No Wonder

Death was getting really cranky these days. Still, Evolution thought, I've got my own work to do. Though Evolution worked over extreme periods of time, she still had to work. She had been encouraging a group of mortal bloodlines to grow and develop and recently the fruits of her labour had emerged in the form of these five teens. Most of the other Personas disapproved, especially the Mistress, but Creation had helped her, though it was more of meddling rather than helping. He had caused the appearance of several new 'virgin' genes, never before seen, giving these teens certain abilities.
And then there was also that other mortal she was keeping an eye on. More than one if she had to. The mortal had somehow bonded her skin to a demon and recently an odd formation had been developing on her skin that she was so desperately trying to remove. Artificial evolution, so to speak. She would have to ask Growth about it sometime. But it would be interesting to block the effects of whatever medication the mortal used just to see what would happen. She probably should just warn her first. But then, the mortal would likely get angry and hateful and, as the Mistress loved to say so much, the relationship between the Personas and the mortals wasn't exactly rosy. Evolution was partially afraid that her project with the teens might draw too much attention and lead to another Meeting. The last time a Meeting occurred, Creation had been proposing this new race of humanoids which he called Cain. Now, uncountable years later, the Cain were still nomadic and sparse, though they were starting to integrate into society.
When a Persona came up with such an idea, all Emotional and Natural Personas had to give their blessings, otherwise the whole plan would just fall apart. Without Death, there'd be overpopulation. Without Life, they wouldn't be. Without Chaos, they wouldn't have that spark of creativity and individuality. Without Growth... The list goes on. The Elemental Personas generally didn't care and the Colour Personas were considered to be secondary. Either way, Evolution decided, it was pretty scary to be presenting an idea to all of the others.

Raewyn yelped in surprise as a woman appeared in front of her. The woman's form was decidedly humanoid, but contained an amalgamation of other creatures. Her head was that of a hawk, her left arm covered in scales, her right arm in fur, a snake coming out from the back of her neck, her legs ending in a paw on the left and a talon on the right and other numerous minute mixtures of animals. Raewyn fumbled to cover her own nude form as she grabbed Utrennyaya and got off her bed.
"What th-"
"Stay your hand, mortal, I do not wish to hurt you." The woman's voice was recognisably human, but in the same way that Acheron's voice seemed to echo and fold on itself, so this woman's voice contained hints of bestial roars, avian squawks, deep growls and sinuous hisses.
"Who and what the hell are you?" Raewyn didn't let her guard down and held Utrennyaya up menacingly.
"I am," She paused dramatically," Evolution."
No way. No blessed way. It's not possible. Libys thought.
"You can't be. The Personas haven't had contact with us mortals in ages."
"Yes, we have." Evolution corrected. Now, her voice was as normal as Raewyn's own. "Haven't used that dramatic, snobby, holier-than-thou voice in quite awhile." Evolution said to herself, rubbing her throat. "Yes, we've had contact with mortals. You just didn't know. The public was never told."
"What are you doing here then?"
Evolution idly pulled away the blanket Raewyn was using to cover herself. She blushed furiously as Evoution laid a furred hand on her taint-covered breast. Evolution either didn't realise what she was doing was causing Raewyn some discomfort or she didn't care. Most likely, she probably enjoyed watching Raewyn squirmed.
"This. I intend to let this anomalous formation grow over you."
"What!" Raewyn nearly spluttered in indignation and outrage. "I'm trying to get rid of it!"
"Yes, I know. I've seen your efforts. But it would be for the greater good. By observing this anomaly, I will be able to further the development of you mortals." Evolution said, in what she fully intended to be a soothing voice. It didn't work.
"No!" She angrily swung Utrennyaya at her, but the motorised morningstar went straight through Evolution. "I will not be your guinea pig, you bitch!"
"You might as well save your energy, mortal, your weapons can't hurt me. And," Evolution sniffed at her, though it didn't really seem possible with that avian head, "I have a name, you know. Most mortals call me Lady Evolution and fall over bowing to me but for you, I think I'm willing to make an exception. You can call me Evvy."
She was starting to get a headache. She'd forgotten how annoying and unreasonable mortals could be.
"Get out of my house!" Raewyn yelled, throwing Aida through her and the sword, like the mace, went through Evolution without harming her. The sword slammed into a wall and shattered some glass ornaments.
Evolution rolled her cat eyes.
"Please, Raewyn, we both know that you can't forcibly evict me from anywhere." Evolution groaned as Raewyn started bolts of magic at her. Now she knew what Death felt like, having to deal with disobedient children.
"You know, Raewyn, you could just ask me nicely to leave. And have you considered what you look like, a naked woman attacking the air?"
She responded by throwing more powerful spells at Evolution. The magic splashed against the walls of her room harmlessly, though Evolution could see that the protective runes on the wall were starting to glow a dangerous cherry red in response to the ever-increasing strength of Raewyn's spells. The wards weren't going to hold.
"Surely you can see that if you keep flinging spells everywhere, your runes are going to overload and no doubt start a fire?"
Raewyn breathed heavily, sweat lining her face. She hadn't used that much magic that fast in a long time and she was out of practice. She sullenly began to dress herself.
"Good. I'm glad that you have stopped acting like a spoilt child. Baby-sitting Mariko was bad enough. This visit was purely to inform you of what I will be doing. I would have carried out my plan regardless of your consent." She informed Raewyn bluntly. "Aren't you glad for my consideration? Now, contrary to popular belief, I do actually have work to be done. However, if you have need of me, just make a lewd joke involving Creation and I. Whichever Persona around that hears it will pass the message on to me, just because they think it's funny. Actually, I'll just give you the ability to see the other Personas, that'd make things easier."
Evolution lifted a clawed finger and scratched something on Raewyn's eyes. She was so surprised that she didn't even react until Evolution had finished. She also felt no pain, as if Evolution had been drawing on the air. She blinked a couple of times. Nothing really seemed to have changed. Except, in everything. In everything she saw a hint of something and the something was a Persona. Everything held a small part of the various Personas. She blinked again. Evolution was gone. The whole experience was so surreal and felt like a dream, except that dreams didn't leave her with a whole new perspective. And she didn't even get to ask who Mariko was nor express her incredulity at Evolution's relationship with Creation.

She found Chaos as she was walking through Eden, the garden of the Personas made by her and Creation as a joint effort, reviewing her plans for the genome of the world.
"Hello, Chaos." Chaos was the eldest of the Natural Personas. Eldest in terms of wisdom and maturity, since all the Personas had came about at more or less the same time. Ironically, he had the youngest form of all the Personas, appearing as a disinterested lad of no more than fourteen winters with a wild shock of black hair.
"Hullo, Ev." He said warmly. Despite his seniority, he didn't flaunt it over others except when circumstances forced. "I hear Grandmother Death's been wearing herself out. Lucky she's got you to take care of her."
"Thanks, Chaos." She couldn't help but feel a small bit of pride. Chaos had a way of making people feel important. "Grandmother?" Evolution chuckled. "She'd stake your shins backwards to the ground if she knew you called her that. She doesn't like the idea of Arrt and Del getting together."
"That's her incentive for you to get things done? Funny. How go your plans?"
"I doubt you'd like them, they're too orderly."
"Hai, you're a sharp one, Ev." His sallow face smiled lightly. He turned to the crimson flowers, staring deep.
"Something troubling you, Chaos?"
He sighed ruefully, rubbing his rounder nose, compared to the other Personas. "I shouldn't be troubled by it, really." He started talking softly in that language he often used, an odd language that nobody else knew about. When Evolution asked him once what it was, he had replied that it was 'Chinese'. When asked how he learnt it, he had shrugged and said, 'I get everywhere'. If Evolution wasn't wrong, Chinese had been one of the languages of the old times, tens of thousands of years back before the various countries had been wiped out and the continents had changed as a result of certain natural disasters. Civilisation had been set back to primitive times and the world took just as much time to recover. Apparently Chaos had liked the language and retained it through the ages. It wasn't too surprising. He did look a lot like one of the extinct Chinese. None of the human races at that time had survived and it was due to the intervention of the Personas that the world itself had survived, let alone prospered to it's current state.
He shook himself. "Pardon me. I meant, I just don't like how the way I work affects the rest of you negatively. I'm sort of an anathema to the rest of you. I feel like I upset the balance."
Evolution put her hand on his shoulder. "No worries, Chaos. You maintain the balance. Too much order and things go wrong." While Chaos always knew how to praise people, he tended to be a little irrational on occasion.
"I know. It's just that being me, I don't usually think logically. I should take a break. I've been causing too much chaos recently. The mortal plane is in upheaval. Suicide cults, plague, increase of crime, I've been stressing out the others."
"Yeah. The Mistress could really do with a timeout."
"I'll see what I can do. Help me tell Death that I'm sorry, will you?"
"Of course. She'll understand, I'm sure."
"We're all tired." He started singing in a low and melodic voice, using that language no one knew.