The world of Asmanzis exists in an alternate plain of existence, neither above nor below ours, but slightly to the side. It is limited yet unlimited, a world where unrestrained science and unparalleled fantasy collide. It is the hub of existence. From it’s skies come the dreams of heaven. From it’s core comes the curse of hell. It is the center from which all inspiration is drawn from.

But it is not a tranquil world, for the forces of logic and imaginations have been locked in an endless war for time immortal. Rational thought against creation thought, technology against magic. However neither side has yet to reach a point where they can overrule the other, so for the past eternity the two sides have been in Equilibrium.

But this state has begun to place strain upon the multiverse. The damage this has done has already begun…

In a reality not far off our own, Orwell’s vision of Big Brother has come to pass, and Winston Smith is already being watched by the thought police in a world where cold, her logic has all but snuffed out imagination. Meanwhile, logic has broken down in other realities as Metahumans such as Superman roam their respective worlds. In yet another the warrior Goku is practicing his unique form of martial arts, his power parallel to a trillion suns. It is a time of disorder in reality, but no one, not even the Denezans of Asmanzis knows it.

All save the Celestial, a pair of beings created in the midst of the feuding Asmanzis. They are Muse and Thought, brother and Sister, custodians and avatars of their namesakes, of all inspiration. Floating upon the highest peaks of their world, they gazed down as once again the two colliding factions do battle far, far below…

“They no longer listen to us. Their hearts are stone and their vision clouded. They believe they must triumph over the others. How could they become so?” the one known as Muse asked. He was the embodiment of Imagination, avatar of ideas and ideals. He had no set shape, but instead twisted and morphed constantly to reflect the whims of the multiverse in general. At the start of their conversation he was a steel butterfly, but now he was an ornate halberd yet currently mid-change.

“It was inevitable. Being of two entirely different things it is logical to assume that they will eventually come to blows. Brother, I calculate that unless something is done there will be a 99 per cent chance that reality will collapse entirely, destroying everything. That includes ourselves…” came the reply from Thought. Where Muse was male she was Female. When Muse felt she pondered. When Muse imagined, Thought calculated. She was the avatar of Logic. Her body was even stranger than her Brothers, a sleek form that barely registered to the mind, but was there, a shimmering mass of blackness that writhed uncontrollably. Her mouth moved, but it seemed that her words came from her entire body. “So what will be done?” Muse was now a clockwork toy…

“We shall have to call upon the aid of the Mind Smith. We must bring ourselves together and elect a new High One to ensure that our conflicting natures do not collide in this way. Enough damage has been done without more being added. We must go…”

And with that, the two vanished.

Moments later, the two reappeared thousands of kilometers down below the surface of Asmanzis in what appeared to be a circular chamber, it's walls of what appeared to be polished obsidian, inlayed with veins of pearly white quartz that hummed gently with energy and filtering light into the gloom. As the beings appeared, Muse now vaguely humanoid and Thought remaining as she always stood, they slowly made their way towards the center of the chamber. Apart from the walls, it was bare. Almost, for in the center of the room there stood a granite pedestal, as old as time itself, on which stood a single prism of polished glass.

"The prism of mind" Thought said, more of a statement than any sort of explanation. "It has been five eons since we have come to this chamber, but then how long has it been since a problem of this magnitude has arisen?"

"I'd rather call it too short a time... If we had been more observant we would not have to resort to this..." Muse mentioned, retaining his humanoid form, but now instead of shifting shape, he continued to change in terms of his flesh, his clothes, his gender, and his face. One moment he was a well-dressed man, the next, he was a shriveled corpse. Thus was his nature, to become what all the minds of the multiverse universally decided, moment, by moment, by moment. The two positioned themselves on either side and, as one placed their hands upon it. In an instant their hands melted, and as one merged with the prism, forming a link between them. Then, as one, they began to chant.

"We summon thee, creator of the chalice of our very nature, of our very strength. Thee whose hands the mind is forged... Smith... COME!!"

Instantly the prism glowed, changing from clear to murky light in an instant. An eternity passed, and then, coming through the prism, the murky substance that had suddenly arrived in it began to leak from the prism's peak, swirling and coiling and flowing out and into the chamber and then settling around the two figures.

"You have summoned me from the heart of our world and from my eternal task...Speak... Brother and Sister, what task does a servant of fire and creation be set upon?" The voice seemed to come from the very mist itself, a metallic drone that creaked and groaned. Locked with the prism, for a stranger reason the two Siblings spoke as one, their voices combined together to form one.

"Greetings, Smith of the Mind... The universe is in need of another High One, for our efforts have failed to prevent our elements from coming into conflict."

"Aye… so I now feel..." the mist replied. It continued to float gently around them, almost expectantly, waiting…

"But we have yet to assert the means to choose... You know the lore: we must select one who is strong of mind and judgment, but yet has not ever known godlike power. They can be either good, or evil, male or female, but capable of judging the balance of magic and science together..." Muse and Thought said in their fused voice. Again, it was more than a statement than a reminder.

"Yes... but who? May I ask?" The Mindsmith asked.

"Allow us to use the prism's power, to pierce the boundaries of time, matter and space. We shall see with our eyes the being who shall become The High One" Came the joint reply. They then closed their eyes and began to focus. After a minute, both they and the prism began to fluctuate in flickers of pale blue light. Several minutes followed, and the trio remained in silence. But then the prism began to dim once more, and Thought and Muse broke away from it, surprised, but quickly speaking. It was quickly apparent that they had returned to their individual selves.

"We have used our combined power combined with that of the prism to seek out one individual with certain... characteristics. But strangely, there are nine beings that could bear the burden we are seeking to impose. To assert which individual is the best candidate, will be a difficult task." Thought said. She slowly began to place her finger on each side of the prism, both on the sides and on the many faceted angles on the top. "First, there is the 'American Dream', a hero known as Captain America. He is strong of body and convictions, so may well prove to be just as strong in his judgment." The first prism facet cleared and suddenly showed an image. In it, the personification of the American Dream was charging a trio of Mercenaries, using his shield as a battering ram to smash them all to the ground. One of them raised a rifle butt and threw it in the direction of his face, but with a smirk Captain America brought up his other arm to push it away, before delivering a powerful blow to the man's face, bringing him down in a single blow…

"Next..." Thought said as she pressed the second. "We have a girl called Videl. Hot-headed but kind-hearted, there is the possibility of a balanced High One here..." As she spoke the facet cleared, showing the girl relaxing on a sofa at home in her training gear, having a drink and enjoying some television. She then seems to hear someone and turns around called out behind her. A moment later and she rises, looking very, very annoyed.

"Our third Champion is a Mercenary called Cloud" Muse interrupted as Thought pressed the third side of the prism, and like the others produced an image. In it showed the young man walking calmly down a darkened path, a huge sword across his right shoulder, cloak billowing in the wind behind him. " A loner, but again has a sound heart. He has known suffering, so will be more empathic and thoughtful when such occurs before passing judgement... he has also the unusual insight of two separate lives, melded into one, though one was merely placed their by his enemies..."

"The next, is a woman who has lived well beyond her life in years, Faye Valentine. She has a resolve that interests my Sister and I... perhaps it's her hardened attitude that is what we seek..." Muse crossed his eyes, now taking the form of a roped lizard man, his tongue licking out before his body began to harden and change once more. As the next facet grew to an image, it showed Faye carefully making her way through a darkened corridor, pistol out, alert for danger. Then suddenly a man in a black jumpsuit jumped out holding a magnum, but she quickly turned and blasted his chest full off holes. She gave a slight smirk as the man fell to the ground, mouthing something to herself.

"The fifth being is a man known as 'Chainer'... a member of a group called the Cabal... he is a being who understands ruthlessness and doing what is necessary, from what we have seen..." Though said, nodding to her Brother as she continued, who in turn spoke. The facet that came to life next was full of a strange man, goatee pointing on his face, wearing his yellow and black. He was currently swirling his chain that was his main weapon around him, practicing and homing his skills to perfection.

"The sixth is a strange choice, but was mine to make. It is a kitten with the unusual capability to jump between Dimensions. Her experience and wide perspective of the multiverse is her strong point" Muse said, now morphing into a Bare-chest Nymph. The side of the prism that Thought touched next cleared to reveal a sleeping Kitten, black and rather ordinary. If someone were looking, they'd have imagined it dreaming of something distinctively fishy.

"The seventh is a being known as Seriph. She has the power to create life from death, and due to this, may well have an understanding of creation that many of the others lack..." Another side of the prism cleared to Thought's touch, revealing a young woman carefully examining a limb from a dead corpse, measuring it with her expert eyes for quality.

"The eight is one Aloysius Crumrin, a mystic whose age and experience with the supernatural Will suit him well if he is the one we seek... He is the most balanced of the group, with the powers of logic and magic to command..." Thought sighed, and then blackened the entire prism, which had its images continuing to play on its surface with a wave of her hand over it. "But there is another... Joey Clarence Mathid... he is an adventurer... but strangely we cannot focus upon him. He may... have some powers directly related to his mind.. From that, we may assume, there could be great potential..."

Then Muse turned to the ethereal mass that was the Mind Smith. "What would you propose we do? Whilst our minds were joined we were still divided as to the nature of the way we assert who out of these beings is most suitable..." The siblings then turned to the Mind Smith, who floated in the same way that he had done before.

"As Asmanzis is the focus of your aspects, have them transported here to help with the problems here... As they face the hardships, each of them will fall, leaving only the strongest..." Muse and Thought held their own council for a few moments, and then nodded in almost the same time.

"Very well... let it be done" Muse said. "But on one condition... we divide them into two groups, and place them on opposing sides of the world." Thought turned towards him, with the appearance that she was actually surprised at him saying what he had done.

"But wouldn't it be easier for them to remain as a group?" she asked.

"Competition... we let them know that it is a competition, and that the better one team does simply surviving here, the greater the individual survival of each of the team members. We then gradually remove those who fail to support themselves until there is only a handful of the group left. We then group them together, and have the same principle..." Thought and the Mind Smith continued to look at them. "You work on logical principles, Sister… I work on emotional ones... They are all beings that enjoy the prospect of power, be it to help others, or help themselves... They are also very, very competitive, each and every one of them. We will see them each at their best..." After giving his words consideration, Thought nodded.