a poke or a curious look. Most of the time, a sharp slap would make them leave quickly.

  Even when those… annoying pests started to appear on her beautiful planets… Protheans, Humans, Elves? All pests infecting her planets! She had always despised them. One day, she came up with a plan. A plan to make them disappear.

  She allowed herself to remain still, letting one of the Others approach, young, foolish, not realising she could easily kill it. But his inexperience would be useful. Her mind, which functioned at a speed and level so great that nothing could conceive it, started to plan everything.

  Zenthia, the System… she ensured its birth. Controlling it directly to have better control over everything linked to her great plan. Looking around, she soon saw her target. She had started to move, slowly. Very slowly toward another one like her.

  (PS : READ POST CHAPTER NOTES! IMPORTANT LORE CLARIFICATION INSIDE)

  The Other made a perfect scapegoat. An “innocent child" who was playing with her, ready to slam her into another member of her kind, the Universals.

  As if it had the power…

  The Other was her excuse to attack another Universal, creating a battle and letting those pests die trying to save themselves and her. She even created the aspects and tools of great powers directly linked to her.

  They would act as real soldiers to ensure she did not lose the internal battle that would occur within her. The Universal she had chosen was far weaker than her “protecting, guiding and helping” the same type of pests that inhabited her! How foolish!

  So why…

  Why was she crying?

  What was that horrible feeling inside of her very core?

  She hated it. It hurts so bad. Holding one of her Aspects in her arms, Akhenamen. Aspect of the End, her executioner. Her greatest Aspect. Why couldn’t she bring him back! He was a tool like the others! So why did she cry? Why did she try to bring him back?

  Then she felt another link cut itself from her, turning her head around, she saw all her Aspects, one after the other… end themselves.

  Why… Why was she trying to desperately save them all? And WHY COULDN’T SHE DO IT!! She had succeeded. She had exterminated those pests. She had her peace and quiet! She was finally… alone.

  Alone… Alone… Alone…

  This word she had once craved. Why did she despise it now?

  She stayed there, unmoving, holding the same position she had when she was holding the Aspect of the End’s body. Akhenamen’s body. Tears falling from her eyes, drowning hundreds of suns.

  “This isn’t fair… those pests… they can make so many children. Love them, laugh with them, hug them… I cannot. This is not fair. They deserve their fate!”

  Was that really why she did all this? Because… Was she jealous of their happiness?

  “W…why did you have to defy my will…Y…You damn TRAITOR! AKHENAMEN! YOU…You… you… “

  She feared moving, as if changing the position of her arms would make her lose her last link to her dead child. Yes. Her child. It’s what they had always been. Yet … she had realised it far too late.

  She stared at the small blue planet in front of her. She was a Universal. She existed on so many dimensional levels that seeing and interacting with the past and present was easy. Yet the future had always eluded her sight.

  She stared at Earth. Another bastion of the pests inhabiting her body.

  Her hand reached toward the small planet’s past. It was the size of a speck of dust to her; her hand could so easily wipe this planet. Remove it completely. Remove any pain she would feel by erasing Akhenamen before even his birth.

  Her eyes peered into the small, innocent eyes of the little baby held by the orphanage’s matron. One squeeze… just one. Akhenamen and the others had little understanding of her full strength. They believed only they could interact inside her body.

  That she was seemingly unable to intervene by herself. It was false. She always had the ability to incarnate herself. But lowering herself to be one of the pests living in her? Never. Yet now… it seemed like her hand was frozen, refusing to squeeze.

  All because of those damned innocent eyes that seemed to be able to see her body despite the immense power hiding her from any human sight. Her eyes were watching David’s. He stared, laughed, trying to reach toward her hand with those…damned…grubby little fingers of his.

  Her lips trembled a bit. Before she pulled her hand back.

  “…”

  She slowly disappeared. As if melting back into the stars. A small rain of stars passes above the Earth.

  ***

  Back on Earth, three days had passed. A figure approached a rather remote orphanage. The wooden building looked backward, taken care of by a group of nuns. It stood there for thirty seconds before finally knocking on the door.

  ***

  Mother Thèrese opened the door. She was an old, pious woman, wearing a traditional nun’s attire, but with an apron covered in the results of a fierce rebellion by Lili, a rebellious 2 years old girl who decided to not eat her soup tonight.

  “That girl really has good aim… Hello…Miss? What may I help you with?”

  Outside the door stood a very tall woman. Straight black hair, thick sunglasses despite the absence of any sun. Wearing black business attire. While her eyes were mostly hidden, Mother Therèse was used to people watching her. And she felt like this woman was staring at her as if she were some sort of disgusting insect.

  “I’m here to adopt Ak- David.”

  “David? What are you talking about, Miss? We have no child named David. And do you even have the necessary documents to adopt a child?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  What followed was a very awkward discussion between a very overbearing cosmic deity and a humble nun explaining the conditions and necessary documents to adopt a child.

  ***

  It took two weeks for everything to be finished. With the help of a bit of Universal Magic, she was able to gather all she needed. And finally… Universa stepped inside the orphanage, so many of those… dirty pests… running around.

  She already knew where to go. Walking until she reached a little crib. Seeing a small baby inside, he was asleep, her hand gently reaching down, but stopping at the last moment to not wake him up.

  Not even realising the smile she had on her face. Perhaps the purest show of emotion she had since she cried holding his dying body. Mother Thérèse only had to have one look into those eyes to see what she was waiting to see.

  ***

  Three months later, three months during which Universa visited the orphanage every day. She had found some work in the next city, and she was now holding David in her arms. Sitting on her bed, inside a small, slightly dirty apartment.

  As a Universal, concepts like cleanliness were unknown to her. But she knew that… she couldn’t raise David properly in such a room.

  ***

  Two more months passed… she was currently working as a waitress in a nice elderly couple’s cafe. Her arrogant and overbearing attitude had lessened. Not by much, though. But her great beauty and arrogant attitude did attract a certain clientele, though.

  “I’m a universal. Why is keeping a job so hard?”

  “A coffee, please! So what’s up, sweetheart? Looking for a real nice g-”

  “AaaAAH! THANK Y-”

  The scream made the owners turn around, sighing, already aware of what happened. They just hoped this time she had shoved only one of the chair’s legs inside.

  Standing in front of the school’s gate, six years having passed since she had successfully shoved four of the chair’s legs inside that man, she was waiting for David to come out of school.

  She found some subjects absolutely ridiculous. Like physic! Absolute law? As if! If she wanted, she could remove gravity from Earth.

  “Mommy! Look! Look! I got an A+ on my test!”

  Instantly, the face that made every parent stay ten yards away from her melted into one of purest, most gentle and loving smiles ever seen, kneeling down and lifting David in her arm, kissing his cheek.

  “Well done! I’m so proud of you, David! We’re having pizza tonight to celebrate this!”

  “YEAH!”

  While she did struggle keeping a stable job (you didn’t change a Universal’s entire personality in a measly six years), she mellowed out enough to recognise those pests as harmless enough to be allowed to live.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ***

  “How long has it been?”

  Universa lay in a hospital bed. Staring out the open window, the wind was blowing her hairs into the breeze gently. To anyone, including her son, she would look like an old and elderly yet still pretty woman. The truth was that this body was starting to dissolve. Literally.

  Not because it was getting old, but because her power could only be contained for so long.

  She was thinking about her life with David. Seeing all the moments she now cherished more than her own life. From David’s first word, his first step. His first love or broken heart. His first tears and smile.

  From the smile he had on his face when he opened his flower shop, to the tears of joy when he married Lan or held his own children in his arms. She was always there. Watching over her son.

  She had a smile on her face. She understood now. What her son and the other Aspect had tried to teach and show her. Love. The love they had for their family. The love that drove them forward. The love that made them rebel against her to have one last chance.

  The same love she now had for David when she closed her eyes for the final time on Earth.

  She could have warned David that it was gonna be her end soon. But… she didn’t wish to see him cry because of her again. What kind of mother would want that? She felt her consciousness leave this body.

  Joining back her real body, which had been lying silently, sleeping.

  “David… I’m so sorry for what I made you all go through. I’m so sorry, and I hope you will one day forgive your foolish mother when you discover the truth. I’ll be there, David. Always. I’ll be waiting for you. My dear little son.”

  “I cannot wait to be able to hold you again.”