[Edric's POV]
Mr Westbrook had a bit too much fun.
When that Stag's Fury really hit…
"Arghhh!"
I watched my other self go through it, vomiting everywhere.
"This body… is garbaRGHHH!"
I laughed.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Severe vomiting, struggling to remain conscious, slowed breathing and pale skin… all symptoms of alcohol poisoning."
Alysanne had discovered the chamber that the Other Edric turned into a mess.
"What are you doing here?" The other Edric questioned.
"I could ask you the very same thing."
She placed her hand on his back and a green light lit up the chamber. Alysanne's healing immediately affected the alcohol in his bloodstream, purifying it. I observed him recover in just a few seconds.
"It's not the first time I dealt with a person who drank more than their share. You were almost guaranteed to die from that amount… your will can only take you so far, Ser Ashter."
"Or… do you prefer to be addressed as Edric Baratheon?"
"I didn't hide it all that well."
"I'm guessing you completely eradicated Ser Ashter's soul when you took this body."
"I did," he admitted.
"I see..."
Oof.
"An unintended loss... in hindsight, I shouldn't have. He was a decent enough knight," He shook his head. "For all the sins that I've committed, eternal damnation would be the least that I deserve. But… a certain someone you know led me down a different path. A younger, brighter, spirit. A mirror reflecting my past self, a reminder of what I used to be. Of what I could still be."
"..."
"I would not blame you for not accepting me," The Other Edric smiled slightly. It was a bitter smile. "It's one reason why I took this form. To live... unchained by my past. Alas, I don't believe that is possible."
"I know you better than you'd believe," Alysanne replied. "I've seen it all, past and present. I know that you were burdened by the events of the Long Night... and, in its aftermath, no one was there for you. Quite the opposite. They blamed the Winter on you."
"They were right, I turned every place I walked into a frozen waste. It worked out best for both sides... I took myself far enough for spring to come and succeeded in my goal. Over the years, I mastered my new abilities and rooted the Tree of the End to the barren eastern edge of the known world. I did take some pleasure in watching the Seven Kingdoms collapse without me... and had no desire to intervene, regardless of what occurred."
"I was better than that."
"You're right. My father was someone who sought out the future. He turned foes to allies and unified the Realm. He sacrificed so much... including himself, to see it all through."
"... You make me sound like some sort of hero."
"To me, you have always been."
Alysanne said, sweetly. Her eyes glowed like two shimmering summer seas.
"..."
He was seemingly frozen in thought for quite a while. I could feel his heart waver. Was Alysanne better at talking than I? This version of me was far, far, from perfect... hero was stretching it. Even I didn't really consider myself that.
"No need to lie to me," He shook his head. "I have brought far too much chaos and destruction to ever be called that."
"You can only walk forward, father."
She offered her hand.
"Your past shouldn't stop you from being who you want to be. If you want to be better... then be better, with all your heart and will. With all that power you possess, you could do absolutely anything. In time, your good deeds could shine so bright that the darkness could no longer be seen."
"You are so much wiser than I was at your age," Edric remarked with a smile, taking her hand.
He was surprised when she embraced him.
"I... don't deserve this kind of warmth."
"Then make yourself worthy."
Alysanne said cheerfully.
"... I see."
He smiled slightly.
~
I didn't really need to do much more. From that point onwards, Alysanne took the helm and brought more light to his soul every day. He became more invested in the lives of his twins and began to court Margaery. They were starting to look like an actual family. Although Garth was far more reserved than his sister, he didn't push Edric Baratheon away.
With the alliance sealed, Garth swept up the Riverlands swiftly. They were divided before, devastated by Hugar and once again divided... peace and a sense of security were what most of their people desired more than anything. Garth gave them that and more. There were no battles, even... most lords gladly welcomed him, while others only needed a couple of words from Alysanne to be won over.
"What to do with the Iron Islands..." Garth sighed, looking across the sea. "Historically, their Old Way has always persevered. All it seems to take is one lord paramount to be fond of how things used to be..."
"Leave them to me," The Other Edric said.
"You don't intend on being kind, I'd imagine."
"Previously, I would've simply slaughtered them all, indeed..." He nodded. "I believe there is a better, more time-consuming way. It will take a great deal of time, but I know I can... 'mend' them."
"Mend?"
"Purge them of all intentions of ever reaving again... and striving to pass that down to their children. In time, the Old Way will truly die. That is the greatest kindness I can offer them. Unless, you have something better in mind?"
"It is rather terrifying to know that you can simply twist the minds of those around you," Garth remarked.
"I could never be pitiful enough to use such a thing to benefit myself. Whether or not the people in this world accept me... it matters not. I will exist regardless, and do as I desire."
"Yet... you do want to be accepted," Garth stated. "To feel that you belong."
"... Mayhaps."
"It's... difficult, when you're so different from everyone else around you. I have never had all too many friends, and none I considered truly close to me. The sole son of the last true king, a bastard and a boy who struggled to make meaningful connections. Sometimes I think my sister would be better suited for this role of monarch... but the world wouldn't quite accept that."
"You aren't 'ideal' for this role, that may be true... but what does it matter?" The Other Edric said, shrugging. "Don't aim to be Aegon the Conqueror, Jaehaerys the Consillator or even... me. Be King Garth Baratheon, the First of His Name. There are things in this world that only you can do. Use that prodigious head of yours to the fullest and elevate this world past its tired age of steel."
"If you can accomplish that, you'll be greater than everyone before you."
He spoke with certainty, leaving the body of Ashter behind.
Honestly... I probably couldn't have done better myself.
Garth turned around.
"Thank you, father."
~
The Other Edric had returned to his original body, and began using his magic in ways that even I could hardly fathom. If I were on the cusp of godhood, he stood at the pinnacle. There was hardly anything he couldn't do.
I was capable of possessing several people at once, but... outright shaping them en masse was far beyond me. It was quite terrifying watching it in real time. They won't even remember him being there.
"You must see this as quite the step in the wrong direction, my other saintly self..." He stated.
"You'd rather stain your hands than see Garth go through the same thing. That is quite selfless, if anything."
"Yes... Committing such acts is one thing I'm rather brilliant at. It doesn't affect me in the slightest. I can't say same for him... and that's a good thing. I don't want him to turn out like I did."
"A dark hand, committing all the terrible deeds for the greater good. I doubt there are many roles that would suit you more... even though it suggests that you can't ever truly walk away from your darkness."
"It is a part of us, there is no escaping that," He shook his head. "Whether we use it for good or for evil is another matter."
"... I suppose," I nodded. "Being 'normal' after all of this is an impossible dream."
...
Meanwhile, Garth had begun unifying the Vale. Its 'King' was Edric Arryn, but only in name. He ruled from the Eyrie, but his reach didn't expand far beyond that. Nearly all of the lords ruled as they wished, even some proclaiming themselves kings instead. With his superior forces, he went straight through the Bloody Gate and the Gates of the Moon.
After a parlay, it was settled that Edric Arryn would kneel to Garth, and he would aid in restoring the Vale under his rule as Lord Paramount. Afterwards, the rest of the Vale was unified, which took considerably longer than the Riverlands.
Then, only the North and Dorne remained.
Most of Garth's forces were sent south, led by Durran Baratheon, while Garth and a smaller party rode North. He aimed to bring the North back into the fold without fighting. With his magic, there was nothing that could stop him from heading straight to Winterfell.
House Stark had faced a similar, near-extinction event in this world. Only Arya and Sansa had survived out of Eddard's children due to being in the south. All the others had perished. The North had also faced great devestation, yet was relatively stable compared to the other kingdoms. The Northmen were largely loyal to their ruling house.
Before that, however, the Other Edric had completed the brainwashing of the Iron Islands and we began to experiment with 'fixing' his body. Namely, pouring a lot of my blood into his system.
"It does burn..." He remarked. "It's like a virus spreading in all directions."
"Yeah... that's one way to describe my blood," I chuckled. "Once, it was fighting itself, but a mutation occurred. An evolution."
"Still, it's not... enough," He sighed. "My magic is superior to yours."
"If you weaken yourself, then it may be easier. Also... we could store my blood over several days, which should possess enough power to overwhelm you."
"That may carry the risk of my destruction..."
"It's the risk you have to take, I suppose."
"... Very well."
After several days of harvesting my blood, and him exhausting his magic reserves, we tried again. It spread all into his body, the first waves being immediately repelled, but he kept drinking. I helped it flow more seamlessly with my magic.
Eventually, his body began undergoing... changes. His ice-like skin started to look more human. His dead heart was reforming itself. It took many hours, but it was working. After a whole day, he looked not so different from me.
"Such power..." He said, with massive dragon wings expanding from his back. "This evolution may have doubled my magical prowess."
"Man, you already did something I haven't," I sighed.
"The wings?" He blinked.
"Yeah... I've tried countless times."
"Once I'm fully recovered, I'll share my magic with you."
"..." I raised an eyebrow. "You don't really need to."
Boosting each other like it's some exploit in an RPG game... we'd be a pretty broken duo, I will say.
"I will not have your efforts go unrewarded."
"Seeing a happy ending is payment enough," I remarked.
"Don't be so modest. I want to ensure that nothing goes awry for you."
"... It's hard to say no to dragon wings."
"That's what I thought," He chuckled.
...
Before we moved on, he was curious about my story... so I shared it with him through Greenseer magic. He directly experienced my memories, which were clearer than any words could be.
"That... was beautiful."
He said, observing my end.
"Beautiful, you say."
"I may have remained alive, but I had lost nearly everything... your victory was nearly flawless. You died a hero, true to yourself... and having protected all you cared about. The future is hopeful, even if your death was a permanent thing."
"It is quite admireable," There was a light in his eyes. "That you were able to do something so ultimately selfless. There was no guarantee that you'd survive... yet you still took the Great Other to the grave, ending the endless conflict with humanity."
"Still, so many regrets..."
"Fortunately, you ascended to godhood. Now only the gods of the known world remain to challenge you... namely R'hllor."
"Does he become so great an obstacle?"
"You took the Great Other's essence... which makes you his successor. R'hllor would not tolerate your existence regardless of what you do. Your only choice is to destroy him and all who believe in him."
"... That's hundreds of thousands, millions even."
"It's you or him," The Other Edric said. "Or... a war without end. Pick your poison."
"Is that so?"
"I know you want to rest... spend time with your family, be at peace. That is not an option until you conquer the entire known world."
"... Of course," I laughed. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose."
"You'd should act the moment that you are able. Otherwise, R'hllor will be able to build up his strength... and truly challenge you. If you allow it to go that far, you will most certainly lose something important."
"... I see."
I'll have work to do back home.