THE MOMENT
"Oh, uh.. Honey sent me..." Ziya refused the menu that was offered. She sat in a red booth in a mostly empty Chinese restaurant. She'd only seen two other occupied tables, but they were both being handled by a different waitress. "Are you Mrs. Chang?" she asked the short, ancient woman wearing a gold and red dress.
"We have a long conversation," the woman replied with a smile. She slid into the seat across from Ziya. "Order if you change your mind."
"Okay," Ziya nodded.
"Honey joined your Court..," Mrs. Chang began. Her eyes sparkled with an emotion Ziya couldn't quite pinpoint. She looked both grateful and sad at the same time. "... I assumed she wouldn't ever join anyone again; it was a pleasant surprise."
"Again..?" Ziya was surprised. Honey never mentioned being part of a different Court.
"Honey has a long history; but, that's not why you're here," Mrs. Chang said. "There are some things you should know as you choose the members of your Court. When Mundo gives a talk, they have so much information it's usually only the highlights. They leave out many details for you to learn on your own. Tell me, do you know anything about magic?"
"Not really...," Ziya shook her head. "I've met some wizards in the guild; that's as close as I've come to magic."
"That's a good starting point," Mrs. Chang nodded. "Magic made by the AlterNet is not real magic. However, real magic does exist. True magic comes from the universe. You call on and shape it with your soul. Anyone, including Zeros, can learn how to use magic. But, a Zero using magic will never be as powerful as a Unique Soul using magic," she said.
"Why not?" Ziya asked. She had no idea what this had to do with her Court; but, she was still glad to learn something new.
"Zeros are fragmented souls; a single soul divided into millions of pieces and spread out on different Earths. To the universe, each of those Zeros is a different water faucet. No matter how much the universe has available, a Zero soul can only let so much through. A Unique Soul is like a vast, open ocean. Everything is always available."
"Oh...," Ziya nodded in awe.
"A Court is the next step. Your chosen Uniques add their souls to your shared ocean making everyone stronger, especially you. El Sol's strength grows to match the members in their Court. In your case, I'm sure Honey gave you quite a boost," Mrs. Chang said. Ziya nodded.
"I'm S-tier now; I was A-tier before Honey joined."
"And you'll grow even more as you add members."
"Are you in a Court?" Ziya asked. Mrs. Chang nodded with a sly smile.
"I am known as the Golden Star Dragon of the Chrome Court. This is a good time to mention that there are also different types: Half Court, Full Court, and Royal Court."
"What's the difference?" Ziya asked. This was the first time she'd heard of variations.
"You started with Honey, a Calavera. So you may create any of them. A Half Court, which includes every Conqueror; or, a Full Court. That is one of each Conqueror and Celestial."
"So.. is a Royal Court only Celestials?" Ziya asked. She was a smart girl and it was an easy pattern to guess. Mrs. Chang nodded.
"Almost. A Royal Court consists of Celestials and a Calavera that is considered a Royal Guard."
"But.. what's the point of anything other than a Full Court?" Ziya asked. "Courts get stronger with more members, right?"
"In a way, yes," Mrs. Chang nodded. "But, on the upper end, it becomes a matter of wasted potential. Full Courts can provide members with immense power; but, not every member will have the experience to know how to use it all. And then, there is the issue of scaling. Due to the nature of Unique Souls, a Full Court is not much different from a Royal Court. Celestial Uniques are quite powerful."
"Oh, okay," Ziya nodded. She already decided she wanted a Full Court. She didn't care about getting stronger; but, she wanted to have a big circle of friends. Thinking about it made her curious about Donna Chang. "Are you close with the other members of the Chrome Court? How long have you been part of it?" she asked.
"We're all very ancient dragons," Mrs. Chang smirked. "Chroma, the Shining Sun Dragon, and London, the Blood Moon Dragon, tend to sleep the centuries away. Meredith, the Verdant Earth Dragon enjoys her independence and Tim, the Flying Time Dragon always has somewhere else to be. We're not a close group; but, we have been together for quite some time. Though, I have no idea how long. Billions of years at the very least," Mrs. Chang said.
"B..billions? With a B?" Ziya asked. Mrs. Chang nodded with a laugh. "Whoa... how many?? 5? 8??" she threw out numbers trying to find something she could comprehend. It boggled her mind to think that she was talking to someone that was alive so long ago. Possibly closer to the start of the universe than the moment they were in now."
"Oh no, nothing like that," Mrs. Chang said while still laughing. Ziya felt a small sense of relief. She did not have to imagine that far back; but, even only 1 or 2 billion years was impossible to imagine.
"40 at least," she added. Ziya's mind went blank. She tilted her head at Mrs. Chang curiously for several seconds until she had a thought she could voice.
"40? 40 billion years?" she asked while shaking her head. "That's not possible...the oldest universe is only 15 billion years old...," she said.
"This time," Mrs. Chang added with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean,...," Mrs. Chang's smile vanished. She locked eyes with Ziya and her voice took on a stern tone. Not like she was angry; but, she wanted Ziya to pay close attention. "...why do you think this is the first multiverse that existed?" Ziya's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She wasn't ready for the follow-up comment.
"I'm sure it's around 40 billion," Mrs. Chang nodded. "..I remember because that's when I met Honey the first time; but, she was a different person then."