“Humans should be the center of the universe!” yelled Ignis as he stood up with his thick, long hair the color of strawberries and his eyes the color of overflowing blood.
“We disagree, brother,” Anahita stated with her long, blond, almost clear, wavelike hair and soft eyes, the color of water flowing through a calm stream.
With her long, thick hair, the color of soil, and her emerald eyes, Terra began the reasons she had prepared, “It is not logical, the-“
“Why? We are the best, and humans will look like us, so they will therefore be glorious!” Ignis interjected rudely. Terra looked at Ventus, who in turn looked back with her curly, long, white hair and eyes the color of rain. Terra did not like to be interrupted. She looked to Ventus for support as Ventus has always been the best at dealing with their brother.
“Ignis, please listen to our reasons. It will help you to see our point of view so we can all agree on an informed decision,” stated Ventus.
“No, sisters. Humans at the center of the universe is an outstanding idea! You’ll see!” Ignis fired off as he strutted away from his seat at the triangular table.
“Ignis, come back! We need to work this out together!” Ventus asserted as she began to chase after him. Ignis always has an ardent disposition; he is the god of fire and chaos, after all. Ventus, the god of wind and creativity, has always calmed him down. She knows how to cool the embers of his anger.
“Leave him. If he cannot use logic, we must formulate our own plan.” Terra said, her eyes displayed what she was thinking.
“He is too stubborn; we will never be able to reason with him. We won’t even be able to compromise,” Anahita said. She is the god of water and clarity. So the others knew it was true. They had to trick their own brother for the sake of the universe. With clarity, Anahita had seen what humans would do to their homeland, and being the center of the universe would make them too powerful. The resources would be too great, and humans would multiply too quickly, which would cause their extinction to be sooner than the gods hoped. With a power source as the center, it would provide energy for all life throughout the universe.
“Ok. I agree. It must be done, but not here. He could walk in while we are creating our plan of action,” Ventus whispered. So, the sisters left the triangular table where the sisters’ seats were on the sides, and the brother’s seat was at the apex. He always overpowered the conversations. He had designed the original table. Why a triangle? Well, because he believes he has the most and mightiest power. So, he put his seat at the top and his sisters, who he thinks have little power, at the bottom. So the sisters left the patriarchal table to build one where they all are equal. Terra, the goddess of land and logic, made clay to build the table. The clay was too hard, so Anahita, the goddess of water and clarity, made water to wet the clay so it could be shaped. All the sisters helped to carve the table, including ornate designs. Ventus, the goddess of wind and creativity, added the details and blew the clay dry. The goddesses finished the table and stood admiring their work. If the table they created was this wonderful, they knew their universe would be too. Their table is very different from Ignis’s, as his is triangular while theirs is a welcoming circle, for they believe that they all have equal power.
The goddesses began to make their plan. They spent many nights planning and drawing. Once they had formulated their plan, they took action. Together, Terra and Ventus created a sphere. Terra made the clay, and Ventus shaped it into a sphere and drew humans on the surface. They did not use water, for the sphere had to be arid and dry as a mouth full of thirst. After many days, the sphere was complete, and they called their brother. They met at the triangular table.
“So you have realized I am right. Haven’t you sisters?” Ignis proclaimed with a smug grin on his face that sent a hurricane through Anahita.
“Yes, we have. You were right: humans should be the center of the universe,” Ventus affirmed, feeling a pit of guilt inside her.
“I want to hear you all say it,” Ignis said mockingly.
“You are right,” Terra said. There was a great pause after her.
“I agree,” Anahita stated, not willing to say he was right.
“You agree with what, sister?” Ignis questioned, taunting her. This caused Anahita’s long wavy hair to become a rushing stream, so she paused and slicked her hair. She could not cause any suspicion.
“Your idea is correct,” Anahita said with the weight of water upon her, “We have made the sphere, but we need you to light a fire to christen it.”
“Of course. You require my power,” Ignis said mockingly. Ignis stood on the sphere and blew fire as the sisters stood from a distance. The entire sphere lit up into flames. On fire, Ignis departed the sphere in a blast of fury and stormed to his sisters. “You thought a little fire could kill me? I am the god of fire!” Ignis screamed as he hurled a ball of fire at his sisters’ heads. The goddesses knew that it would not kill him but would put the next stage of their plan into action. He has fallen right into their trap.
“Brother, you must calm down,” Ventus said calmly but fearfully.
“You are making a mess. If you wish to fight us, let us fight somewhere else,” stated Anahita, using a calm and authoritative voice to cover the hail storm that was bubbling within her.
“I am more powerful than all of you combined! You dare challenge me?” Ignis shouted derogatorily. After a pause, Ignis yelled, “What, scared?”
“We are not afraid. Now, if you want to battle, you can battle, but only against me,” Anahita stated with the calmness of a peaceful lake.
“The others know they can’t beat me,” Ignis yelled. Anahita’s peacefulness of a lake turned into a stream that ran faster and faster.
“Ventus and Terra are not afraid, but when we win, you will say, ‘Of course, three against one.’ I will not stand for your excuses of defeat,” Anahita said, trying to find her peaceful lake. She took a deep breath and continued, “Also, not here. We will battle tomorrow on the sphere Ventus and Terra will create.”
“Fine. You will finally see that you are powerless compared to me.” Ignis said.
“If I win, humans are not the center of the universe,” Anahita stated in a political voice.
“Well, WHEN I win, you will be banished,” Ignis said, pointing toward Anahita. He continued, “Humans will be the center of the universe, and all of your powers will be mine, including Ventus’ and Terra’s powers.” Anahita backed away for a second; thoughts rushed through her brain like a waterfall after rain. That much power is not meant for one person and certainly not for Ignis, the god of fire and chaos! “Where’s all your confidence now, sister?” Ignis mocked in an evil voice.
“We both have confidence, yet mine is combined with clarity while yours is combined with chaos. Your arrogance will be your downfall.” Anahita proclaimed as she walked toward him with confidence. Her blood was flowing like a rapid. “See you tomorrow,” she said and walked away.
Ventus and Terra began creating the sphere but needed water to better shape it and fire to smelt it. So, Anahita and Ignis helped, Anahita supplied the water, and Ignis supplied the fire. Together, the siblings created the sphere where the battle the universe depended on would take place. It was a day of peace, love, harmony, and unity. However, like the quiet before the storm, it had to come to an end.
Anahita and Ignis stood on the firm surface of the sphere created for this reason; for them to battle. Ignis hurled a ball of fire that hit Anahita, forcing her to the ground. Her stomach sizzling, she rose slowly as Ignis let out a rude comment. She could not let him win this; creation depended on it. Anahita created a ball of ice and hurled it at his feet. Thinking she missed, Ignis stood there as the ice hit his feet. Bang! His feet were sore and felt as if they themselves were ice. The two battled for what felt like days, each taking blows and coming back. Ventus and Terra watched anxiously. Anahita hit Ignis on the feet, but this time, she used her powers to cause a thick layer of ice to surround his entire body except for his head. “Do you yield?” probed Anahita, she was hoping she would not have to continue, but Ignis could not allow her to win.
“No!” Ignis exclaimed as his eyes turned a fiery red. He heated his body, causing him to break free from the ice suit. Their fight resumed again. Ignis started to get cockier, if that was even possible, and more arrogant in his tactics. He created a series of bold fires that Anahita quickly drenched. Finally, he created a ring of fire around Anahita and started to have it close in on her.
As the ring slowly crept closer and closer to Anahita, Ignis let out many rude and derogatory insults telling her that no woman would ever beat a man and that it was useless to even try. A flash flood formed in Anahita. She had stayed calm the entire time, waiting for his mistake, and now he had made it. His arrogance had taken over, but it was not the arrogance that flooded her heart, but his misogynistic statements that did. She rose on a wave of water and drenched Ignis and his ring of fire. She put Ignis in a bubble of water from which he could not escape and questioned him again, “Do you yield?” with a voice the strength of a thousand oceans. There was no response. She asked again, “Do you yield?” Ignis was defiantly silent. “You will die in there if you do not answer me,” Anahita states. Fire cannot survive in water; therefore, fire’s god cannot either.
“Yes. Yes, I yield,” Ignis mouthed as the water was consuming him. She placed the bubble of water on the ground and released the water tomb. Ignis lay, water consuming his lungs. Anahita saw her brother on the ground and felt pity. She was right, his arrogance was his downfall, but she could not let him die. She kneels on the ground next to him and uses her powers to suck the water from his body. He coughed up blood and rolled onto his side, thoughts rushing through his mind like wildfire. “I am defeated. Humanity will not be the center of the universe,” He thought, but that is not what disturbed him. “I was defeated by my sister! How will I ever be respected again!” he thought.
Anahita reached to help him up and gently said, “Come, we have a universe to create.” However, Ignis did not take her hand but instead ran to the sphere his sisters had created to deceive him.
Anahita sighed; that was not part of the agreement. He would not be banished, so she gathered Ventus and Terra, and together they chased after him and told him that it was all in order and he could still be with them. He thanked them but said he would still join them for decisions and would respect their opinions, but would live on the first sphere. He lit the sphere on fire, the perfect energy source for the universe. The sphere is beautiful. Together, the siblings named the sphere of fire Pulchritudo ex Chao, for it is beauty from chaos.
The siblings left and went to the table. Everyone had a seat at the table and an equal amount of space. They tore the triangular table into pieces but displayed some of the pieces to remind them of the inequality of the past. Then, they changed the sphere. Terra created mounds of land she called continents, Anahita put water around and throughout them, and Ventus put a layer of air and wind she called the Aeris around the sphere that was originally made for battle. The siblings decided to call the sphere Vita, for it would hold life. They moved Vita to the perfect place from the Pulchritudo ex Chao, not too hot and not too cold. The sisters knew that the energy from the Pulchritudo ex Chao was also full of prejudice and arrogance, humans would have troubles, but with cooperation, they would be able to overcome them. The siblings watched as Vita grew, helping it along as needed. Their presence is all around the Vita. When a cool breeze blows, it is Ventus. When the land is stable, it is Terra. When it rains, it is Anahita. When there is a small fire, it is Ignis. Whenever there is a problem, they all come together at their circular table to discuss how to proceed. They send tornadoes, vitaquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires to warn humans, whether they listen or not. As a symbol of chaos and arrogance, some of Ignis’ blood, lava, will break out from the ground, but Terra turns the lava into more land. The siblings watch over humanity and help as they can, for the siblings worked so hard for the humans to be able to live.
***A while later***
“What do you think about humans?” Anahita asks her siblings. She has brought her siblings to the circular table to discuss the humans.
“I can feel Vita’s life force being drained,” Terra sadly states.
“The human population is out of control,” Ventus proclaims.
“They do not take care of Vita,” Terra voices with a sigh.
“I agree. The Aeris is being drained,” Ventus affirms with sadness in her heart.
“The water levels are rising, and they are poisoning the water,” Anahita says with all the rain of the wet season on her heart.
“The mounds are being drilled into,” Ventus vents.
“Vita is slowly migrating toward me,” Ignis remarks. The closer Vita gets to Pulchritudo ex Chao, the more arrogant and chaotic humans would become.
“What should we do?” asks Ventus. Humans are close to all of the siblings’ hearts, for all that it took to create them, but something has to be done. Something has to change the current course the humans are on.
“Disease, famine, worldwide vitaquakes, tidal waves, fire, or tornadoes?” Anahita questions worriedly. The question lays heavy on their souls as the siblings all slowly glance at each other, with the usually tender-hearted Terra breaking the silence.
“Well, we have warned them.”
The Mire 