Side Story The Goddess

[Lucky]

Beau

" Nobody is perfect, there has to be a reason for what she did. Entire nations have come and gone, life is hardly what we ever make it. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to see the why. Things in the world are hardly as black and white as they seem," she replied, approaching the tomb.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri

Jester

" So, what is our plan?" She asked the Goddessians she had chosen to travel with. They had laid out that they were sneaking in from the back, but nobody had explained how.

@Sark

 

[Jeremi]

Secularist-
Before Urien could remark on Mother's statements about Luthor, the Secularists were whisked away in a flash of gold. The next thing they knew, they were waist deep in unkempt, long grass. You could feel the cold dew against your fingers. You could smell pollen settling in the air. You could taste the salt.

It was so... peaceful....

You could see it shimmering in the sunlight. At the top of a ridge. White bricks. A warm glow. A great white wall surrounded the Temple.
View attachment 5064
The Tomb's great golden gates were only a couple of hundred meters away. A dozen of scout-droids circles like vultures overhead, their crimson eyes dissecting the clearing. With your technology safe back at the Temple, you were effectively hidden from their gaze.

You were close to your goal. Closer than you had ever been. You look to the right. You could see a Goddessian squadron. At the head of the party, Councillor Son crouched. He nodded, acknowledging your arrival.
View attachment 5065
"I've received word from Mephsito," The Reaper jogged out from one of the Temple's great white archways. He called out to a gathering of Godless soldiers- humans- who were had gathered at the steps at the Temple's base. "The Chosen are inside, boys. You can start getting your shit together-- this place won't be around for much longer. Get yer sorry asses in gear!"

All that stood between you and your objective were the Temple's towering gates and a winding white wall. The War for the Tomb was about to begin.

@Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch​

As serene and pure like the being that is implied to be sealed inside. Big Mother thought to herself surveying the area. Being hidden from sight like this was certainly a new experience for her, people were always keen o stare and point before screaming in fear of her. Now the only thing they had to do was crush these peons beneath their heels and their target would be in sight.

"... Why do you call him 'Inheritor'?"

"... It is how he came by the rank of Chapter Master," Yoth replied with a bitter laugh. "During the Purge, he slew the previous leader of the Ark of Testimony, and took his place. Lorgar did not elevate him, saying only that he had 'inherited' his command."

"He never earned his place, and we will never let him forget it."

***

The sweet smell of retribution never seemed as passionate as it did at this moment.

Let tribute be paid to the Prince of Pleasure for the gifts of sensation, but something within him told him that this feeling was of no unholy consequence. Nay, it was just human emotion. A thing he had not indulged in since the end of the Shadow Crusade. That was ten millennia ago. Then the Dark Crusade, his second excursion on Kronus, just one or a hundred years ago. Time was of no consequence. The only time that mattered was now.

The time in which he would give retribution to every corner of every existence; punishment for neglecting his name.

"Leaving so soon, little man? I would have expected you to indulge in the coming festivities," a bellowing, insidious voice called out from the darkness behind the little man. The Chosen among the Secularist group could almost immediately recognize its bearer.

View attachment 5067

Eliphas the Inheritor emerged from the same pearlesque archway as Reaper, bearing his mace over his pauldron as he stomped into view of the Secularist soldiers. Without so much as an admiring view of this so-called 'Temple's' exterior, Eliphas slammed his weapon's spiked head into the marble floor - fragrantly defiling the work - and rested both his hands atop the upturned handle. The towering Lord of Hell took in the sight of the Godless' mortal servants with a hungry gaze.

"It is a foolish commander who turns his men around at the first sign of conflict. Alas, I expect nothing less from that mongrel Mephisto, so eager for souls that he needs every last one of his warriors on deck to secure his meal for him. Pathetic worm."

Eliphas turned his head downwards at the Reaper. "I understand you are something of an idiot. But you have the sense to recognize how foolish it is to divert our forces from this wall, do you not? After all..."

The Inheritor's gaze drifted towards one of the marble pillars in the garden. A grimy smile uncurled beneath his helm. The distant pounding of multiple power boots echoed from the Temple door behind him as he plucked his mace from the floor.

"You didn't truly expect them to escape the gaze of Chaos, did you?" Eliphas said to seemingly no one.

@Takumi @Jeremi @Sark @Secularists​

Big Mother looked over to the rest of the Secularists. "Stay down, unless you wish for this to turn ugly." She hissed at them before stepping into view. "No. In fact. I was hoping you were here. Eliphas." Arms raised Big Mother stepped into view and made herself larger so that all eyes fell on her and no one else. "Hell seems to have treated you well." She looked over at the droids and the rest of their foes. "If you permit I'd wish to speak with you."

@Sark @Takumi @Crunch @Secularists​

 

[Yun Lee]

"There is an old story, Roman, about a man who prayed for deliverance when stranded on a rock after a shipwreck. Every day he prayed, everyday a piece of driftwood sailed by, and everyday he ignored it, saying that God would deliver him. Upon his death and arrival into the next life, he asked hid God, "Why didn't you save me?" Do you know how God replied?"

Kolin walked forward, stopping just before touching the tomb, then turned to look back at the others. "God replied, "How can you say that? Do you have any idea how much driftwood I sent you?" Hmph. It's an old joke, you know, but it does shed quite a bright light on human nature. If a deity had the power to save everyone, to eradicate all war and evil and destruction and sorrow...what would be the point of free will, then? Does salvation mean anything if it is given to everyone without a second thought? To have all the power in the world, to use it to solve everyone's problems...I think that would make the Goddess far less benevolent than she has been."

She turned back to the tomb, taking a deep breath as the green glow called to her. But she would not open the tomb, not yet. "A good God is one who lets you choose for yourself. One who lets you make your own path, and face your own consequences at its end. One who does not force belief. To make that decision for others...to decide whether there will be something forced to believe, or that there will be nothing left to believe in...no one has the right to make that decision. The Goddess has not shown me that she is either of those extremes. Not yet. So I will give her my trust...until she gives me a reason to turn."

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Takumi

​

 

[Sark]

Outside the Tomb-

"Leaving so soon, little man? I would have expected you to indulge in the coming festivities," a bellowing, insidious voice called out from the darkness behind the little man. The Chosen among the Secularist group could almost immediately recognize its bearer.

"It is a foolish commander who turns his men around at the first sign of conflict. Alas, I expect nothing less from that mongrel Mephisto, so eager for souls that he needs every last one of his warriors on deck to secure his meal for him. Pathetic worm."

Eliphas turned his head downwards at the Reaper. "I understand you are something of an idiot. But you have the sense to recognize how foolish it is to divert our forces from this wall, do you not? After all..."

"Idiot?!" The Reaper spat, his right eye twitching. He clenched his fist and bit his tongue. It took all the will the spineless man had to stay in line. "You'd do well to hold your tongue when speaking about the Master!" He whisper-hissed. "He's listening, you fool! He's always listening!"

"You didn't truly expect them to escape the gaze of Chaos, did you?" Eliphas said to seemingly no one.

"Them...?" The Reaper repeated to himself. Pieces were slowly coming together. He took a moment to step back and take a look at the larger picture. "Ah..." He grinned. "I think I understand. Thank you, Lord Eliphas," The Reaper placed his scythe to his chest and bowed. "Hell thanks you. I will report the King at once... he'll be excited to hear of this development..."

Eric turned on his heels. He snapped his fingers and his men converged on his position.

"I'll set the table..."

Big Mother looked over to the rest of the Secularists. "Stay down, unless you wish for this to turn ugly."

"What the Hell do you...?" Urien whisper-shouted. "Mother! Mother get back here! Get back here!"
As Mother passed over the ridge, Urien pounded the dirt with his fist. His options had been exhausted. He had to place his faith in her. He waved his men calm and directed them to get back in line.

" So, what is our plan?" She asked the Goddessians she had chosen to travel with. They had laid out that they were sneaking in from the back, but nobody had explained how.

"Our plan?" Luthor snapped as re-materialized back inside the shuttle. He cracked his neck and shedding his 'Ashe' disguise. "Our plan is to give Mephisto Hell."

Before Jester could reply, he and Lex were once again engulfed in a flash of Golden Light.

With a whistle and a subtle flash, the two arrived at the foot of the Tomb. The force of the landing was enough to throw them to their knees beside Councillor Son's battalion. The Saiyan and his men quickly hushed the stragglers with a glare. A symphony of panicked shushing from the Goddessian soldiers followed shortly after.

Son's eyes returned to the verbal confrontation between Mother and Eliphas. He bit his lip and waited patiently for a signal.

@Lucky @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch

Inside the Tomb-

“I’m not sure about any of this. You know that I was Chosen. She Chose me not only to bring me back from the grave, but She also gave me powers. I would not have been able to survive up until this point if it weren’t for Her. But... looking back at it... I don’t know what to even think. With this new knowledge, that she left the world to burn, and she was as powerful as she was. I don’t know what to even think. I... am I a tool? Another f-functioning cog in some... great machinery, serving her, beyond me? I-I... I don’t want that. But if she’s t-telling the truth then... then... I-I don’t know...”

"Now you understand..." Hearts reassured Roman his pat on his shoulder. "Now you can see. This is what the Goddess does. She takes advantage of scared people- confused people- and she weaponizes them. Turns men into tools. She turns Saints into Slaves. You're not her 'Chosen'. You're her prisoners. She had bound your fate to hers. But tonight? I'm offering you a chance to set yourself free..."

Hearts approached the coffin and ran his fingers across its fractures face. He caressed its dusty canopy as one might caress a lover.

"She's sleeping now... sleeping, but alive. Something I intend to remedy. We can't have her escaping, Roman. If she's set free... whole worlds of people be damned to endure the same pain you're feeling now."

Beau

" Nobody is perfect, there has to be a reason for what she did. Entire nations have come and gone, life is hardly what we ever make it. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to see the why. Things in the world are hardly as black and white as they seem," she replied, approaching the tomb.

"No." Hearts interjected lackadaisically. He traced the coffin's cold edges with his finger tips as he walked back to Beau. "No. Men are imperfect. The Gods need to be better. They need to be perfect."

Hearts released a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment or two.

"Kings." He slowly opened his eyes and gazed into Beau's with a tried glance. "If a King were to neglect the needs of his people, would you not call for his removal? Would you not call for a revolution? Those in power have the moral responsibility to use it in the service of others. The strong must protect the weak. Those who refuse to do so selfish. Evil. We hold our heroes and rulers to these standards. Why does the Goddess get a free pass? Why is the being with the most power and the widest jurisdiction forgiven for the crimes she had committed against her own people?"

"The Goddess is an unfit ruler. We need to resist her. We need to rebel. Tyrannicide is order of the day."

"A good God is one who lets you choose for yourself. One who lets you make your own path, and face your own consequences at its end. One who does not force belief. To make that decision for others...to decide whether there will be something forced to believe, or that there will be nothing left to believe in...no one has the right to make that decision. The Goddess has not shown me that she is either of those extremes. Not yet. So I will give her my trust...until she gives me a reason to turn."

"Choice?" Hearts twitched. The smile he had worn slipped away. His cheeks went limp. A pained look slipped into his eyes. He twitched again

"Choice?" He repeated. His tone slipped for a moment. "Tell that to my Mother! To my sister! Where was their choice?! Where was their freedom?!"

"The people of my world..." He hummed numbly. "They were slaves to dogma. Indoctrinated from birth. They never had choice. They gave her everything. Their love. Their endless praise. Their undying worship. And she still refused to save them. She refused to give them even the slightest shred of freedom. Their Wills were bound to hers. Right up until the bitter end. The most crippling part? They weren't special. They weren't the first. They weren't the only Goddessian sec she left to rot. You'd think that the blessed 'Goddess' would at least keep her people safe, wouldn't you?"

"She didn't love us. She never loved us. We were her play-things. And she grew out of us and threw us away. Property, to the bitter end."

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Tell me, Hearts. Did the Goddess make your people follow her? Did they truly have no other choice? People become so convinced that clinging to something will save them that they don't bother to save themselves. I respect you for that much, at the very least. You think for yourself. Shame that you use that free will of yours for this nonsense, but I digress."

Kolin places herhands on the tomb. "Will we get anywhere through just talk of ideals? I think not. I believe it is time you get answers from the Goddess herself." If nothing stopped her, she would go ahead and open it.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Takumi​

 

[Takumi]

Outside the Tomb-


"Idiot?!" The Reaper spat, his right eye twitching. He clenched his fist and bit his tongue. It took all the will the spineless man had to stay in line. "You'd do well to hold your tongue when speaking about the Master!" He whisper-hissed. "He's listening, you fool! He's always listening!"

"Them...?" The Reaper repeated to himself. Pieces were slowly coming together. He took a moment to step back and take a look at the larger picture. "Ah..." He grinned. "I think I understand. Thank you, Lord Eliphas," The Reaper placed his scythe to his chest and bowed. "Hell thanks you. I will report the King at once... he'll be excited to hear of this development..."

Eric turned on his heels. He snapped his fingers and his men converged on his position.

"I'll set the table..."


"What the Hell do you...?" Urien whisper-shouted. "Mother! Mother get back here! Get back here!"
As Mother passed over the ridge, Urien pounded the dirt with his fist. His options had been exhausted. He had to place his faith in her. He waved his men calm and directed them to get back in line.

"Our plan?" Luthor snapped as re-materialized back inside the shuttle. He cracked his neck and shedding his 'Ashe' disguise. "Our plan is to give Mephisto Hell."

Before Jester could reply, he and Lex were once again engulfed in a flash of Golden Light.

With a whistle and a subtle flash, the two arrived at the foot of the Tomb. The force of the landing was enough to throw them to their knees beside Councillor Son's battalion. The Saiyan and his men quickly hushed the stragglers with a glare. A symphony of panicked shushing from the Goddessian soldiers followed shortly after.

Son's eyes returned to the verbal confrontation between Mother and Eliphas. He bit his lip and waited patiently for a signal.

@Lucky @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch

Inside the Tomb-

"Now you understand..." Hearts reassured Roman his pat on his shoulder. "Now you can see. This is what the Goddess does. She takes advantage of scared people- confused people- and she weaponizes them. Turns men into tools. She turns Saints into Slaves. You're not her 'Chosen'. You're her prisoners. She had bound your fate to hers. But tonight? I'm offering you a chance to set yourself free..."

Hearts approached the coffin and ran his fingers across its fractures face. He caressed its dusty canopy as one might caress a lover.

"She's sleeping now... sleeping, but alive. Something I intend to remedy. We can't have her escaping, Roman. If she's set free... whole worlds of people be damned to endure the same pain you're feeling now."


"No." Hearts interjected lackadaisically. He traced the coffin's cold edges with his finger tips as he walked back to Beau. "No. Men are imperfect. The Gods need to be better. They need to be perfect."

Hearts released a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment or two.

"Kings." He slowly opened his eyes and gazed into Beau's with a tried glance. "If a King were to neglect the needs of his people, would you not call for his removal? Would you not call for a revolution? Those in power have the moral responsibility to use it in the service of others. The strong must protect the weak. Those who refuse to do so selfish. Evil. We hold our heroes and rulers to these standards. Why does the Goddess get a free pass? Why is the being with the most power and the widest jurisdiction forgiven for the crimes she had committed against her own people?"

"The Goddess is an unfit ruler. We need to resist her. We need to rebel. Tyrannicide is order of the day."


"Choice?" Hearts twitched. The smile he had worn slipped away. His cheeks went limp. A pained look slipped into his eyes. He twitched again

"Choice?" He repeated. His tone slipped for a moment. "Tell that to my Mother! To my sister! Where was their choice?! Where was their freedom?!"

"The people of my world..." He hummed numbly. "They were slaves to dogma. Indoctrinated from birth. They never had choice. They gave her everything. Their love. Their endless praise. Their undying worship. And she still refused to save them. She refused to give them even the slightest shred of freedom. Their Wills were bound to hers. Right up until the bitter end. The most crippling part? They weren't special. They weren't the first. They weren't the only Goddessian sec she left to rot. You'd think that the blessed 'Goddess' would at least keep her people safe, wouldn't you?"

"She didn't love us. She never loved us. We were her play-things. And she grew out of us and threw us away. Property, to the bitter end."

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

Silque remained quiet and listened as the others spoke about the Goddess around her. Her eyes remained on the tomb where the Goddess slept.

"My Goddess Mila and my faith has helped me when my own mother left me, and even though she set me on a path with one goal: deliver an artifact to a boy named Alm. I chose to walk my path and pick my battles, when I simply could of returned to the priory or simply try and spread her teachings to the lonely outside of the current war going on. This Goddess gave me another chance at life, and she gave those who went as far as to insult her and call her a whore another chance at life as well, and I will repay them both. No being is truly 'perfect', Hearts. Everything, living or not, has flaws. Even the Gods." She frowned, her hand gently rest against the tomb.

"Tell me, Hearts. Did the Goddess make your people follow her? Did they truly have no other choice? People become so convinced that clinging to something will save them that they don't bother to save themselves. I respect you for that much, at the very least. You think for yourself. Shame that you use that free will of yours for this nonsense, but I digress."

Kolin places herhands on the tomb. "Will we get anywhere through just talk of ideals? I think not. I believe it is time you get answers from the Goddess herself." If nothing stopped her, she would go ahead and open it.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Takumi​

"One can be of strong beliefs and not be blinded by their faith." Silque nodded as she moved her hand back and out of Kolin's way, her gaze going to Hearts briefly.

@Yun Lee @Lucky @Capri

 

[Sark]

Goddessian-

"One can be of strong beliefs and not be blinded by their faith." Silque nodded as she moved her hand back and out of Kolin's way, her gaze going to Hearts briefly.

@Yun Lee @Lucky @Capri

"You're right." Hearts replied calmly. "There are some who have the wills to resist zealotry. But the fact remains that there are billions out there who are not. There are far too many souls out there who will be swept away by her promises and lose themselves in their love of her. It's like I said. The strong must protect the week. We must make this decision for them. As hypocritical as it sounds, just this once, we must think for them in order to keep them free..."

"Tell me, Hearts. Did the Goddess make your people follow her? Did they truly have no other choice? People become so convinced that clinging to something will save them that they don't bother to save themselves. I respect you for that much, at the very least. You think for yourself. Shame that you use that free will of yours for this nonsense, but I digress."

Kolin places herhands on the tomb. "Will we get anywhere through just talk of ideals? I think not. I believe it is time you get answers from the Goddess herself." If nothing stopped her, she would go ahead and open it.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Takumi

It didn't take much force to open the coffin. Just a touch. As soon as Kolin's fingers came into contact with its cool face, the seemed to slide away. It was as if it had been waiting for her. It wanted her. She had willed it open, and it had obeyed.

The Earth shook. Streams of sand and slipped down from the chamber's ceiling. The pillars of stone that reinforced the roof began to crack and crumble. They fell away and tumbled into the abyss bellow. Hearts fell to his knees, his mouth agape.

"No no no no no...." He stammered. "I'm not ready... we've not ready... The ritual is not yet complete!"

Streams of emerald light began to pour from the grave. They swarmed the tomb, soaring overhead like eagles. The weaved in and out of the Temple. Its ivory walls came crumbling down. One of the beams plunged deep into the chasm below the bridge. A distant roar shook the Tomb to its foundations. Wide cracks spread across the building. Instead of crumbling down, the Temple began to crumble upwards. The bridge itself broke apart, its pieces floating above the black.

"We're not ready! You hear me! We're not ready!"

The light that burned within the coffin grew brighter and brighter by the second. The emerald pillar soared up towards the heavens. Kolin vanished in the haze...

Secularists-
The Earth at Eliphas' feet began to crumble like a pastry. Despite high immense weight, the agent of Chaos would find himself floating too. The gates that separated Mother began to rise from their place in the dirt. The dirt itself began to rise. The path to the Tomb was no longer straight and narrow. To approach the tomb, the Fellowship's forces would have to play an elaborate game of hop-scotch, jumping from one floating corridor to the next.

"She's here..." Urien muttered in awe. "She's awake... we're too late."
View attachment 5073
"No! We can't be!" Catherine roared with conviction. We gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles burned white. "We can still stop this!"
With a rebel yell, she drew her sword. With her Thunderbrand shimmering in the emerald glow, she charged over the ridge.

"For Rhea! For Seiros!"

Rallying behind her, the Secularist forces swarmed the courtyard. The Reaper's men rushed forth to oppose them. The two armies clashed at under the gaze of the first of the stone pillars. The uneven battlefield gave the invaders a slight advantage. If one stared into the mess of swords and shield, and stared past the spraying flood and pile, one might have been able to see that the Secularists were gaining a foothold.

"There has got to be someway we can stop this!" Seteth howled as he plunged his spear through the chest of one of the cornered soldiers. "We need to reach the Heart of the Light! We---"

"And then what?!" Ferdinand cried, a hint desperateness dancing in his eyes. He raised his shield to counter the blow of one of Mephisto's great demons. His legs trembled under the weight of the creature's strike. "How are we to stop all this?"

"Maybe we can't," Dedue snapped through the strain. Summoning all the strength he had left within him, his forced his shield through the crowd. "But we at least have to try! For High Majesty! For Faerghus!"

Urein pounded his bronze knuckles together and screamed a primal battle cry. An overhead punch cracked the skull of the first solider who got too close. A long reading kick broke the ribs of the next. With a crackling blast of thunder, he slowly forced his way though the courtyard.

"Goddess!!!" He boomed. "Face us! Face us!"

A pale hand caught his fist before he could strike another guard. Luthor tested the limits of Urien's bronze. He tightened his grin around the Secularists' knuckles until he heard something important go 'pop'.
View attachment 5074
"It's over, Urien." Luthor hummed calmly. "Why fight it? There's a Brave New World. It's right around the corner. Why not be a part of it?"

"Bastard!" Urien spat. He brought his free had around for a sucker punch. Luthor caught it and gave it a crippling twist. Urien cried out like a bear caught in a trap. Without thinking, his brought his head down for for a headbutt. A telekinetic blast caught the strike before it could land.

"I should've expected such a primal response." Luthor released Urien from his grasp. With a thought, he raised the man above his head and tossed him into the approaching Secularists. He threw his arms wide and laughed. He cackled, his eyes swelling with tears.

"My brothers and sisters!" He preached. "This is the moment we have been waiting for! After all these years, she's returning to us!" The Knights of Seiros tried to rush the Apex Predator. He tossed them aside with a thought. "The day of reckoning is here! Forget your former selves! Cast out your sins! Fall before her and repent!"

"The Age of Men is at and End! Let the Age of the Goddess begin!!!"

***
Goddessians-
From the heart of the emerald light, a figure emerged. She walked with grace and purpose. With a wave of her hand, the floating stones converged to form a staircase to lead her back to to her Chosen. She commanded the elements, and they obeyed.

"Kolin?" Hearts whispered weekly. "Did you see... did you...?"

"I'm fine," She smiled warmly. "In fact, I've felt better."

'Kolin' raised her hand above Hearts. She slowly lowered it, pointing towards the stones at her feet.

"Now kneel." She hummed. "Kneel before your Goddess."
View attachment 5076
@Takumi @Lucky @Capri
The Mental Plane-
"Kolin..."
"Kolin..."
"Listen to me..."
"Kolin..."
"You need to wake up now..."
"Kolin..."
Slowy, Kolin regained consciousness. She found herself in a long, dark, corridor. It seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Adoring its walls were faceless, desecrates statues. Even without their heads, she could still identify them. They had once been built in the image of Urien.
"Kolin..." A homely voice called form behind her. "Rise..."
View attachment 5077
@Yun Lee​

 

[Yun Lee]

Something wasn't right. What was it? Kolin had gotten so determined to shut Hearts up, she didn't realize until she had touched the tomb that something had gone wrong. All these fools, Hearts and Urien and Seteth and Veranke and Luthor...they just talk and talk and go on and on about their own ideals...was she so wrong in wanting them to finally shut up? No. No, that wasn't it. The world around her went to Hell, but Kolin felt frozen in time and place, trying to figure out the anomaly. Hearts said he wasn't ready. But he had been so confident before! Go to the Goddess, he'd said. And she did. Just like she was supposed to.

Wait.

No.

Oh no.

Her eyes widened, the reality of what she'd just done flooding her. The consequences of an action driven by emotion, an outburst that would have an irreversible effect. But none of that hit her in time. Only one thought had time to form before she was taken away. Just enough time for five words to enter her mind before it shut down completely.

I shouldn't have done that.

...

.......

.............

He spoke to her, through the darkness. Like he had long ago. Like he always did. He was always there for her, even when she was nothing. Even when she had failed. Even, apparently, as she had made a fool of herself. Kolin came to, and immediately everything came weighing down on her, the brevity of her actions. What a proper punishment. To face him after what she'd done.

Getting to her feet, she felt numb. There was no comfort in his presence. She refused to take any. She had made her bed, she needed to lie in it. "Emperor Gill..." The second she turned to face him, she bowed. She would've fallen to the ground, prostrated herself before him, had he not told her to rise. The guilt was overpowering. "Forgive me, please...I got so blinded...so carried away...I didn't think...about what I was doing..."

@Sark​

 

[Sark]

The Mental Plane-​

Something wasn't right. What was it? Kolin had gotten so determined to shut Hearts up, she didn't realize until she had touched the tomb that something had gone wrong. All these fools, Hearts and Urien and Seteth and Veranke and Luthor...they just talk and talk and go on and on about their own ideals...was she so wrong in wanting them to finally shut up? No. No, that wasn't it. The world around her went to Hell, but Kolin felt frozen in time and place, trying to figure out the anomaly. Hearts said he wasn't ready. But he had been so confident before! Go to the Goddess, he'd said. And she did. Just like she was supposed to.

Wait.

No.

Oh no.

Her eyes widened, the reality of what she'd just done flooding her. The consequences of an action driven by emotion, an outburst that would have an irreversible effect. But none of that hit her in time. Only one thought had time to form before she was taken away. Just enough time for five words to enter her mind before it shut down completely.

I shouldn't have done that.

...

.......

.............

He spoke to her, through the darkness. Like he had long ago. Like he always did. He was always there for her, even when she was nothing. Even when she had failed. Even, apparently, as she had made a fool of herself. Kolin came to, and immediately everything came weighing down on her, the brevity of her actions. What a proper punishment. To face him after what she'd done.

Getting to her feet, she felt numb. There was no comfort in his presence. She refused to take any. She had made her bed, she needed to lie in it. "Emperor Gill..." The second she turned to face him, she bowed. She would've fallen to the ground, prostrated herself before him, had he not told her to rise. The guilt was overpowering. "Forgive me, please...I got so blinded...so carried away...I didn't think...about what I was doing..."

@Sark​

View attachment 5079
"Emperor Gill? So that is what you call this form..." 'Gill' looked down at his palms. "I always considered myself 'Ego', the mediator between the instinctual and critical parts of your mind. But no matter. I trust you have chosen this form for a reason, Kolin?"

He turned his palms outwards, hushing Kolin.

"But do not apologies to me. I cannot forgive you. That burden falls to you. I'll say it again: Rise, Kolin."

'Ego' turned his back on Kolin and signaled for her to follow him. He lead her down the endless corridor, past Urien's crumbing busts and towards a set of great wooden doors. Smoke poured out from the cracks in the wood. 'Gill' placed his hand against the handles and prepared to push. Before he did so, he turned to Kolin.

"What you are about to see isn't real. None of this is real. It is simply a reflection of things that once were, and things that might one day come to be. As we speak, the Goddess is puppeteer our body. I believe that it is in our best interest to get it back. It won't be easy, but we can still uproot the Goddess. Her rebirth is not yet complete. We still have a chance. The journey through your subconscious shall not be easy. But if we are to reclaim your body, we must brave it. Follow me."

With a heaving creek, the doors came swinging open, a whole world stretched out before them.
The pair stepped into a familiar temple. Through its open roof, Kolin could see both the Sun and the Moon looming side by side. Wherever she turned, she saw a hooded figure staring down at her. No, they weren't staring. They were bowing.

All Hail The Empress! All Hail the Queen of Harmony!

At the heart of the room at an Altar. At the Altar, stood a woman. She waved silenced the chanting monks with a wave of her hands.

View attachment 5081
"Welcome, brothers and sisters, on the great and momentous day!" The Queen of Harmony Chanted. "Today, we are bring about the end of an era! The end of an era of turmoil! An era of fear! Bring forth the accused!"

Two Society Monks pushed past Kolin and Ego. They threw a bloodied and beat figure into the center of the room. They pulled the sack from his face.
View attachment 5082
"Do you want me to grovel?" 'Urien' sneered. "I won't give you the satisfaction, 'your majesty'."

One of monks reached into his robes and removed a great, flaming sword.

"So you renounce you right to speak in your defence?"

"I won't submit to this sham trial. I denounce this 'People's Court'. I won't bow down before the Rodent Queen."

The armed monk removed his hood and raised his emerald blade.

"Pity. I had been looking forward to your begging. Still. There will still be some entertainment today. Urien of the Old Society, you are accused of Crimes against the Fellowship and the Second Society. For the crime of treason, on the order of the Empress, I sentence you to death."

Urien went pale. He opened his mouth the speak. No words game out.

"Necro?" The Queen smiled. "Complete the execution."

"As you wish, your majesty," The mutant nodded. "As you command..."

Necro swung his blade. On instinct, Urien howled and shifted to his metallic form. His bronze head struck the floor with a clank. Necro raised his trophy above his head. The Monk's broke into another set of chanting.

ALL HAIL THE EMPRESS! ALL HAIL THE SECOND SOCIETY! ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF HARMONY! BY THE RITE OF THE SAVIOR!

Necro brought Urien's head to his Queen. She bowed her head as she took her prize. He did the same. The Queen of balance turned back towards her altar. She placed Urien's head upon a spike. Right next to Mephisto's and Hearts'.

"This isn't real, Kolin." 'Gill' reassured her. "But I wonder... is this dream is based on a fear or a desire? Maybe both?"

'Ego' gestured towards the chopping block that 'Urien's ' limp body now leaned against.

"If you want your body back, we'll have to venture deeper into you mind. There's only one way out of this illusion. Would like to go first, or shall I?"

Nerco lower made his way back to his post. The body on his sword crackled and fizzed as he returned to his chopping block...

@Yun Lee​

 

[Capri]

MEANWHILE....
Maddie is unconscious in the tub.

---

“Gh...! K-Kolin!” Roman said.

His eyes darted between Kolin, Hearts, & Silque. His old, cowardly self has begun to take form again.

“I-I...”

Roman ran, he ran as fast as he could. He questioned everything, and now he couldn’t face the Goddess.

Deep down, Roman was always a coward.

@Sark​

 

[Takumi]

Goddessian-

"You're right." Hearts replied calmly. "There are some who have the wills to resist zealotry. But the fact remains that there are billions out there who are not. There are far too many souls out there who will be swept away by her promises and lose themselves in their love of her. It's like I said. The strong must protect the week. We must make this decision for them. As hypocritical as it sounds, just this once, we must think for them in order to keep them free..."


It didn't take much force to open the coffin. Just a touch. As soon as Kolin's fingers came into contact with its cool face, the seemed to slide away. It was as if it had been waiting for her. It wanted her. She had willed it open, and it had obeyed.

The Earth shook. Streams of sand and slipped down from the chamber's ceiling. The pillars of stone that reinforced the roof began to crack and crumble. They fell away and tumbled into the abyss bellow. Hearts fell to his knees, his mouth agape.

"No no no no no...." He stammered. "I'm not ready... we've not ready... The ritual is not yet complete!"

Streams of emerald light began to pour from the grave. They swarmed the tomb, soaring overhead like eagles. The weaved in and out of the Temple. Its ivory walls came crumbling down. One of the beams plunged deep into the chasm below the bridge. A distant roar shook the Tomb to its foundations. Wide cracks spread across the building. Instead of crumbling down, the Temple began to crumble upwards. The bridge itself broke apart, its pieces floating above the black.

"We're not ready! You hear me! We're not ready!"

The light that burned within the coffin grew brighter and brighter by the second. The emerald pillar soared up towards the heavens. Kolin vanished in the haze...

Secularists-
The Earth at Eliphas' feet began to crumble like a pastry. Despite high immense weight, the agent of Chaos would find himself floating too. The gates that separated Mother began to rise from their place in the dirt. The dirt itself began to rise. The path to the Tomb was no longer straight and narrow. To approach the tomb, the Fellowship's forces would have to play an elaborate game of hop-scotch, jumping from one floating corridor to the next.

"She's here..." Urien muttered in awe. "She's awake... we're too late."
View attachment 5073
"No! We can't be!" Catherine roared with conviction. We gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles burned white. "We can still stop this!"
With a rebel yell, she drew her sword. With her Thunderbrand shimmering in the emerald glow, she charged over the ridge.

"For Rhea! For Seiros!"

Rallying behind her, the Secularist forces swarmed the courtyard. The Reaper's men rushed forth to oppose them. The two armies clashed at under the gaze of the first of the stone pillars. The uneven battlefield gave the invaders a slight advantage. If one stared into the mess of swords and shield, and stared past the spraying flood and pile, one might have been able to see that the Secularists were gaining a foothold.

"There has got to be someway we can stop this!" Seteth howled as he plunged his spear through the chest of one of the cornered soldiers. "We need to reach the Heart of the Light! We---"

"And then what?!" Ferdinand cried, a hint desperateness dancing in his eyes. He raised his shield to counter the blow of one of Mephisto's great demons. His legs trembled under the weight of the creature's strike. "How are we to stop all this?"

"Maybe we can't," Dedue snapped through the strain. Summoning all the strength he had left within him, his forced his shield through the crowd. "But we at least have to try! For High Majesty! For Faerghus!"

Urein pounded his bronze knuckles together and screamed a primal battle cry. An overhead punch cracked the skull of the first solider who got too close. A long reading kick broke the ribs of the next. With a crackling blast of thunder, he slowly forced his way though the courtyard.

"Goddess!!!" He boomed. "Face us! Face us!"

A pale hand caught his fist before he could strike another guard. Luthor tested the limits of Urien's bronze. He tightened his grin around the Secularists' knuckles until he heard something important go 'pop'.
View attachment 5074
"It's over, Urien." Luthor hummed calmly. "Why fight it? There's a Brave New World. It's right around the corner. Why not be a part of it?"

"Bastard!" Urien spat. He brought his free had around for a sucker punch. Luthor caught it and gave it a crippling twist. Urien cried out like a bear caught in a trap. Without thinking, his brought his head down for for a headbutt. A telekinetic blast caught the strike before it could land.

"I should've expected such a primal response." Luthor released Urien from his grasp. With a thought, he raised the man above his head and tossed him into the approaching Secularists. He threw his arms wide and laughed. He cackled, his eyes swelling with tears.

"My brothers and sisters!" He preached. "This is the moment we have been waiting for! After all these years, she's returning to us!" The Knights of Seiros tried to rush the Apex Predator. He tossed them aside with a thought. "The day of reckoning is here! Forget your former selves! Cast out your sins! Fall before her and repent!"

"The Age of Men is at and End! Let the Age of the Goddess begin!!!"

***
Goddessians-
From the heart of the emerald light, a figure emerged. She walked with grace and purpose. With a wave of her hand, the floating stones converged to form a staircase to lead her back to to her Chosen. She commanded the elements, and they obeyed.

"Kolin?" Hearts whispered weekly. "Did you see... did you...?"

"I'm fine," She smiled warmly. "In fact, I've felt better."

'Kolin' raised her hand above Hearts. She slowly lowered it, pointing towards the stones at her feet.

"Now kneel." She hummed. "Kneel before your Goddess."
View attachment 5076
@Takumi @Lucky @Capri
The Mental Plane-
"Kolin..."
"Kolin..."
"Listen to me..."
"Kolin..."
"You need to wake up now..."
"Kolin..."
Slowy, Kolin regained consciousness. She found herself in a long, dark, corridor. It seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Adoring its walls were faceless, desecrates statues. Even without their heads, she could still identify them. They had once been built in the image of Urien.
"Kolin..." A homely voice called form behind her. "Rise..."
View attachment 5077
@Yun Lee​

Silque sucked in a breath, unmoving as she stared at Kolin. Did the Goddess take her body for herself? What in Mila's name...

"That body is not yours. Give Kolin her body ba-" Silque started, before Roman suddenly bolted, catching the Cleric off guard.

She didn't know what repercussions would come from that, but she kept her eyes on 'Kolin', ready to jump to Roman's defense in a moment's notice.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri

---

Ashe quickly knoched an arrow into his mini bow and released an arrow to strike the demon attacking Ferdinand in the eye, before changing his position and throwing a Cutting Gale spell at it's flank.

With Urien being thrown back Ashe turned to Luthor, wide eyed as he threw the Knights of Seiros around like dolls.

"Luthor, stop!" He cried out as he stared the shapeshifter down.

@Sark

 

[Sark]

MEANWHILE....
Maddie is unconscious in the tub.

---

“Gh...! K-Kolin!” Roman said.

His eyes darted between Kolin, Hearts, & Silque. His old, cowardly self has begun to take form again.

“I-I...”

Roman ran, he ran as fast as he could. He questioned everything, and now he couldn’t face the Goddess.

Deep down, Roman was always a coward.

@Sark

[CRACK]
As Roman ran around the corner of one of the Tomb's floating, twisting corridor's, he came crashing into the rigid body of one of the Godless. Whilst Roman fell on his back, Kamin remained standing.
View attachment 5083
"Watch where you're g-- hey, I know you!" The Tuffle snapped. "You're one of those... wait, did you do this? Are you the one who made them Temple go all... floaty?" Two glowing balls of ki formed in Kamin's palms. "You are so dead!"

@Capri

Silque sucked in a breath, unmoving as she stared at Kolin. Did the Goddess take her body for herself? What in Mila's name...

"That body is not yours. Give Kolin her body ba-" Silque started, before Roman suddenly bolted, catching the Cleric off guard.

She didn't know what repercussions would come from that, but she kept her eyes on 'Kolin', ready to jump to Roman's defense in a moment's notice.

"You're right, it's not mine..." The Goddess hummed. She waggled her fingers. She crinkled her toes. She moved every part of her body that she could freely move. She had been locked away for too long. Every sensation felt... new. "This body is so much colder. The spells that bound me inside that box caused my body to decay at an accelerated rate. My power has been restored... but I'm still a breathe away from being complete. In a moment or too, I'll be ready to bring dear Kolin back to use. But not yet... I still need a few more minutes..."

"No..." Hearts snapped. "No!"
View attachment 5084
Light surged forth from Hearts' body. His muscles tensed. His aura sent the floating rocks spiraling off in all directions.
"It wasn't supposed to end like this!"

"And how was it supposed to 'end', my old friend?" The Goddess smiled softly. She drifted through the air like a leaf on a breeze, unfazed by Hearts' rising power. "With me dead? 'Deader' than before? Be honest with me, Hearts. Did you truly believe that this plan would work?"

"I---" He stammered, his arms slumping. "There was a Ritual of Binding..."

"To imprison me once again?"

"No... No... To bring the power within the Chosen forth... to bind it with my own... To eradicate you body and soul..."

"Well... hear I am, Hearts." The Goddess opened her arms wide. "Take your shot."

Hearts stared at the Goddess for a moment. She shrugged at his non-action

"That's what I thought."

The Goddess closed her eyes and smiled.

"Goodbye, Hearts."

[Boom]

Hearts exploded into a wave of butterflies, just as the demon had back at the citadel a lifetime ago.

A certain demon who had been lingering in the shadows watched as the injects took the the skies. One flew a little too close to him. He caught it between his fingers and crushed it. He smiled and took his leave.

"It's over at last." The Goddess sighed. "It's all over."

"So, Silque. What do you think happens next?"

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Capri

Ashe quickly knoched an arrow into his mini bow and released an arrow to strike the demon attacking Ferdinand in the eye, before changing his position and throwing a Cutting Gale spell at it's flank.

With Urien being thrown back Ashe turned to Luthor, wide eyed as he threw the Knights of Seiros around like dolls.

"Luthor, stop!" He cried out as he stared the shapeshifter down.

@Sark

"Gah!" Ferdinand cried as the demon fell apart around him. "Ashe! Thank You! I--" No. Now wasn't a time for words. It was a time for action. He tightened his grip on his weapon and tightened his focus. He turned his wide eyes towards Luthor.

"Stop?" Luthor grinned. He turned to face his opponent, his arms stretched wide. "I'll extend that offer to you, Ashe. Look around you! The Goddess is returning! In a few moments, we'll have an Absolute Power backing us up! The time of the Secularists is at an end! Put your bow away, Ashe, and join us. I extended that offer to you and all your friends. Join the winning side!"

Ferdinand hammered his shield into the dirt and raised his spear over his shoulder.

"They say its a noble's duty to give the orders in times like these... but I'll let you take the lead this time, Ashe. You lead, I'll follow..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Takumi]

[CRACK]
As Roman ran around the corner of one of the Tomb's floating, twisting corridor's, he came crashing into the rigid body of one of the Godless. Whilst Roman fell on his back, Kamin remained standing.
View attachment 5083
"Watch where you're g-- hey, I know you!" The Tuffle snapped. "You're one of those... wait, did you do this? Are you the one who made them Temple go all... floaty?" Two glowing balls of ki formed in Kamin's palms. "You are so dead!"

@Capri

"You're right, it's not mine..." The Goddess hummed. She waggled her fingers. She crinkled her toes. She moved every part of her body that she could freely move. She had been locked away for too long. Every sensation felt... new. "This body is so much colder. The spells that bound me inside that box caused my body to decay at an accelerated rate. My power has been restored... but I'm still a breathe away from being complete. In a moment or too, I'll be ready to bring dear Kolin back to use. But not yet... I still need a few more minutes..."

"No..." Hearts snapped. "No!"
View attachment 5084
Light surged forth from Hearts' body. His muscles tensed. His aura sent the floating rocks spiraling off in all directions.
"It wasn't supposed to end like this!"

"And how was it supposed to 'end', my old friend?" The Goddess smiled softly. She drifted through the air like a leaf on a breeze, unfazed by Hearts' rising power. "With me dead? 'Deader' than before? Be honest with me, Hearts. Did you truly believe that this plan would work?"

"I---" He stammered, his arms slumping. "There was a Ritual of Binding..."

"To imprison me once again?"

"No... No... To bring the power within the Chosen forth... to bind it with my own... To eradicate you body and soul..."

"Well... hear I am, Hearts." The Goddess opened her arms wide. "Take your shot."

Hearts stared at the Goddess for a moment. She shrugged at his non-action

"That's what I thought."

The Goddess closed her eyes and smiled.

"Goodbye, Hearts."

[Boom]

Hearts exploded into a wave of butterflies, just as the demon had back at the citadel a lifetime ago.

A certain demon who had been lingering in the shadows watched as the injects took the the skies. One flew a little too close to him. He caught it between his fingers and crushed it. He smiled and took his leave.

"It's over at last." The Goddess sighed. "It's all over."

"So, Silque. What do you think happens next?"

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Capri

"Gah!" Ferdinand cried as the demon fell apart around him. "Ashe! Thank You! I--" No. Now wasn't a time for words. It was a time for action. He tightened his grip on his weapon and tightened his focus. He turned his wide eyes towards Luthor.

"Stop?" Luthor grinned. He turned to face his opponent, his arms stretched wide. "I'll extend that offer to you, Ashe. Look around you! The Goddess is returning! In a few moments, we'll have an Absolute Power backing us up! The time of the Secularists is at an end! Put your bow away, Ashe, and join us. I extended that offer to you and all your friends. Join the winning side!"

Ferdinand hammered his shield into the dirt and raised his spear over his shoulder.

"They say its a noble's duty to give the orders in times like these... but I'll let you take the lead this time, Ashe. You lead, I'll follow..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky​

"What happens...next?" Silque murmured quietly, frowning.


"I do not fully know, but..." She faltered here, closing her eyes for a moment.

"What is it you plan to do? That you want to do? Will you hold onto her body, and rule over men? What happens next, ultimately, depends on your next actions and how they affect the lives of many. Both positively and negatively. You've given me life after death, and I had planned to repay you as if I would repay Mother Mila, now that you are here it's...different." She placed her hand to her chest, eyes closed in thought. Through the fabric of her clothes she could still feel it, the scar she had received from Xalek's attack all that time ago in hell. While faded, it served as a reminder of why she kept going; not for herself, but to further help the lonely and downtrodden in any way she could.

@Sark @Lucky
---

At Ferdinand's thanks, the archer gave a small smile and nod, before he returned focus to the situation around them.

Ashe glanced to Ferdinand, then hesitantly lowered his bow. He knew, logically, that fighting against both Goddessians and Godless alike would be futile and lead to death, he didn't like being put on the spot like this.

"Even with the Goddess awake, our main enemy remains to be Mephisto, don't forget that Luthor." He gave a shaky exhale and returned his arrow to it's proper place as he eyed Luthor. He wasn't sure about the Goddess herself, but he knew that he just couldn't put his friends against Luthor's forces and Mephisto and Eliphas' at the same time without getting them all killed with the rest.

"We'll join you...if they all agree to, and I'm a bit doubtful they would but...well, then we'll join you." For now went unsaid. If Luthor so much as hurt them again...

@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Crunch

 

[Yun Lee]

"Still time..." Kolin listened to what was said, letting it sink in. Had the Goddess...used her? Lured her in with sickly sweet words, with butterflies and beauty and warmth and love...all to just consider her nothing more than a host? She felt herself shake with rage. How could she have been so blind? So trusting? To think the Goddess was some sort of benevolent being, when she was just as power-hungry as the next...

But Ego was claiming she needed to go deeper. To reclaim herself from this. There were no gods to deliver her in her own mind. Only herself. Quietly she followed Ego into this vision, grimacing at it. She refused to comment on his observation about fear and desire. "Show me the way, and I will go. I need to claim myself back."

@Sark​

 

[Jeremi]

Goddessian-

"You're right." Hearts replied calmly. "There are some who have the wills to resist zealotry. But the fact remains that there are billions out there who are not. There are far too many souls out there who will be swept away by her promises and lose themselves in their love of her. It's like I said. The strong must protect the week. We must make this decision for them. As hypocritical as it sounds, just this once, we must think for them in order to keep them free..."


It didn't take much force to open the coffin. Just a touch. As soon as Kolin's fingers came into contact with its cool face, the seemed to slide away. It was as if it had been waiting for her. It wanted her. She had willed it open, and it had obeyed.

The Earth shook. Streams of sand and slipped down from the chamber's ceiling. The pillars of stone that reinforced the roof began to crack and crumble. They fell away and tumbled into the abyss bellow. Hearts fell to his knees, his mouth agape.

"No no no no no...." He stammered. "I'm not ready... we've not ready... The ritual is not yet complete!"

Streams of emerald light began to pour from the grave. They swarmed the tomb, soaring overhead like eagles. The weaved in and out of the Temple. Its ivory walls came crumbling down. One of the beams plunged deep into the chasm below the bridge. A distant roar shook the Tomb to its foundations. Wide cracks spread across the building. Instead of crumbling down, the Temple began to crumble upwards. The bridge itself broke apart, its pieces floating above the black.

"We're not ready! You hear me! We're not ready!"

The light that burned within the coffin grew brighter and brighter by the second. The emerald pillar soared up towards the heavens. Kolin vanished in the haze...

Secularists-
The Earth at Eliphas' feet began to crumble like a pastry. Despite high immense weight, the agent of Chaos would find himself floating too. The gates that separated Mother began to rise from their place in the dirt. The dirt itself began to rise. The path to the Tomb was no longer straight and narrow. To approach the tomb, the Fellowship's forces would have to play an elaborate game of hop-scotch, jumping from one floating corridor to the next.

"She's here..." Urien muttered in awe. "She's awake... we're too late."
View attachment 5073
"No! We can't be!" Catherine roared with conviction. We gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles burned white. "We can still stop this!"
With a rebel yell, she drew her sword. With her Thunderbrand shimmering in the emerald glow, she charged over the ridge.

"For Rhea! For Seiros!"

Rallying behind her, the Secularist forces swarmed the courtyard. The Reaper's men rushed forth to oppose them. The two armies clashed at under the gaze of the first of the stone pillars. The uneven battlefield gave the invaders a slight advantage. If one stared into the mess of swords and shield, and stared past the spraying flood and pile, one might have been able to see that the Secularists were gaining a foothold.

"There has got to be someway we can stop this!" Seteth howled as he plunged his spear through the chest of one of the cornered soldiers. "We need to reach the Heart of the Light! We---"

"And then what?!" Ferdinand cried, a hint desperateness dancing in his eyes. He raised his shield to counter the blow of one of Mephisto's great demons. His legs trembled under the weight of the creature's strike. "How are we to stop all this?"

"Maybe we can't," Dedue snapped through the strain. Summoning all the strength he had left within him, his forced his shield through the crowd. "But we at least have to try! For High Majesty! For Faerghus!"

Urein pounded his bronze knuckles together and screamed a primal battle cry. An overhead punch cracked the skull of the first solider who got too close. A long reading kick broke the ribs of the next. With a crackling blast of thunder, he slowly forced his way though the courtyard.

"Goddess!!!" He boomed. "Face us! Face us!"

A pale hand caught his fist before he could strike another guard. Luthor tested the limits of Urien's bronze. He tightened his grin around the Secularists' knuckles until he heard something important go 'pop'.
View attachment 5074
"It's over, Urien." Luthor hummed calmly. "Why fight it? There's a Brave New World. It's right around the corner. Why not be a part of it?"

"Bastard!" Urien spat. He brought his free had around for a sucker punch. Luthor caught it and gave it a crippling twist. Urien cried out like a bear caught in a trap. Without thinking, his brought his head down for for a headbutt. A telekinetic blast caught the strike before it could land.

"I should've expected such a primal response." Luthor released Urien from his grasp. With a thought, he raised the man above his head and tossed him into the approaching Secularists. He threw his arms wide and laughed. He cackled, his eyes swelling with tears.

"My brothers and sisters!" He preached. "This is the moment we have been waiting for! After all these years, she's returning to us!" The Knights of Seiros tried to rush the Apex Predator. He tossed them aside with a thought. "The day of reckoning is here! Forget your former selves! Cast out your sins! Fall before her and repent!"

"The Age of Men is at and End! Let the Age of the Goddess begin!!!"

***
Goddessians-
From the heart of the emerald light, a figure emerged. She walked with grace and purpose. With a wave of her hand, the floating stones converged to form a staircase to lead her back to to her Chosen. She commanded the elements, and they obeyed.

"Kolin?" Hearts whispered weekly. "Did you see... did you...?"

"I'm fine," She smiled warmly. "In fact, I've felt better."

'Kolin' raised her hand above Hearts. She slowly lowered it, pointing towards the stones at her feet.

"Now kneel." She hummed. "Kneel before your Goddess."
View attachment 5076
@Takumi @Lucky @Capri
The Mental Plane-
"Kolin..."
"Kolin..."
"Listen to me..."
"Kolin..."
"You need to wake up now..."
"Kolin..."
Slowy, Kolin regained consciousness. She found herself in a long, dark, corridor. It seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Adoring its walls were faceless, desecrates statues. Even without their heads, she could still identify them. They had once been built in the image of Urien.
"Kolin..." A homely voice called form behind her. "Rise..."
View attachment 5077
@Yun Lee​

Oh no. Big Mother knew the unthinkable had happened. The damn bitch had escaped her confinement. "I believe we are all ready to see our maker," Big Mother mainly said to Eliphas but to anyone at earshot as well. "I believe your rule over Hell is to become a short one."

She looked behind herself and saw what Luthor was doing to Urien. Perhaps... "I believe it's time to show Luthor his place in all of this. Are you up to ridding the Goddessian's of a ruler, Eliphas?"

@Sark @Crunch

 

[Lucky]

Jester Lavorre

It was in that exact moment that Jester understood what was happening. The Goddess had been awakened and it was a very bad thing. "I don't think the Goddess is someone who is supposed to be followed." She would confirm her suspicison by casting Detect Good and Evil followed by Hold Person on Lex.

@Sark @Jeremi @Crunch

Beau

" I believe Silque made the point, but I have decided on a different question to pose. What purpose did getting us to free you do?" She asked.

@Sark @Takumi

 

[Sark]

"Still time..." Kolin listened to what was said, letting it sink in. Had the Goddess...used her? Lured her in with sickly sweet words, with butterflies and beauty and warmth and love...all to just consider her nothing more than a host? She felt herself shake with rage. How could she have been so blind? So trusting? To think the Goddess was some sort of benevolent being, when she was just as power-hungry as the next...

But Ego was claiming she needed to go deeper. To reclaim herself from this. There were no gods to deliver her in her own mind. Only herself. Quietly she followed Ego into this vision, grimacing at it. She refused to comment on his observation about fear and desire. "Show me the way, and I will go. I need to claim myself back."

@Sark

Without saying another word, Ego placed his hand on the back of Kolin's head. He gently lowered her down towards the chopping block. Nerco didn't hesitate. He sword came swinging down, severing Kolin's head from her soldiers.

Crack

***
Kolin must have blinked. By the time she opened her eyes, she was in another world...
View attachment 5095
The snow stung her skin. A cool wind sprayed flicks of snow across her hair. A withering plant sat a few inches from her she laid. As she looked up, she found Ego looking down at her once again. He offer her a warm hand to help her to her feet.

"A layer deeper... I trust that this place is familiar to you, Kolin? It's a memory, a moment frozen in time. Your subconscious is fighting against us. It's make sense. As far as your body is aware, it already has a spirit. It thinks you're some kind of parasite. An invasive body trying to take it over."

The sounds of distant explosions echoed across the mountain. A familiar village was crumbling under mortar fire. A local militia had rallied to defend it, but the attacking army was making short work of them.
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The militia raised their arms and flags and prepared their final assault. They were outnumbered and out-gunned. It was a suicide run, a last ditch effort to die with their honor intact. Several of the fighters looked familiar to Kolin. Their faces stirred a few long memories. She knew their faces. Their names.

Mother. Father.

"This layer is more hostile that the last..." Ego hummed. "I can't find our exit... Give me a moment or two."

Ego closed his eyes and prepared to meditate.

@Yun Lee

Jester Lavorre

It was in that exact moment that Jester understood what was happening. The Goddess had been awakened and it was a very bad thing. "I don't think the Goddess is someone who is supposed to be followed." She would confirm her suspicison by casting Detect Good and Evil followed by Hold Person on Lex.

Oh no. Big Mother knew the unthinkable had happened. The damn bitch had escaped her confinement. "I believe we are all ready to see our maker," Big Mother mainly said to Eliphas but to anyone at earshot as well. "I believe your rule over Hell is to become a short one."

She looked behind herself and saw what Luthor was doing to Urien. Perhaps... "I believe it's time to show Luthor his place in all of this. Are you up to ridding the Goddessian's of a ruler, Eliphas?"

@Sark @Crunch

As Jester prepared to caster her spells, she would find herself struggling to remember their names. In fact, she could remember the names or incantations for any of her spells. Her thoughts began to pile up. The pressure in her mind began to increase by the second.

"I don't think it matters what traitors like you think, Jester," Luthor smiled. "In fact, I think you're finding it hard to think of anything at all... here, let me help you..."

The Apex Predator slowly circles Lavorre. He placed his hands upon her head and directed her eyes towards Big Mother. With a wink, he removed the mental block he had jammed into Jester's mind. It was as if he had just removed his fingers from a pinched hose. The spells Jester had sought to cast upon him- Detect Good and Evil and Hold Person- were instead redirected towards Mother.

Once the spells had reached their targets, Lex pushed Jester down into the dirt.

"Remember, Jester, when you're being pinned back together in the infirmary, that it was you who attacked me first. You brought this on yourself..."

He planted his foot between her shoulder blades and started to push down.
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"I'm not responsible for what happens next!"

At Ferdinand's thanks, the archer gave a small smile and nod, before he returned focus to the situation around them.

Ashe glanced to Ferdinand, then hesitantly lowered his bow. He knew, logically, that fighting against both Goddessians and Godless alike would be futile and lead to death, he didn't like being put on the spot like this.

"Even with the Goddess awake, our main enemy remains to be Mephisto, don't forget that Luthor." He gave a shaky exhale and returned his arrow to it's proper place as he eyed Luthor. He wasn't sure about the Goddess herself, but he knew that he just couldn't put his friends against Luthor's forces and Mephisto and Eliphas' at the same time without getting them all killed with the rest.

"We'll join you...if they all agree to, and I'm a bit doubtful they would but...well, then we'll join you." For now went unsaid. If Luthor so much as hurt them again...

@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Crunch

"I don't think Mephisto in much of a threat to us anymore..." Lex laughed. Her removed his foot from Jester's back and made his way towards Ashe and Ferdinand. Upon hearing Ashe's decision to join Luthor, Ferdinand loosened his grip on his spear a little. "With the Goddess on our side, I don't think anyone poses much of a threat to us now. Still... I'd hate to see a rat like him slip through the cracks..." The Apex Predator brushed off his hands and walked through the space between Ferdinand and Ashe.

"Deal with Jester, would you? If the Secularists want to secede from the Fellowship, that's their prerogative. But Mz.Lavorre just attacked the legitimate leader of the Goddessian Faction. Some might call that attempted regicide. Take her prisoner. I trust that at least one of you has rope, or a chain, or something. We can trial her once we return to the Temple. I trust the Goddess will be looking forward to trading words with a traitor like her. Once you're ready, join me. A Battle of Three Armies should provide us with ample time to reach the Tomb undetected."

As he passed the pair, he lowered his tone.

"Welcome to the Goddessians, my friends. Thank you for your service. I'll send a psychic message to your brothers in arms. The Knights of Seiros may dine with us yet. As for the Chosen, well... I hope some more of you will come to your senses..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky​

 

[Yun Lee]

Ah yes, truly this was penance if she ever knew it. To have to relive this...the darkest day of her life. The day her life changed forever, everything she had known wiped out in one fell swoop. She closed her eyes, waiting for Ego to find their way out. She couldn't bear to look at the past. It was bad enough she could hear it, feel it. But to see it all again...that was too much. She was a cold woman...but this made her realize she had not frozen completely.

@Sark

​

 

[Jeremi]

Without saying another word, Ego placed his hand on the back of Kolin's head. He gently lowered her down towards the chopping block. Nerco didn't hesitate. He sword came swinging down, severing Kolin's head from her soldiers.

Crack

***
Kolin must have blinked. By the time she opened her eyes, she was in another world...
View attachment 5095
The snow stung her skin. A cool wind sprayed flicks of snow across her hair. A withering plant sat a few inches from her she laid. As she looked up, she found Ego looking down at her once again. He offer her a warm hand to help her to her feet.

"A layer deeper... I trust that this place is familiar to you, Kolin? It's a memory, a moment frozen in time. Your subconscious is fighting against us. It's make sense. As far as your body is aware, it already has a spirit. It thinks you're some kind of parasite. An invasive body trying to take it over."

The sounds of distant explosions echoed across the mountain. A familiar village was crumbling under mortar fire. A local militia had rallied to defend it, but the attacking army was making short work of them.
View attachment 5096
The militia raised their arms and flags and prepared their final assault. They were outnumbered and out-gunned. It was a suicide run, a last ditch effort to die with their honor intact. Several of the fighters looked familiar to Kolin. Their faces stirred a few long memories. She knew their faces. Their names.

Mother. Father.

"This layer is more hostile that the last..." Ego hummed. "I can't find our exit... Give me a moment or two."

Ego closed his eyes and prepared to meditate.

@Yun Lee


As Jester prepared to caster her spells, she would find herself struggling to remember their names. In fact, she could remember the names or incantations for any of her spells. Her thoughts began to pile up. The pressure in her mind began to increase by the second.

"I don't think it matters what traitors like you think, Jester," Luthor smiled. "In fact, I think you're finding it hard to think of anything at all... here, let me help you..."

The Apex Predator slowly circles Lavorre. He placed his hands upon her head and directed her eyes towards Big Mother. With a wink, he removed the mental block he had jammed into Jester's mind. It was as if he had just removed his fingers from a pinched hose. The spells Jester had sought to cast upon him- Detect Good and Evil and Hold Person- were instead redirected towards Mother.

Once the spells had reached their targets, Lex pushed Jester down into the dirt.

"Remember, Jester, when you're being pinned back together in the infirmary, that it was you who attacked me first. You brought this on yourself..."

He planted his foot between her shoulder blades and started to push down.
View attachment 5097
"I'm not responsible for what happens next!"

"I don't think Mephisto in much of a threat to us anymore..." Lex laughed. Her removed his foot from Jester's back and made his way towards Ashe and Ferdinand. Upon hearing Ashe's decision to join Luthor, Ferdinand loosened his grip on his spear a little. "With the Goddess on our side, I don't think anyone poses much of a threat to us now. Still... I'd hate to see a rat like him slip through the cracks..." The Apex Predator brushed off his hands and walked through the space between Ferdinand and Ashe.

"Deal with Jester, would you? If the Secularists want to secede from the Fellowship, that's their prerogative. But Mz.Lavorre just attacked the legitimate leader of the Goddessian Faction. Some might call that attempted regicide. Take her prisoner. I trust that at least one of you has rope, or a chain, or something. We can trial her once we return to the Temple. I trust the Goddess will be looking forward to trading words with a traitor like her. Once you're ready, join me. A Battle of Three Armies should provide us with ample time to reach the Tomb undetected."

As he passed the pair, he lowered his tone.

"Welcome to the Goddessians, my friends. Thank you for your service. I'll send a psychic message to your brothers in arms. The Knights of Seiros may dine with us yet. As for the Chosen, well... I hope some more of you will come to your senses..."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky​

While Big Mother hadn't used it much she suddenly flew into the sky as the wings on her back grew large enough to lift her up the spells barely passing by her. "Your mind is gone, Luthor." Big Mother bellowed from the skies. "There might have been a point where we could have been allies but there is no man left. Only a puppet."

Her mouth started to crackle with energy. "Let me set you free," A massive blast of eldritch energy flew forth towards Luthor. If there was collateral damage then so be it.

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

 

[Sark]

While Big Mother hadn't used it much she suddenly flew into the sky as the wings on her back grew large enough to lift her up the spells barely passing by her. "Your mind is gone, Luthor." Big Mother bellowed from the skies. "There might have been a point where we could have been allies but there is no man left. Only a puppet."

Her mouth started to crackle with energy. "Let me set you free," A massive blast of eldritch energy flew forth towards Luthor. If there was collateral damage then so be it.

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

"Get down!" Ferdinand roared as he leaped between Ashe, Luthor and the oncoming blast. His great, armored shield took the brunt of the blast, the the force behind it was enough to crack the rocks at his feet. A smokey shock-wave scattered the Chosen. The force of the sudden blow was enough to render a them unconscious for a moment or two.

The sounds of the battle continue to boom overhead. But they were more muffled than they had been before. It was as if you were listening to them from the bottom of a swimming pool. A high pitched tone was ringing in your ears. A blurry and reached from the smoke and the flames.
View attachment 5098
"Ashe, now is no time for sleeping," Gilbert words warbled through the distortion. He pulled the Archer's arm over his shoulder and dragged him to his feet. He did his best to carry the archer away from Luthor and his ilk. "We need to move."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ashe could see Ferdinand's still body lying in the dirt. A pair of Goddessian medics were peeling back layer after layer of his armor in order to assess his wounds. The tried to check for a concussion. They asked his name. He didn't respond.

"Damnit! We're loosing him!" One of the medics roared. "We can't treat him here!"

"What will it take?" Luthor snapped.

"A miracle." The medic replied in confusion.

"Good. Get him inside the Temple. Ferdinand has chosen to offer his life to our cause on the one day that miracles are on the table..."

As the Medics prepared to move the Armored Knight, a pair of Goddessian soldiers dragged the wounded Jester towards the Tomb...

@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Before Mother could take in the destruction she had caused, a flaming fist struck her jaw. The force of the blow sent her soaring a little higher about the battlefield.
"HA!"
View attachment 5099
Her attacker roared. The next thing she knew, a wave of a ki was burning across her flesh.
"Guess I'm loosing my touch..." The Councillor puffed. "That should have been enough to knock you out for sure. Guess I'm going to have to try a little harder." Son crackled his knuckles and lowered his stance once again. His forehead furrowed. "I was hoping to avoid this, Mother. I thought you'd have the restraint to keep to foes your size... But you've left me no choice. I won't let you hurt those people." A spark of thunder danced across his body, "You're fighting me now!" In a flash of gold, Gohan soared through the air towards his foe.

@Jeremi @Crunch

Beau

" I believe Silque made the point, but I have decided on a different question to pose. What purpose did getting us to free you do?" She asked.

@Sark @Takumi

"You're blunt, Beau. You don't mince your words." The Goddess smiled. "I've always respected that about you. 'Purpose' is weighted word. An action's 'purpose' is determined by the one who performed it. I supposed you'll have to ask Kolin about that. And you'll have your chance shortly, worry not. Or, at least, you could ask yourself that question. Why did you choose to stand by me, Beau? Why did you come here?"

The Goddess stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.

"I doubt my answer has satisfied you. I hate answering questions with more questions. If you're looking for the simplest, bluntest answer imaginable, here it is: now that I am free, any 'debts' you might think you owe me have been paid. I gave you life. You did the same to me. Now that I am free, we are no longer debtors and debt-collectors. We are equals. Partners. Now that I am free, I can lend my power to reshaping the Mutliverse. I invite you and your fellow Chosen to join me, Beau. Tell me. What injustices would you like to see erased?"

"What happens...next?" Silque murmured quietly, frowning.


"I do not fully know, but..." She faltered here, closing her eyes for a moment.

"What is it you plan to do? That you want to do? Will you hold onto her body, and rule over men? What happens next, ultimately, depends on your next actions and how they affect the lives of many. Both positively and negatively. You've given me life after death, and I had planned to repay you as if I would repay Mother Mila, now that you are here it's...different." She placed her hand to her chest, eyes closed in thought. Through the fabric of her clothes she could still feel it, the scar she had received from Xalek's attack all that time ago in hell. While faded, it served as a reminder of why she kept going; not for herself, but to further help the lonely and downtrodden in any way she could.

"This form... it unnerves you, doesn't it?" The Goddess frowned. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a momentous day. A day of celebration. It shouldn't be marred by mistrust."

The Goddess opened 'her' arms wide.

"Consider this a gesture of Good Will..."

The Tomb shook once again. That old emerald light flooded from Kolin's eyes and mouth. The Butterflies that had flown from Hearts' body swarmed her. A wave of warmth flooded the Burial Chamber. From the heart of the cloud, Kolin stumbled. She feel the the ground. She was alive, but not quite awake. The Goddess emerged a moment later. She was just as beautiful as she had once been. She stared down at her ghostly fingers. She ran them across the fabric of his pale burial gown.

"Does this put you at ease, my child?" The Goddess whispered softly. "I apologizes. The Temptation to return to the flesh was... alluring. I pray that you shall forgive me..." She knelt down beside Kolin's unconscious body and kissed her forehead. "I pray that you will forgive me too, my daughter..."

The Mental Plane-
View attachment 5100
"And exit... a door... or a passage way or a..."

Ding

"An elevator?" Ego queried. His eyes dissected the mysterious emerald elevator that had appeared before him. It's doors slid open. The alluring song of a choir could be heard humming inside. "This is... unusual..." He reached out to touch its cool exterior. "It's a way out. Or, perhaps, a way in would be a more accurate way of describing it. The Goddess has left your body... Strange. These sort of illusions generally come in threes..."

'Gill' shook his head, banishing the thought.

"No. I am certain. The Goddess has relinquished her hold over you. This elevator should leave you straight back to the control room. I'm certain of it. I suppose this is where we part ways, Kolin, though I doubt this will be the last time we meet. If I am to give you one parting nugget of wisdom, I would like it to be this: when journey began, upon this snowy plane, you placed your faith in a stranger. Your path seemed clear. Simple. Clean. But today, you have reached a crossroad. The path you must travel is no longer clear. But no matter which path you take, you must march down it with conviction and confidence. This journey began with a leap of faith. The time has come for you to take one more..."

@Yun Lee​