POV: Yueya Oshun

I can't say what I felt while looking at Morgan. Nor what I thought about the carefully thought out lecture Statera gave all of us when he finished talking to the wolf-like being. To be perfectly honest I didn't fully understand what was going on, but Reilly and Shin were both shell-shocked. Yes, I understood that Morgan was a very unique existance, but it did not prompt me to fall silent for the remaining two years in Statera's Realms, unlike Shin and Reilly. Even Steward was acting funny, as if he had found something incredibly interesting off in the distance.

This was, of course, enlightenment. Enlightenment that seemed to be mostly eluding me. Which is why I opted to chat with Statera and view other parts of the Four Realms while Reilly and Shin and Steward followed behind us with blank gazes. Ze was intermittently chatting with us and looking worriedly at Shin, having not fallen into the same state as them. Sehuyun only returned to me every once in a while before moving off to go play with other beings in Statera's Realm. It brought a smile to my face, seeing that old, grumpy dragon finally moving about with a smile on her face.

Not that I would ever tell Sehuyun that she was smiling. That would immediately wipe it away.

"...which is why I decided to bring the Mad Scientist along rather than any of my other children." Statera finished his explanation. I nodded with a thoughtful look on my face, tapping my chin and looking at the few stars that hung above Statera's Realm, glimmering and shining for all beings to see - but never to touch. They were more spiritual in Statera's Realms, unless one was to count the miniature suns that dotted the Mortal Realm, as they represented a path in which a mortal took to 'reach the heavens,' as it were.

I'll have to make stars to hang in the sky above my One World. They are very pretty to look at. Perhaps I can use something similar to Statera's Dao Stars...?

"You know, it's adorable how you refer to the beings in your Realms as your children." I noted, giving Statera a sly look and leaving him to interperet what I meant by that however he wished. But really, it was very cute. I mean, I consider the beings in my One World to be...sort of my children, but not in the same vein as Statera. It's like a mix between building a golem that gains sentience and having actual children for me. They're my children...but also, in a deific sort of way, my creation as well. I'm immensley proud of them, but...well it's hard to put into words.

Statera glanced at me out of the corners of his eyes and made a strange noise in the back of his throat. "I'm not sure what to think about that." He admitted, as if hoping I would elaborate. Of course I wouldn't, so I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. Statera shook his head and looked back at Reilly and Shin. "Suppose I should leave them like that? It's time for you all to head back." He said. I immediately shook my head.

"Leave them be. I'm sure they're still figuring things out." I said slowly. Statera just snorted and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Once you get a few more ascended beings in your World, I'm more than certain that all of this will begin to make sense to you. Until then you'll just have to grin and bear it. The enlightenment will come when it's ready." He said in an attempt to comfort me. I snorted and crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows. However, my protest to his treatment of me died in my throat when I met his eyes - I couldn't even lie to myself in front of those eyes. It did bug me that the other two were having such...profound enlightenment while I was not, but Statera's words were true. When I am ready to understand what needs to be understood, I will. No two ways around it.

"I understand." I said with a weary sigh. "There is already plent for me to focus on rather than worrying over such things. Helping my people ascend, for one."

"Indeed. Shall I fetch Sehuyun for you? She got into an argument with Alexander's first children. They're...huh. They're arguing over who is prettier. Her or them. Are all dragons so vain?" Statera mused rhetorically, fully aware that they were arguing because of the differences between their appearances being so vast, Sehuyun being vicious, and the others being more majestic.

"Please do before she starts causing more trouble." I said. Statera snorted and waved one hand, sending a ball of light off towards Sehuyun. Why he did that rather than simply sending a mental message, I do not know, but within minutes Sehuyun had returned to my side. I put a hand on the side of the great dragon's jaw, scratching her scales in the way I know she likes it while continuing to chat with Statera.

It was mostly about inconsequetial things, small stories about those that inhabited our Realms, but I found that those small stories were sometimes more beautiful than the grandoise. Both had their charm, but the really good stuff comes from those single moments in time that just...take your breath away. Single, small acts. I find those to be the most heartwarming.

Our conversation ground to a halt when our group re-entered the portal, appearing in the empty meeting room once again. The others silently moved over to their respective portals, only Ze having the decency, or presence of mind, to say farewell formally. Statera and I chuckled at that, though Statera seemed a little worried about them. I smiled and patted him on the shoulder, my feet carrying me to my portal.

"See ya, Statera. Don't worry too much about your Realms, yeah? Sometimes kids have to be kids." I teased. Statera laughed and turned back to his own portal, tossing his hand up in farewell.

"Sometimes I think you worry too little. Goodbye, Yueya. See you next time." He said, and disappeared back into the Four Realms, his portal blinking out of existance behind him, just as all the others did.

"I liked that place," Sehuyun said. "It was fun."

"That it was. I'm going to need your help when we get back, we've got some major changes to make, especially after what we saw in the Four Realms. More gods and goddesses need to be made." I told my Eldest Dragon. Sehuyun's eyes glittered in anticipation, now that she knew what fun she could have with others on her level of power.

"I can't wait," She rumbled.

"'Atta girl," I said fondly, and vanished into my own portal.

POV CHANGE: Keilan

"You want to do what?" I asked, incredulous. Mother returned my look with a completely blank stare, as if She didn't understand my hesitation. "I mean - what? What in Your Name caused You to want to do this? The Four Realms are strained enough as it is! We don't need to put any more pressure on it!" I objected. Mother scoffed and waved one hand.

"Call one of your Karmic Kings up here. Tell it to bring one of their Ledgers of Life and Death...or is it the Book of Karma? There's so many names for the bloody things its hard to keep it straight sometimes." Mother muttered, rubbing Her temples.

"It's the Book of Karma these days. The Book of Life and Death was an older name." I told Her, sighing and sending a mental message to one of the Karmic Kings to appear before us as I reviewed the plan Mother had laid out. I wasn't certain if this was a wise addition to the reincaration cycle, but am...willing to hear Her out. The Karmic King I mentioned appeared in a flash of light, having sped with utmost speed to respond to my summons.

It, like all Karmic Kings, was simply a bigger and more imposing version of the Karae, with powerful, leathery wings and a whip-like tail. However this one in particular was very powerful, and radiated the mysterious power of karma to such a degree that even I had to admit that it had the highest understanding of karma beneath myself.

"Excellent, let me see your Book." Mother commanded, snatching said Book out of the King's hand. The twenty-foot-tall Karmic King jumped slightly when Mother snatched it, unused to having its Book ripped away with such ease. However, as the eldest of the Karmic Kings, it had met Mother numerous times so knew better than to react negatively. There were too many beings for Mother to meet in person, so She stuck with meeting to "bigger" ones. "Look, it's like this," Mother started, waving one hand over the closed, leather-bound Book of Karma.

The cover rippled a bit, and suddenly, the number of pages held within shrunk by a good quarter. "By tying in this idea of 'luck,' though it is a pale imitation to what I have seen it could be, to the process of reincarnation it actually reduces the stress placed on Karmic Kings and the Valley. This is because Karmic Luck covers and combines many different themes in the reincarnation cycle - starting from what happens in a person's life and followed by how it affects their Path. It's like...well, it's like this. A hundred small streams may carry the same amount of water as a river, but a river does it more efficiently. Does that make sense?" Mother attempted to explain.

"Sort of, yes," I nodded, closing my eyes and rubbing my chin. Her analogy wasn't quite accurate, but it was close enough. It would certainly make the work more streamlined...ah, that's where that analogy came from. We've been attempting to streamline the reincarnation process since the very beginning, and Mother now believes she has figured out a way to do so. I cannot say I am not skeptical, but I am willing to give it a shot. But, perhaps in moderation first. "I want to start off with a small experiment first, though. If it really does appear to run better than the current system I would be more than willing to expand its influence. But I want to run tests first." I reasoned. Mother paused and thought about it.

"That would be...wise. Yes, let's do that. Here's my basic outline." Mother said, pushing a scintillating ball of light towards me. I touched it and examined the flood of information with interest, honestly suprised by the intricacy and detail put into this plan. She intended to create a "secondary consciousness," for all intents and purposes, that would do all the work on reincarnation that the Will of the Four Realms does at a fraction of the power. The Will would still run everything, of course, but the system Mother was proposing would create a "tool" for the Four Realms to use that would make the work a lot easier.

Not only that, but this "tool" would also decrease the workload for those few deities that have a hand in reincarnation...

"This is brilliant." I couldn't help but say. Mother just chuckled a bit.

"Of course it is. Luck and this...System, are both ideas that I stole from Yueya and Reilly. Alone they are incompatible with the Four Realms. In fact, on a large scale they wouldn't work. However, by taking parts of each individual idea, merging them, and using what comes out to adjust parts of the Four Realms...well, that's another story." Mother explained. I hummed and nodded.

"Where did they go, by the way?" I inquired. I lost track of Mother's guests about a year ago. They simply...vanished from the Four Realms altogether.

"Home. Now lets get working on the small-scale experiment. I want to get this implemented as soon as possible so the Four Realms has more energy to spare towards growing." Mother said quickly. I merely accepted her answer and re-focused on the task at hand. Although the presence of the skeleton, Reilly, and the beautiful, pointy-eared woman was interesting and tickled my thirst for knowledge, there were currently more pressing matters to attend to. Remodeling the internal structure of the Karmic Valley was only one of those matters, and only one change in the Four Realms. Elvira, Reika, and Alexander all had their own projects to work on, I was sure. In fact, I have heard rumors that Elvira intends to create a Council that will rule under her.

A era of change was upon us, very profound change.

POV CHANGE: Randus (The Deity of Dreams)

"Ma'am, your tea." I said formally, bowing and pouring the Creator a cup of her own finely brewed tea. I had perfected the art during Her absence, much in thanks to Her no longer incessantly creating new brews and new breeds of tea plants.

"Thank you, Randus. How is Morgan doing?" She asked in an offhand manner, taking a sip of Her tea as She watched the Realm Seeds grow. They were already beginning to sprout, but could hardly even be called saplings yet. They were still small masses, not true extensions of the Four Realms. To be honest I am very interested in how all of this will work.

"Morgan completed its creations not but a few hours ago. It will be here shortly to present them to you." I replied, bowing slightly as I stepped to hide my presence in the shadows. Mother just hummed her acknowledgement, leaning back and rolling her neck. I could tell what Morgan was thinking at the moment for one simple reason; it was dreaming of the future of its particular races, for Morgan created two races. Not that I can claim to comprehend the specifics of its creations, but I do know the general information.

"I see," Mother said simply, staring off at the wall. "It's only been thirty years since Morgan started...that's quite impressive." Morgan appeared exactly where She was looking, and She rose to Her feet, a friendly smile on Her face. "Well, don't keep me waiting. Let me see them." Mother commanded. Morgan's lips curled upwards, baring its fangs in a cruel mockery of a smile. It opened its maw, and from its black hole of a stomach leapt three...beings. Two were a physical race, a male and female of the species, while the third was...not.

The physical beings were vicious and mean-looking. Black chitin covered their four arms and four legs, the exoskeleton tapering to a saw-like edge along their forearms and shins while thick, armor-like chitin of a grey color covered their torso, hiding their milky skin beneath. Eight spindly appendages sprouted from close to their shoulder-blades, not unlike the spidery limbs that Morgan sported, the tips ending in a viciously curved hook that could be used for both climbing and vicious stabbing. A scorpion-esque tail curled from their backsides, looking to be capable of extending to thrice its current length and venom dripping from its sharp tip. Manibles sprouted from the sides of their mouths, leading to a cavern of shark-like teeth meant for tearing chunks out of their prey. The six pure black orbs that were their eyes completed the look alongside a pair of antenna, giving them more than just one form of natural communication.

Everything about this race seemed...predatory. In fact, I believe that is what was meant to be the point. These are predators. Apex predators amongst sentient races...oh, dear. I can only imagine the chaos that would erupt were these beings unleashed upon the world.

As for the third being, and second race, it was...relatively formless, appearing instead as a white gas that seemed to condense into a milky-white pearl at times. I could not make heads or tails of it.

"Well? You asked for my races. Will you deny them?" Morgan challenged.

"Ma'am, I cannot recommend unleashing these beings upon the Four Realms." I said, stepping out of the shadows and bowing towards Mother.

"Shut up, Dream Boy." Morgan snarled, growling at me. For a brief moment I lost my cool at the strange, wolf-like being...which led to my retort.

"The hound should be quite and return to its kennel." I said scathingly, earning a glare from Morgan and another, more dangerous growl.

"ENOUGH!" Mother roared, immediately cowing both myself and Morgan. It felt as if the entierty of the Four Realms was pressing down upon me, making it difficult to breathe while Mother reigned in Her anger. After a moment She took a deep breath and the pressure subsided as She looked at Morgans creations. "What do you call them?" She inquired.

"The Arachion and...the Weird, Inter-Dimensional Gassy Pearly Thing." Morgan grumbled out. Mother snorted in amusement.

"They are wonderful, Morgan. Although I will cut back on the Arachion's viciousness so they actually have a chance of becoming something other than pure evil, I don't see many things to change with them. Besides making them a bit less evil looking. But I can see them for what they will be, and for that I appreciate them. As for your...let's call it the Dimension Creator, there is one thing I would wish to add. May I?" Mother said, asking Morgan. I blinked in surprise at Mother's words, and Morgan's subsequent bowing of its head.

Instantly, the Arachnoids lost the saw-blades on their shins and upper forearms, and their shark-teeth were replaced with teeth befitting of an omnivore. Now they would not require meat to sustain their diet. However, what truly suprised me was the Dimension Creator...as Mother poured just a tiny bit of the Power of Creation into the milky pearl.

"There. Perfect." Mother said, taking a step back.

"Wh-what...?" Morgan stuttered, just as stunned as I was.

"I realized it the moment that I set eyes on the Dimension Creator that you had nearly successfully created something that, in many worlds, is known as a 'Dungeon Core,' a being that creates its own little world, for example, and watches over its growth on a very miniature scale. They're not as close to godhood as they sound, but are indeed very powerful. They will make a good addition, and add a new level of intrigue and danger to the Four Realms' cultivators. Although the Dimension Creators are fundamentally different than the 'Dungeon Core' I spoke of, they are similar enough to make the connection. Congratulations, Morgan, you officially created two new sentient races that will walk the Four Realms." Mother said. I closed my eyes and nodded to myself, deciding to simply trust Mother and see where this will lead.

I must say that Morgan's recent actions, or rather, inaction, has caused me to revise my initial assumptions towards the being. So therefore I feel I must trust Mother further, and just see where this goes. And from the beaming smile that suddenly graced Mother's face, I must conclude that this is the correct direction. After all, it is not often that the Blue Boxes she so often dreams and mutters to Herself about appear and causes such a reaction.