Archive of Our Own

In an endless expanse of white, a void filled simultaneously with light and nothingness, materialized the figure of a man. But he was much more than that. Much less as well.

He took several steps forward, his bare feet soundless as he approached the only other being in this dimensionless world of white. She had changed a bit, he mused, eyes never leaving their target. Short shorn pale blue hair, its characteristic silvery gleam polished white by the surrounding light. A dull black coat and pants. A white fur cloak that was much more than a fashion statement. He smiled. Impressive as always, Asha.

It was her third time in this space between spaces. The first time, she had been a young child; the slippery blood of her first kills freshly imprinted in her flawless memory, the same unwavering cold blue steel in her eyes. He'd brought her here, wherever 'here' was, and given her the map to victory. She'd looked deceptively innocent in her pure white dress and her long silvery hair in a blue ribbon. 

That had changed by the time of her second visit. He hadn't appeared before her then. He hadn't needed to. The tall young woman with shoulder length hair had come a long way from where the orphaned child had started, and everything was going exactly according to her plan. She didn't expect to see him again.

Now, however, things were different.

She looked up, only mildly surprised at his appearance.

"Why have you come?"

"You seem to have strayed from your original desired path. Have you changed your mind?"

"You know very well that I have not."

He only nodded, obviously expecting the answer. As he expected all things.

"Then perhaps you now look for guidance. Several essential things have not gone according to plan. Shall I offer you my thoughts?"

"That won't be necessary," she replied coldly, turning away from him. She missed the small, knowing smirk that settled on the god's face. There were several moments of silence before he spoke again, a deceptively gentle lilt to his words.

"Do you regret your decision? I know what you're wondering. Go on, ask me. Do you mourn for what you lost, what you gave up all those years ago?"

She looked at him sharply, the question as good as an accusation in her eyes. 

"I have no such sentiments, Vishnu." There was a razor's edge to her voice, and she leveled his name with an almost vindictive emphasis. "I already have a plan in place. I won't waste your time explaining something you already know." Somewhere in the back of her mind, she found the subtle irony of the statement amusing. "You obviously didn't come here merely for the sake of discussing the long-lost past. Just tell me whatever message you found urgent enough to pre-ordain and be done with it."

He nodded, unfazed by her brusqueness. "For the most part, I already have. I trust you remember the different outcomes you saw before you hunted the nameholders." He saw her nod stiffly and continued. "Your path from here is one of considerably less predictability, as the consequences of your choices are no longer concrete. One action may lead to a myriad of different results - results that will remain, for the most part, out of your control, as the contributing factors will remain out of your sphere of influence." Asha clenched her teeth, but didn't allow her determination to waver. If she had to forge her own path to victory, then so be it. Sensing he wasn't finished, she waited for him to continue. 

"Do you know... how you come to be in this place?"

The sudden question threw her off a bit, evidenced only by the slight arching of one pale eyebrow. "I assumed it was by your will. That you created this," she gestured outward with her hand, "between dimensions for the purpose of carrying out your plans even after your physical existence ceased to be." 

"And you would be correct, but I ask if you know how you, in principle, can 'exist' in a place like this." Asha wondered after the point of his questioning. She could hazard a very decent guess, if she had her creation theory right, but she simply stared at him and waited. He was bound to elaborate regardless. 

"In all humans, the 'existence' and 'soul' are tied together, and the 'name' is the property that simultaneously contains everything and tethers it to the physical universe. You are here because, while your current 'existence' has dissipated, your soul remains and your name still tethers you to the physical world. That is how you are able to return to it once your 'existence' re-stabilizes. Asha, I have come to offer you the opportunity to unbind yourself from this war."

Whatever she had been expecting to hear next, it wasn't that. She opened her mouth to question what the meaning of this was, how he could possibly imagine her taking that offer, but he continued before a sound could escape her lips.

"I am the giver of names. As such, I also have the power to take them away, under the right conditions. By taking away your name, I would undo the tether you have to the mortal world, and your soul would be free to continue into the afterlife, free of divine judgement as a nameless being. On your current path, you will reach the end of your life after you have worn through the entirety of your existence. The loss will be permanent then, and when your name is crossed off by the God of Death, your entire being will disappear from this universe without a trace, as if you never came into existence at all. There will be no afterlife for your soul then, only nothingness for eternity. I offer you this option as an immediate alternative to your situation; I advise you to think carefully on it, Asha Rahiro. I will reappear to hear your answer when your existence has renewed. Whether you return to your war for a last chance at your coveted victory, or sacrifice your plans for an unburdened afterlife, is your choice alone."

Asha was quiet. Whatever answer she gave now, he would refuse to hear until the time came, but she resented the idea of simply watching him leave in silence. Instead, she kept her face carefully neutral, and asked, "Is that all you have to tell me, before you leave me alone?"

Vishnu studied her for a second before giving her a small smile. "I suppose so. Though for how long you'll be alone, I can't say."

Asha looked away disinterestedly; she already knew as much. The flow of time did not concern itself with the place she was in. All she knew to do was wait for the transition that would occur once her existence re-gathered itself. She would mull over her plans in the meantime. She nodded once to Vishnu.

"I appreciate your offer. You'll have my answer when the time comes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have absolutely nothing to do, and no time to waste."

And with that, he watched as she turned from him and strode off in an arbitrary direction, perfectly content to disappear into the blank distance as she had so many times before. She turned her head slightly back as an afterthought occurred to her.

"I have some baggage with me this time," she called over her shoulder, giving a wave of her hand without breaking stride. 

Vishnu turned to the direction she'd gestured in and, though it would only appear as a tiny speck in the distance to human eyes, he registered the large magic-made object immediately. He vaguely wondered if he should inform Asha that she would soon be sharing this dimensionless realm with another magician's soul. With an almost imperceptible shrug, he started to dematerialize. She'd find out soon enough, he mused, and he'd technically already given her fair warning, falsely as she'd taken it. Shaking his head, he sighed and decided to wish his second message recipient good luck. 

Asha Rahiro really was something else.