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TO Rewrite: B4 — 7. Changing the Game
🕑 Added 2025-06-24 22:54:28 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Rachel Park (Our Lunar Hare!)
2. ???? (Our New Villain?)
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Rachel inhaled deeply as they walked away from the Crystal site, the life-infused morning air filling her lungs while [Strategic Mind III] catalogued every detail from the divine summit. The golden clouds overhead cast everything in a warm, ethereal glow, but she knew the meeting, no matter how cordial, was a bomb shell that would shake the entire world.
Nungal made sure of that.
Butter practically bounced beside her, aquamarine eyes sparkling and darting everywhere with childlike wonder. “Oh, this is all so fascinating! Your world has such interesting textures and smells. It feels so different from that, uh, what did they call it? Yes, a Colombian, South American small town I was in… That is a place, correct?” she inquired, bright smile turning her way.
“Yes,” Rachel chuckled, taking in every detail. “So, you started on Earth?”
“Oh, yes!” Her head tilted to the left, blonde locks flowing like liquid over her shoulder, “Well, more specifically, inside my twin’s soul since she sort of killed me in the womb when we fought, and then poof! There I was, bleeding out golden blood all over her inner soul. It was a tense first meeting and we were both utterly bewildered!”
“That’s…a crazy origin story,” Scarlet mumbled from beside her, still looking somewhat skittish around the former goddess’ aura. “The Oscillation, uh, brought you back to life? Wait, are you saying you had amnesia?”
“Mhm! Mhm!” she nodded, holding a finger to her chin while peering back at her memories. “My twin’s body rejected her awakening undead soul with all its Death Energy, and so she had to create a phylactery. She was kidnapped by humans at the orders of those Scarlet Hand people, then the ri’bot attacked. The rest is history! Oh, the snow…”
“Snow?” Rachel pressed, following her gaze.
“Yes…” she breathed, sending a pulse of divine water to gather up a clump before returning with it; the soldiers nearby scattered, wide-eyed and looking for Tom for instructions, yet he was just waiting for them to join him. “This snow is far less colorful than the kind I saw when the ri’bot captured us and brought the whole town to their world… The start of our empire. Seeing it myself instead of through the eyes of a tiny butterfly is so different!”
Scarlet trudged along, going silent while processing Butter’s carefree attitude; the fact that her Soul Expansion failed was probably still bugging her. Rachel caught her stealing glances at Butter, no doubt trying to understand how she should feel about the blonde.
Rachel flexed her feelings, testing the threads of misfortune; Butter was practically a force of nature. Yet, she was coming into line with them, shoving out many other large threats. Of course, much larger ones were now aligning against them, causing her gut to twist.
Minor problems are being sidelined, as more dangerous ones refocus… But she could change everything.
On their path toward Tom and Barbara, she shifted her head to look at the Crystal from the corner of her eye. Grace and El Santo had gone with Adoncia to inspect the interior and what awaited them. Misfortune was in their favor, heavily.
Butter is a force of gravity, pulling in everything as she dances around like a kid in a candy shop. Her power is real, though, and her instincts are insanely sharp.
Her gaze lingered on her blinding necklace; any thought of grabbing it was met with intense rejection by misfortune. The instinctive urge to fight her—[Lunar Pride]—was unusually tame. There was something about her natural force that almost felt…aligned with cosmic order.
“Major,” Nia's voice whispered through their spiritual connection, “it feels like Butter knows exactly what I am. Her spiritual pulses pass through our defenses as if they weren’t even there.”
She’s an irregular variable. No, perhaps the opposite; a fundamental variable? For now, she’s on our side, and we can learn from her. The Scarlet Hand gives us a common enemy. In other news, how’s our recovering Wings of Victory?
“Mmm. Nike is very reserved right now. Whatever Nungal said, it’s been very disturbing. She says all of them got personal messages from Nungal. She says there are quite a few other deities who are stronger than the 7th-dimensional entities we’ve known who managed to escape Scarlet’s purge via sealing themselves in human form. Apparently, they had more foresight to react.”
Fate would have known that. That also implies that all the deities we know could have higher-dimensional counterparts living amongst us that they aren’t even aware of. Just as the Nungal below the 7th Wall found out about this higher-dimensional one. Butter and Elinor’s situation seems tied to Fate’s attempt to push them out. Wait… Does that mean Nungal told Nike that Butter was a deity beyond the 7th dimension?
“Unclear, likely on purpose. Is it too pompous to believe you were the one who allowed those people to stay?”
Alone? Likely not, she snorted, smiling at Scarlet, who returned it, fangs poking through. There is a complex and deep web to all of this…with Scarlet at the center.
“That’s a good point. On another note, Nike does want you to know that the triplets are…agitated about something they were told.”
What kind of agitated? Rachel muttered while maintaining her outward composure as they approached Tom. Those three are typically rowdy and agitated as a base with their sisters.
“The whispering kind. Huddled together, ears flat, tails twitching. Aleka keeps muttering something about ‘chains that bind gods’ and Irida won’t stop asking when we can go home to the Underworld to cheer up Lady Persephone.”
Shock from seeing their all-powerful lord and lady brought down to mortality… And Nike? She inquired, thinking back on the parallel conversations Nungal had been having the entire time. Has she said anything else?
“Not really. As you said, likely shock from whatever Nungal told them privately. She keeps staring off into space and mumbling about ‘they’re still alive’ and ‘all will fall to rise again,’ which we can speculate on, but there is a lot that could refer to.”
A chill ran down Rachel’s spine. Whatever the Primal goddess had revealed to the assembled deities, it was significant enough to rattle them to their cores.
Barbara fell into step beside her, auburn hair catching the golden light as they pressed forward to the headquarters, soldiers parting and making way; whispers were everywhere, pricking her twitching ears, and all of them had the deities as the subject.
“We need to discuss information security,” she said quietly, Tom keeping a watchful eye on Butter as he moved with them. The saint’s sharp gaze darting to nearby soldiers who had fallen to their butts and just stared up at the golden heavens. “General, the footage, the livestreams—should we be trying to contain this? Rachel can identify them.”
Before Rachel could respond, Tom’s voice cut through the murmurs, snatching Butter’s fascinated gaze; Chief Running Elk and Wakalapi were already beside the doors of the isolated, magically defended building. Behind them, a crowd of soldiers and officers was already starting to follow the golden footprints Butter’s bare feet left on the sidewalk.
“What’s done is done, Captain. There’s no putting the genie back into the bottle,” he sighed, though there was frustration in his gravely voice. “That cosmic entity—Nungal—obviously wanted global disclosure. Half the mercenaries were livestreaming. I don’t doubt it’s already viral across social media faster than we could ever contain without someone like Astra scrubbing things.”
Butter’s eyes widened. “Ooh. Someone who can wipe memories? Quite a useful ability.”
“Not exactly,” Rachel grimly returned. “An AI, but I doubt you know what that is,” she added, watching her reaction carefully. Not that she needed to.
“Not a clue!”
“Right,” Rachel groaned, scratching her left ear and keeping her voice low, “well, my bet would be that Nungal wanted the world to see that gods could be brought down to mortal level. This isn’t a leak—it’s a revelation that will dominate news media.”
Tom’s brown eyes hardened. “Let’s save that discussion for private. We have too many people watching.”
“You really do? You’re projecting this across the world?” Butter suddenly clapped, clearly thrilled. “You set up this whole welcome party for me? You’re so generous! But I didn’t even get to dance with more than a few people!” she cried. “Though I must say, I’m honored by all the preparation. Very thoughtful! I do so love a good gathering. That being said, I should do something about the weather…”
As they approached the command bunker, Butter lifted her hand, the elegant paper and wood fan appearing with a burst of wind between her delicate fingers. Rachel’s tail fur slowly stiffened, vision going wide at the realization of what the former goddess was about to do.
It’s midday. Scarlet!
“Major, there are tarps!” Nia instructed. “Yes, Green—”
Snapping the fan shut, a beam of radiant energy shot into the havens like a spear piercing the sky, drawing gasps and sounds of wonder. However, one fanged teen tripped and fell on her face. The golden clouds above them began to thin and disperse. Shafts of pure sunlight broke through and caught Scarlet’s shoulder.
“Ack!” Shrinking away from the beam to a still-protected area, she hissed, panic rising in her voice, “there’s no shadows, Rachel—”
“What is happening?” Butter blinked.
Green suddenly darted over, face going pale as she snatched one of the military tarps and ripped it clean off its spikes. “Rachel!”
Scarlet’s blood flowed out, forming a gateway to try and teleport that way—a new ray of sunlight poked through, cutting it like a hot blade through jello. “I can’t teleport, Rachel! My blood—”
A brilliant beam of sunlight suddenly broke through directly overhead, striking Scarlet’s exposed arm. She cried out as her skin began to smoke and burn, her blood trying desperately to form a protective barrier to immediately boil and evaporate. In addition, Rachel’s own power began to leave her as the solar beams struck her body.
“Scarlet! Ugh…” Rachel lunged toward the tarp that Green was tossing her to wrap the burning girl in. “Get on—”
“Oh my!” Butter’s voice carried genuine concern as her cane appeared in her hand, slamming the ground with a deafening sound. In an instant, a shimmering, translucent bubble formed around Scarlet and Rachel like a second skin—the burning flesh stopped, her swiftly diminishing strength returned.
Not taking any chances, Rachel tackled the girl to the ground and spread it over her as the soldiers all looked on in total whiplash, some seemingly recognizing what was happening.
“R-Rachel! Wait, wait… I’m healing?”
“What?”
“It…doesn’t burn?”
Scarlet’s fingers poked out, covered in the bubble-like film as the sunlight hit them directly. “I…feel the warmth. How? I’m cursed by the sun,” she whispered, head popping out to look up at the beaming blonde.
Rachel examined her own arm, rainbow-like reflections shining within the layer. Is it protecting us? If so…light is the source of visual imaging. Only sunlight has the effect on us, not protons themselves… Is she creating light? How many powers does she have?
“How?” Butter repeated, dismissing her two items and clasping her hands behind her back with a pretty smile. “Well, simple. Clearly, it is the sun’s influence on your souls that I sensed, so I just added a Life Force filter of sorts. Light is another source of life, after all. Though mine is not from the sun. The joys of light and beauty should be relished equally by everyone, cursed or blessed!”
Scarlet stared in wonder as warm sunlight bathed her face without pain for the first time since her transformation. “Rachel, I can… I can actually feel the warmth without burning.”
Butter giggled as everyone else watched or recorded. “Now that’s a beautiful smile, dear. The fangs really complement the look. Too bad my twin is such a gloomy goth, or she could be just as stunning as I. I mean, we are twins!” she rambled, trapped in her own mentalscape as they processed everything.
“Priss can kill the mood faster than anything! Oh, and those are the looks she gets quite often. Hmm. Am I killing the mood by talking about her killing the mood?” She dissolved into musical laughter. “You strike again, big sister. She’s infectious in the worst way!”
Around them, the remaining snow began melting rapidly, and the holy liquid returned to its normal state as the golden clouds fully dispersed, revealing a bright, holy radiance that seemed to emanate from Butter herself. The entire landscape transformed from a celestial wonderland to a spring morning in minutes.
“Shall we continue?”
Rachel slowly got to her feet, breathing somewhat heavily while realizing the scope of what they were dealing with. Butter was essentially her when tied to the Blood Moon: a demigoddess.
Almost too overwhelmed, the world slowed for Rachel as she watched Scarlet push herself out of the tarp to look up at the sun. A bloody tear slid down her cheek before absorbing into her skin.
Around them, the onlookers followed their gaze, but their attention was on the dissipating holy clouds. Rachel and Scarlet were centered on the blinding star above, soaking in the rays for the first time without discomfort or pain in almost two months.
The wind picked up, pulling on their clothes and tugging at their hair as Butter radiated a grin that might as well be as bright as the sun. In that moment, Rachel knew that the blonde was totally without ill will, as if she truly were some transcendent goddess.
She operates on a different wavelength than anyone we’ve dealt with, deities included. No fear. No anger. Just…joy in living.
A small tug pulled at her lips as, for one of the first times since her transformation, she felt like there was no ulterior motive behind her enemy—no, enemy was the wrong word. Butter wasn’t an enemy; she embodied words like competition, fun seeker, and deeply desiring real connection… With the one exception of her big sister, it seemed, which was far more complex.
For a full three minutes, Rachel sat with Scarlet under the sunlight, finding her hand to squeeze, showing her that she was sharing in the moment. And the truly telling part was that Butter shared in it, seemingly resonating with their liberated souls.
Tom, Barbara, and the others waited outside the command center, possibly processing their own emotional complexities. However, eventually, Scarlet was the one who tugged them back to reality, returning her squeeze and pulling her toward the command bunker.
They reached the command bunker, where soldiers immediately began their security protocols. Rachel noticed William H. Mumler positioned outside with his camera, documenting everything with obvious fascination. She was sure there would be photos of the parting clouds, awe-struck soldiers looking heavenward.
This day would go down in history with the two Oscillations. The frightening part was that her name might be under the second, as its trigger.
Barbara shot a concerned look at the photographer, but Tom was right; this was a global change. A global change that, once again, she was at the center of.
Inside the bunker, the familiar setup greeted them: Tom stopped beside a bank of monitors with Barbara at his side. He set the tablet in a specific place to show President Capell’s on the livestream. Running Elk and Wakalapi promptly occupied chairs near the back, their expressions grave. Green sat where White would have after the leadership transition.
Rachel started the conversation once, taking her seat beside Scarlet, Butter gracefully taking her opposite side with expectant cheer.
“To start, the 36-hour timeline before the enhanced Crystal pulse should be our—”
“Oh, that’s irrelevant,” Butter promptly waved off. “The timeline doesn’t matter with that. I can handle all of it myself! No need to worry your pretty ears about it. Your concerns should be on day seven.”
Rachel’s mouth became a line, shifting her seat as everyone looked toward the blonde. Tom was quick to head to the whiteboard, tugging off the sheet to add new data.
“You’re saying you’ll handle the whole Crystal battle yourself?”
“Why not? Nungal made it sound like it would be of the same level as the susime, and I’m more than capable of handling that. The real threats won’t arrive until day seven, when the enhanced pulse works its way into the Crystal core, whatever that is.”
“I can see that logic,” Tom nodded with a tired sigh. “That being said, we can’t base Earth’s defense on unknown capabilities. There’s no guarantee they won’t be resistant to your Life Energy.”
“Also irrelevant,” Butter chirped, causing Wakalapi to release a deep hum that had the former goddess smiling his way. “I am not solely locked to divine elements. I can control the weather, water, wind…multiple aspects of reality through spiritual control. In essence, I am saying you should allow me to show you how I do conquest.”
President Campell was the one to speak up. “Very well, Butter. Is it possible to run a few training sessions with Omen and Fable before then?”
“A lovely idea I already floated,” Butter nodded, hands folding in her lap while studying her reaction. She remained neutral. “Training, a fun exploration of Earth… There are many things I can’t wait to enjoy about your culture and world. I want every experience I can to show my twin I can be cultured and not a fatty butterball.”
Scarlet snorted. “She calls you a fatty butterball?”
“Oh, Priss is so very attached to the ‘fat image’ that I rather find it endearing now. You could say I have a very fatty heart! Did I say something funny without meaning to? Delightful!”
Everyone smiled, even Running Elk, who had maintained the same expression the entire time. That couldn’t last long, though.
“Alright,” Tom returned without preamble, “let’s take a step back. Rachel, we’ll go with what we do know. Grace informed me about the general notes, but I understand you’ve uncovered significant intelligence about the Benedict Arnold situation?”
Releasing a long stream of air, Rachel pushed her chair and moved to the whiteboard. “As you have up here, Arnold was confirmed as a UK agent who infiltrated the Kremlin, then was sent to spy on the US by them. He was ultimately tasked with infiltrating the USSR, which…is how he ended up here. The important detail: the USSR now has all of our intelligence. Photos of everything on this board—our family trees, Scarlet’s connections, divine relationships, the works…but the whole world knows about deities. The details are the important thing.”
Green’s ears drooped. “How much of Fable’s information was compromised?”
“Everything Tom had access to,” Rachel replied grimly. “That said, we discovered a whole lot more about Fable realms through Ali Baba’s collapsing Seed. I see your information on Baba Yaga is…not great. An ancient Slavic witch working with USSR forces, hmm? She wears the skin of those she’s made deals with, according to Astra, and she met with Aurora.”
A low growl rumbled in her throat, scratching at her twitching left ear in a way that had the Native Americans sit straighter at her agitation. “Speaking of Aurora. I see the big question mark… We don’t know who she is. She killed the original Aurora and took her identity.”
“Aurora is a pretty name,” Butter commented, leaning forward to rest her chin on her bridged fingers while fixating on the attached picture. “A pretty name for a pretty woman. Hmm. She looks like a dancer and singer. Don’t tell me she skipped my party.”
“You could say she did,” Tom muttered, rubbing his jaw. “The Russian political situation is fragmenting. At least six major factions are fighting for control. We confirmed the Ukraine invasion appears to be Ivan the Terrible’s ‘Immortal Army,’ not official Russian government action… Ukraine is holding out with our support, and some of their own myths and legends.”
President Capell’s voice came through the tablet speaker: “And the Second Oscillation, Rachel? We were waiting for more concrete information from you on it because it has magnified the effects of the original Oscillation a hundredfold.”
Rachel’s expression grew grave. “It seems that had the consequence of allowing Nungal to take her actions. When I broke past the 7th Wall, I awakened something related to the Ever-shifting Mists that cut Fate’s string. New Seeds are incoming with unknown capabilities. These were Seeds trapped behind the 7th Wall.”
Campell rubbed between his eyes. “Let’s stop dancing around the subject and just address it. I’ve heard multiple fortunetellers and the like tell me roughly similar things, but I know your sense for the best path has a proven track record. What is your grasp on the current situation there?”
Rachel tilted her head slightly, feeling the familiar tug of misfortune’s threads. “Mr. President, if we try to win this…meaning we turn Butter away, then we will lose.”
“Have a little confidence!” Butter chirped from her seat. “I believe you have quite the arsenal of talent. It just needs to be polished a bit.”
“Thanks for the praise,” Rachel smirked, “but I think it has more to do with your pendant, and actually, there are forces building up against you… Not us. Others.”
“Ooh! Ominous. Ah! Is that why they call your organization Omen? That’s adorable! Priss would love it.”
“Anyway… We should come to an understanding and agreement, asap.”
Butter beamed. “Oh, how perceptive you are, Rachel! Your soul is so…riddled with complexities, as well. I love just staring at you… Though really, this isn’t my show.”
“What?” Barbara mumbled, brow furrowing as she stopped pacing. “Is…your sister coming?”
“Oh, high heavens, no!” the blonde chortled. “No, that might be a catastrophe. As she once put it, being an empress of the dead isn’t the best look for Earth cultures. I’m the much brighter and more friendly twin.
“No, technically, this is the susime’s conquest Crystal. I just sort of,” she tilted her head left and right, “commandeered it. My big sister sent me to investigate what they were all about, and one thing led to another, and now I’m their leader!”
Green blinked. “The susime? White mentioned that… Toad people with golden skin?”
“Indeed! Humanoid toads…not that I know what Earth toads look like…but, in any case, my toads have powers over death and life force—rather like my sister Elinor and myself, actually, only far more limited. They’re the ones who conquered Earth initially and brought Snow captive to our world…before I stole her and made them, ahem, see the light! Quite impressive, aren’t I?”
Rachel felt the pieces clicking together. “You…talked about toads who captured you and brought you back to their world. I’m guessing there are multiple tribes or clans, then? My first Crystal event was against toad people who could turn into sand. Ring a bell?”
“Sand? Maybe,” she hummed, leaning back and pushing her lips to the side. “The First Finger told me something about an eastern desert ri’bot who could be as advanced as them in their own mystic arts, died to their Supreme Chiefs. Sadly, the susime weren’t in good favor with their deities. Yikes.
“I had a lovely chat with their death god…who sort of wanted them all exterminated because of how weak they were. And to top it off, the poor thing died at the end of our chat. Not me! No, natural causes, completely unrelated to our conversation,” she swiftly clarified with a toothy grin.
Scarlet choked on a blood bag that Green had found in a corner fridge. “Ack-ack! You didn’t actually kill all of them?”
“And how does a death god die from natural causes?” Green mumbled in confusion.
Butter tilted her head thoughtfully. “Absolutely not. Do I seem like the genocide type? No, I believe in the potential of life! He should have petitioned my sister, but…she’s shockingly a lot more lax than our previous life…” the blonde trailed off as if deep in thought before snapping out of it.
“Oh, I’m getting distracted! Mmm, there are levels to deities, you know. We saw an example with Nungal just a moment ago. The Supreme Chiefs are…far weaker than those other deities who showed up. Yet, still deities by mortal standards.”
Rachel considered the dimensional hierarchies she’d been carefully cataloguing while staring at her shimmering pendant; it was probably weaker than Eostre but stronger than Moongmor. “There’s always a bigger fish. Speaking of which, can you explain what you did to El Santo again?”
“Exactly!” Butter clapped. “You’re such a quick study! My domination? Well, the susime understands just as your friend does on a spiritual level. I merely showed them the truth about my divine nature. Not brainwashing. How can I describe it?” she hummed, focus wandering to Scarlet.
“Oh! It’s like just pulling back the curtain and revealing the sun. I am a state of being that they recognize through divine authority on a cosmic scale. To be honest,” she shrugged, “it is truths I don’t even fully understand myself, since my memories as a goddess have only recently been returning. Not all of them are…joyful, but certainly enlightening.”
Wakalapi leaned forward. “I cannot help but notice this section here about the Fable realm event that you recently put up, General… This Black Hat entity. Old Man Coyote is cautious of this development. What about the princess and the djinn?”
Butter sat back, amiably listening rather than engaging.
“Under isolated confinement until we can sort this out,” Tom immediately replied. “The ‘dark djinn,’ as Grace called him, is mostly powerless. Although the princess is…adjusting to her new circumstances. The Ali Baba family has made a visit every day to talk with her and keep her company, under strict supervision. It’s…a problem for the future. Maybe you could offer your opinion, High Queen.”
“I’d love to be of help, General.”
The President’s voice cut through again, but with a different tone—more personal, more urgent. “Rachel, I think we’ve essentially established at this point that High Queen Butter will be our strategic ally. On behalf of the American people, I am thankful for all you are doing, Your Majesty.”
“I’m charmed!”
“With all of that said, I need to interrupt the tactical discussion. This may sound off-topic, but it’s hard to get direct answers from you when you’re always on operations…or struggling to keep your soul from collapsing.”
Rachel winced, showing a strained smile. “Yes, that does happen more than I’d like to admit. What do you need, Mr. President?”
“I need to ask about the Egyptian pantheon.”
Rachel's ears tilted forward. “The…Egyptian pantheon, sir?”
That’s a pivot to left field, she mumbled to Nia, who was listening intently. Nothing on the board.
“If I recall, there were some of the pantheon in Conner’s quest, invited by Izanami.”
“Specifically,” he continued, “what do you know about the goddess Sekhmet? The Egyptian goddess with the head of a lioness, who is over war, plagues, and healing? Any alternative reasons she might be targeting me and my daughter, beyond the obvious political leverage?”
The question hung in the air like gravity had lightened, floating on Rachel’s brain, which was completely at a loss. Rachel exchanged glances with the others, seeing her own bewilderment reflected in their faces.
Nia? Any clues from Nike?
“She’s in a meditative state. I don’t want to disturb her. The triplets…say they’ve got no idea who she is. Not their wheelhouse.”
Huh…
“Mr. President,” she slowly responded, “I…don’t know anything about Sekhmet or Egyptian mythology in general beyond the mummy stereotype. That’s completely outside my experience.” She felt the admission like a screw in her gut at Butter’s analytical stare, especially with the personal stakes obviously involved. “All I know is that Isis was inside Conner’s Legend Quest, invited by Izanami, and that she appeared more sympathetic to the imbalance Shiva made to the battle.”
Leo Capell’s sigh came through clearly over the connection. “If you could keep your ears to the ground. She’s been approaching my daughter, offering to make her look human again—to eliminate the beast problems from her transformation. Trying to convert her into a mystic. I need to understand if there are deeper motivations beyond just reaching me through her.”
“Nike is somewhat preoccupied right now, but I can consult with Eostre and her about it later when I get an understanding of what Nungal talked about with them. But I’ll need more details about the specific approaches and offers being made.”
“Right, well, we’ll discuss it privately later today,” the President replied. “Right now, I need you focused on the immediate…High Queen integration.”
“Wonderful save, Mr. President,” Butter chimed, bouncing slightly in her seat. “Oh, this all sounds delightfully complex! But before we get too bogged down in planning, shouldn’t you meet my people? I think formal introductions are in order. I can feel Adoncia returning with my White and the two First Fingers.”
“The susime you mentioned?” Barbara clarified.
“Among others! We can have a party.”
Green raised a hand tentatively. “Just to clarify—when you say they have death force and life force powers… Our White, told us that her life was literally taken, and you restored it.”
“Oh yes, it was quite the atrocious act. She was able to obtain her justice. They are quite formidable, though! Especially after I started guiding them. They can drain Life Energy or bolster it, manipulate aging, cause decay, or renewal. Very handy in battle, actually. Much more elegant than simple ri’bot Mysticism. Mika has unlocked quite a few powers, as well, after my blessing.”
“Butter,” Rachel carefully inserted herself, “when you say you ‘showed them the truth about your divine nature’—what exactly does that process involve?”
The blonde placed a finger in front of her lips with a wink. “It is a Quickening that enriches their souls to the point of understanding the heart and weight of my own soul. They understand that working together serves everyone’s highest good, hoping to show their friends the truth, not harm them. They have full agency, just with more information that they have trouble explaining.”
“So, to be clear, they’re genuinely loyal? Not compelled or controlled?”
“Oh my, no! As I said, force breeds resentment if your goal is for the greater good. Truth breeds devotion. They serve because they want to, because they’ve seen how much better things can be if I put my heart into their desires.” Butter’s expression grew slightly distant.
“My former life as a goddess… I wasn’t always so wise about these things. I often wonder why I chose the path I did. Perhaps it was spoiled behavior, but…there has to be something more to it than that. I don’t know. It is something that keeps my mind and heart occupied.”
Running Elk spoke up for the first time. “From a spiritual perspective, what you describe sounds like an awakening—only inspired externally than internally, which…should be impossible, helping souls remember their connection to the greater whole.”
“I have been known to do the impossible,” Butter whispered, resting her chin on her fingers again with a beaming smile. “Your people seem to have maintained a much better connection to the realms beyond life and death than those I saw outside.”
Tom cut back in. “All fascinating, but we still have immediate tactical concerns. Rachel, I’m leaving Butter in your care. Green, coordinate with Fable, and work out your internal issues. Barbara, I want you to heighten our information network in response to Rachel’s misfortune, which forces are moving against the High Queen. But first, we need to meet our new allies. High Queen?”
“Wonderful!” Butter stood. “I’m sure your soldiers are already trying to charm my lovely maid. She’s quite the diligent woman. A real catch,” she added, turning to Wakalapi, as if a proud mother trying to pressure a boy into dating their daughter. “Stunning blue eyes, strong in all the right ways, and absolutely precious.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Wakalapi chortled. “She certainly could be a star batter in the MLB.”
“I have no idea what that is, but I love the praise! As for the ri’bot, you’ll find them quite charming once you get past the initial…cultural differences. The Fingers can be a bit…extreme in their dedications.”
As the meeting began to break up, the President getting pulled away, Rachel caught herself staring at Butter. The woman’s cheer was full force while discussing logistics with Tom and Barbara. The blonde’s casual confidence about handling threats that terrified gods, her mysterious conquest methodology, the loyal forces she’d somehow acquired—it all painted a picture of someone far more complex and powerful than her bubbly exterior suggested.
Yeah, the Scarlet Hand may have been onto something, getting rid of personalities like this…which, I guess, I’m a part of, but if we had thousands of people like Butter… The world just isn’t big enough. Butter needs to teach me how to work with spiritual forces.
That is the critical difference between us…experience, and hers comes naturally from a past life, as a goddess no less. Another question is…how she ended up dead and reborn into this life. But, perhaps an even more open-ended question is…did I have a previous life, and if so, who was I?
Scarlet stood, bumping hips with her, displaying a more confident smile. Whatever may come at the end of the adventure, Rachel had a feeling that Butter and she would become great friends in the end.
Outside, standing within the blazing sunlight, she paused with Scarlet.
“Is this real?” the girl mumbled, shielding her gaze. “It…feels like a dream.”
“We’re entering a new chapter. Just roll with it and adapt… We need to hit Level 25.”
“You do… I just need to not suck.”
“Oh, nonsense!” Butter chided from behind them as she exited. “All you need is a little confidence and a nudge in the right direction… You can call me Master Fatty! Kidding, kidding!” she laughed. “But truly, I can’t wait to learn all about your styles. You will be helping me recall my former life experience as much as I will be instructing you.”
Rachel’s ears flew up as she showed a real grin. “Let the training arc begin… After we meet your maid, that is.”
She could hear William’s camera clicking steadily nearby, documenting the historic moment for posterity. The world had changed irrevocably today, and somehow she was at the center of it all.
* — * — *
The bitter wind swept across the desolate crater where Ali Baba’s realm had once stood, carrying with it the scent of scorched earth and lingering magic. Snow clung to the jagged edges of reality that still sparked with dimensional instability once probed, creating an otherworldly landscape of white and shadow.
Fascinating… Fable Seeds hold more power than I first gave them credit for. A little probe and it creates this kind of reality distortion.
Adelaide Herrmann adjusted her ornate coat—a masterpiece of Victorian elegance enhanced with modern magical circuitry that pulsed faintly beneath the fabric.
The garment itself was a work of art: midnight blue velvet adorned with silver threads that formed intricate patterns resembling both strange magic symbols and arcane formulae. Her hair, as white as the powder, styled in an elaborate Gibson Girl updo, was crowned with a small top hat that defied gravity, floating precisely three inches above her head while rotating slowly.
Her green eyes swept the site, showing the sharp intelligence of someone who had spent a lifetime reading audiences, predicting their reactions, staying three steps ahead of their expectations. The Oscillation had enhanced that natural cunning, blessing her with abilities that turned performance into reality.
“The mirror shows clearer images today,” came a melodious voice from behind her. “There she is…more fair than the last time I saw her. How could such an innocent face hide such cruelty?”
Adelaide didn’t turn to look at her Vollstrecker—her lieutenant—the woman who had once been called the Evil Queen, though she now went by Regina among their little band.
The former fairy tale monarch had adapted well to Earth’s reality, her raven-black hair styled in a sleek bob that framed aristocratic features. She wore a form-fitting black dress that managed to be both elegant and practical, with subtle armor plating worked into the design.
“The dimensional instability from the collapse is working in our favor,” Adelaide replied, her voice carrying the practiced projection of a stage performer. “You’ve found the Spirit of Conquest we’ve been waiting for?”
Regina stepped forward, producing a tiny model of a full-length mirror from the folds of her dress. With a gesture, it expanded to magnificent size, giving them a broad view that could fit a giant. This was no ordinary looking glass—the frame was wrought from what appeared to be liquid silver that constantly shifted and flowed, inscribed with runes that hurt to look at directly. Within the reflective surface, images swirled like smoke.
“Mirror, mirror, before my eyes,” Regina intoned, her voice taking on an otherworldly resonance, “show me divinity in Billings, Montana.”
The surface shimmered, and suddenly they were looking down at a military bunker in Montana. Adelaide leaned forward, studying the figures gathered around a table with intense interest. Her trained eye catalogued each person—the rabbit-eared girl who’d caused such chaos for her, the vampire with her distinctive gothic styling, the military personnel trying to maintain some semblance of control.
Rachel Park… The woman whose misfortune made a Personification of Thievery steal back Christ’s thorns and Saint Catherine’s artifacts for an oblivious unicorn. Well played, but this time will be different, she internally noted, playing with a deep red stone with an inner glow, floating unassisted between her bust.
Her covetous gaze fixated on a golden-haired woman who looked like divinity incarnate.
I didn’t climb to my current status within Babel by playing it safe, and, besides a little payback, why not collect a certain god-level global terror as my prize? Rumpelstiltskin’s information proved correct. It was the right call, gathering the Grim Tales and White’s ejected villains. That pendant of hers is…everything Nimrod told us it would be.
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