[center][h1]A Fated Dance[/h1][/center] [hr] Oraelia paced back and forth in front of her portal. Her form was that of her love domain, and her clothing was a dress of white, golden hair long and curly running down her back. Every now and then she would glance outside into Antiquity proper with nervous eyes, the mere thought making her feel sick to her stomach. Could gods feel anxious? Why couldn’t she just do it and get it over with. It was just Neiya and… It was just Neiya… The one who had hurt her so long ago, the one that had hurt Gibbou and Sanya and… It was just Neiya… She gripped her head, trying to gasp for breath as she crouched off to the side of the portal. She didn’t even need to breathe and yet, there she was, having a panic attack. She had rehearsed it over and over in her head. She would waltz- no, walk into Neiya’s realm. Yes, walk and then she would call to her, because Neiya would already know she was there. But if her portal was locked? Then she would have to call out to her and what if she never answered? What if she did answer…? She clutched her heart, it felt like it was going to explode. Her breaths were sharp and hurt and she wasn’t exhaling. She fell to her knees. Why was this so hard? Why was she so… weak and pathetic? Angry tears fell down her cheeks. She told Gibbou that she would do this! She had to! She had to make peace with her, it was the only way or one of them… One of them could die… The mere thought sent shockwaves rippling through her body. She didn’t want them to hurt each other anymore. She didn’t want them to kill one another. To hurt. To maim. To suffer. To feel such sor- Oraelia gasped as she felt the all too familiar touch of Neiya in her heart. Like thousands of little knives cutting her so deeply. It was too much to bear and then she heard the voices. [i]Their[/i] voices. [hr] A cool breeze blew through the Luminant, kissing the lake of radiance with a gentleness reserved for lovers. Sat on the soft sands of the beach was an Oraeliari couple. His long wings draped over his mate in a sign of comfort. Her forlorn eyes looked out over the water, oblivious to his pleas. In a house in a tree there was another man, watching the sun dip beyond the horizon where he sat, legs hanging over the deck. He didn’t know why but he found no joy in that sight like he had before. It all seemed so… So pointless. A woman consoled her friend, who had been so well the day before. She did not know why those silent tears flowed down her friends cheeks. Or why those tears held the hint of black in them. A child grabbed the hand of his mother, pleading for a bedtime story, pleading for anything. A hug, a kiss- ‘Momma please’, he would say. Met with silence, met with apathy. More and more that night of sorrow unfolded, upon the dawn of their greatest victory, they met their greatest tragedy. And all of them prayed to their Goddess when nothing else worked. [hr] Oraelia snapped herself out of the sorrow induced lull, hands growing into fists. She had cursed them! She had cursed her Oraeliara! That- That monster! What gave her that right to do that! Her feelings of anxiety were replaced with anger, a newer sensation that felt goo- She had cursed the Neiyari… Hadn’t she? Well, Rhiona did but it was her by extension. She took a deep breath and unclenched her hands. Neiya had gotten her revenge, how could she not have seen such a thing coming? And now her people paid the price, to suffer as she had suffered so long ago. What could she do? Another curse? A cure? Was it even possible? It dawned upon her, what she truly had to do. It was none of those things. She would not retaliate with a curse, for such a thing would never end between them. A cure would solve the flower of the problem, but not the root- even if it was possible. No, her solution had always been in front of her. Oraelia stood and turned to face her portal. A look of determination flashed in her eyes. It was time to see Neiya. [hr] Bright eyed and full of determination, she stepped through the portal to the ‘Love’ goddess’ realm, into a very, very different sight. One she could hardly remember. When Oraelia had last visited Neiya, she had walked into a desolate plain with withered trees and a solitary river, save for the grove in which the goddess herself had resided. An early warning of the bleak outlook the goddess had had on love, perhaps. If that was the case back then, then what greeted Oraelia now did not bode well. The plains were gone, replaced by jagged cliffs, hills and obsidian monoliths built in random and erratic fashion, with no logic to their construction nor any acceptance of basic geometry and physics. It was a hostile landscape, with only hints of its previous form. The river was still present, a dark blue and black affair swirling and churning like a maelstrom as it coiled over the landscape; not content to remain settled along the ground. It culminated in a waterfall that fell upwards towards the sky - into what appeared to be a roiling abyss of colours, emotions, and malice. Just looking up into the eye of the storm brought a pang of emotion, laced with spite and sadness. Yet that was not all - life now seemed to teem in the chaotic realm. Packs of dark hounds with fur like burning shadows sprinted across the landscape, trying to find refuge from the howl of the river. Silhouettes of horned women, spreading flame and fighting each other, popped up across the jagged land as well. Chaos reigned. Oraelia could not focus on one singular thing, as her eyes wandered to all, yet she tried to retain focus. She was beyond horrified, as the realm was nothing like she remembered. So she grabbed her wrists and looked down at them, conjuring a small band of light into a ribbon. She whispered a small prayer to herself and then spoke aloud, [Color=gold]"Neiya! Where are you? We need to talk!"[/color] she said with a loud voice. Coils of energy arced from the river, running down along it and striking the ground in angry strikes akin to lightning. At the mouth of the river, high in the sky, a vortex began to dissipate to reveal the silhouette of another horned being - and Oraelia knew as soon as she saw her; Neiya hovered high in the air between the warped sky and the maelstrom of a river leading up to it. She looked nothing like either of their previous meetings, but was still immediately recognizable to the Life goddess. [color=8493ca]”Talk?”[/color] her voice boomed across the realm, suspicious and sharp in tone. [color=8493ca]”You’ve come to gloat, but I have already moved on. Struck back.”[/color] she concluded, and her shape stirred from it’s resting place in the sky. She descended down towards Oraelia slowly with graceful drifting, as behind and below her, the river crashed down on the landscape, creating lakes and riverbanks now that it was no longer being pulled into the sky. Oraelia’s posture changed. She seemed to shrink, as if trying to become very, very small. Her display of power was, whether an act or trying to unnerve her, was having the intended results. Oraelia could not keep her eyes off of Neiya’s new form, out of the fear she would attack and she wondered why she would even want to be viewed as such. It was so… bare so… uncovered! She blinked, trying to retain focus of herself. She had come here for a purpose and one she would now have to see through! [color=gold]”You-”[/color] she said in a small voice before clearing her throat, [color=gold]”You are mistaken! I never gloat over those who are suffering. I’ve come to talk to you! This has to end, Neiya, can’t you see it will bring only further pain? Please, Neiya. Please. I know there is more to you then this.”[/color] she finished, adjusting her shirt which had been buffeted by the winds. [color=8493ca]”More to me than this?”[/color] the horned goddess demanded as she touched down a few metres away from Oraelia. [color=8493ca]”I am just being who I am supposed to be. And I’m good at it, too. What else could there be to me?”[/color] Neiya commented, a conniving, false smile playing on her lips. Around them, creatures began to pool and gather in the shadows, drawn to the sheer power of roaming divinity. Oraelia briefly fled her gaze to look at the gathering creatures. Figures like women, but with the intelligence of the wolves that followed them. What had she done? Oraelia looked back at Neiya. [color=gold]”Is this what you are good at? Being antagonistic with Gibbou? Creating savage life and twisting landscapes?”[/color] Oraelia’s expression softened. [color=gold]”Neiya, listen to me, in each of us there is more than what is seen on the surface! I know it, Neiya and I know you know this too! You don’t have to be like this, you can change! Not drowned in the sorrow of your own making.”[/color] She said. That struck a chord with Neiya, who widened her eyes as realization dawned on her. The horned goddess stopped dead in her tracks, staring straight at Oraelia though not truly seeing her. In a short span of moments, her face went through several stages, the goddess visibly working through surprise, confusion, and finally - anger. [color=8493ca]”Liar!”[/color] she roared with unabated fury, harking back to their previous meeting, and her arm rose to deliver her accusation as her gaze fell properly on Oraelia. [color=8493ca]”You have no idea-... no idea what I carry! Who I am!”[/color] Despite this, the goddess remained immobile, as though the sheer fact of what was said held her back. Around them, creatures ducked further into the shadows after the goddess raised her voice, yet were clearly unafraid enough to linger despite the volatile conditions. Oraelia braced herself and took a step forward. [color=gold]”I know.”[/color] she began. [color=gold]”It’s true, I don’t know another side of you, I thought I did so long ago but I was naive, Neiya.”[/color] Oraelia sighed, clasping her hands together. [color=gold]”Please, I beg you Neiya. Take a deep breath. It’ll be okay, I promise. Let me help you and we can find out together.”[/color] Oraelia said, taking another step closer. She then extended out a hand towards the angry Goddess. Golden pupils swirled like vortexes, Neiya furiously staring at Oraelia as if that would divine a deeper understanding. Her face kept a mixture of her old fury, but cracks in her armor appeared as the frown faltered and doubt flitted across her features. [color=8493ca]"I-... No… No,"[/color] she uttered as she attempted to find her spirit. [color=8493ca]"I- I made my choices. I hurt Gibbou. Hurt you. This is who I am. I'm unstoppable. Powerful. Desirable. A monster. A predator."[/color] Neiya pressed her lips into a thin frown, staring at the extended hand. Oraelia’s hand did not falter. She frowned however and said, [color=gold]”You can change Neiya. You can grow. That is the beauty of life.”[/color] A single golden tear rolled down her cheek. [color=gold]”Is that what you think you are? A monster? A predator? Neiya… Is this who you truly want to be? A Goddess too afraid to face the consequences of her actions? Who acts like someone she is not? Trying to fool herself? Fool the world? Neiya. It isn’t working. Please. I can help you.”[/color] Oraelia’s voice broke, hand now shaking. The hurt in the Sun goddess' voice struck Neiya firmly, and visible distress ran over her face, washing away most of her determined anger. For a brief moment, old habits of emotional sharing seemed to call to her, and the horned goddess raised her fingertips slowly in a cautious reach for Oraelia's hand. It was not to be. Moments later, she froze in the motion, exhaling sharply before turning away firmly. [color=8493ca]"You're trying to trick me!"[/color] she exclaimed, lifting up off the ground as both her hands reached up to hold her head. [color=8493ca]"You're just-just jealous of me! Angry at me! I'm not that- I don't know… I never asked for any of this!"[/color] Oraelia recoiled her hand as if struck. She watched Neiya ascend and did the same, but much slower. [color=gold]”I am neither angry or jealous of you, Neiya.”[/color] she called out to her. [color=gold]”And I would never trick you! I know you never asked for any of this, none of us did and yet, here we are. All I want is for the fighting to stop, Neiya. I want us to heal, together. Please, don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. Let me help you!”[/color] The Sin goddess ascended higher into the sky, drifting languidly towards the center of the massive vortex that had replaced the sky, requiring Oraelia to pursue. [color=8493ca]"I showed you once, and I saw the life drain from your eyes,"[/color] Neiya called, turning halfway to stare down towards Oraelia while still climbing to greater heights. [color=8493ca]"You don't understand. You don't… don't hear them. I did what I had to do. Yes, what I had to. If they won't improve, someone needs to make them. N-Nothing has changed!"[/color] Oraelia continued on after her, expression bleak. [color=gold]”Neiya, stop! I’m not afraid! I do understand! I understand because I changed!”[/color] Oraelia called out after her. [color=gold]”Let me show you a different way! You don’t have to force anyone to improve! We naturally improve by growing and learning from our mistakes! Everything changes! Everyone changes! Please just listen to me!”[/color] she said, with angry tears falling down her face. What was she going to do if Neiya wouldn’t listen? But her doubts didn't have time to take root. [color=8493ca]"Mistakes?"[/color] Neiya began to slow down until she came to a full stop, hovering in the sky halfway to where she had first appeared. Eventually she turned around to face Oraelia properly, her eyes raw with the same hurt that was innate in her base form, but maintained a certain hostility under it. [color=8493ca]"So I'm a mistake? Just like Cadien, you refuse to see my side. You have already decided what's good for me."[/color] Oraelia came to a stop across from Neiya. [color=gold]”I never called you a mistake. Don’t twist my words.”[/color] she said in a calm tone. She then crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Neiya down. [color=gold]”Do you really think I’ve decided what’s good for you, Neiya? This entire time I’ve asked you to talk to me, that we can work through your issues together and you have refused. I am a Goddess of Life, I don’t make judgements, I don’t decide fates. I help people grow. I want to help you, please don’t do this.”[/color] The horned goddess scoffed and swept a hand in front of her dismissively. [color=8493ca]"You don't decide fates because you are weak. Naive. Trusting."[/color] she debated with resurging irritation. Golden pupils fixated on Oraelia as Neiya began to drift closer despite her previous attempted escape. [color=8493ca]"Mortals walk over each other, steal each others' things, and break hearts without a thought. They will do the same to us if allowed. You think I can change? You are blind to why I am this way."[/color] Her voice had changed to a sharp and hostile tone, wholly unsuited to her form; but very reminiscent of their previous encounter. Oraelia looked away from Neiya’s gaze, her posture becoming tense- small. She knew she was naive but… Was she really… Weak? Perhaps she was. Perhaps she had always been. She just tried to help people… Of course she was trusting. One had to be if the world were to become a better place. Golden tears pooled in her eyes as she turned to look at Neiya with reluctance. [color=gold]”Perhaps I am blind.”[/color] she whispered. [color=gold]”But as blind as I am, I can still see that you are wrong. You look at mortals and see them for all the bad they can be, and you neglect everything about them that makes them good. You do this to yourself Neiya! Because you are afraid. Afraid to feel any different.”[/color] A guttural vocalization akin to a growl rumbled up from the hostile love goddess, and she sprung forward through the sky like a pouncing Leon, arms outstretched as she reached straight for Oraelia in her sudden charge. Her tactics certainly hadn't improved since last time. [color=8493ca]"I'll show [i]you[/i] afraid, cur! You think I want this?! I hate it! I hate them! I hate you!"[/color] she shouted angrily as she dove forward, gripping the Sun Goddess’ arms firmly. Oraelia let out a gasp. Why hadn’t she moved? She could have. The realization stark in her mind, but fear had consumed her and now she was in Neiya’s grasp. Without delay, Neiya's eyes turned black and released the torrent of her experiences through their shared contact. Like before, the flood of negative emotions was all powerful and like a dark whirlpool, Oraelia’s light began to fade down it’s crushing despair. She could do nothing. For she was nothing. Neiya was right. She was weak. Why was she so weak? She saw the mortals she had tried to help, flooded with sorrow, heartbreak, lust, and sin. So much sin. Maybe Neiya was right. Maybe mortals never cared. Maybe they couldn’t care. Maybe they had fallen into their own vices because they never knew anything else. Maybe… Maybe life was just some big joke. Her vision began to fade, eyes going dim, yet she looked upon Neiya’s face and all she felt was pity. Why did Neiya make her feel this way? Why did she inflict such emotions on her? Why did she want to hurt her again? Why couldn’t she just see there was another way? Why couldn’t she just be love! Oraelia gasped. She had been wrong. She had judged Neiya the moment she had entered her realm. For all she ever wanted Neiya to be, was what she had viewed her as, that fateful day in Antiquity. No, that glimpse upon her birth. Oraelia had wanted her to be as she had thought her as, a good and true Goddess of Love and she had wanted to change her to be like that. To be like… Herself. No matter how much she wanted that to be reality, it wasn’t. She had been a fool. How could she Judge her? It wasn’t her place, she was the Goddess of Life. She was meant to… She was meant to watch her life be abused, twisted, broken? She was meant to watch growth and love shatter, murdered, defiled? Was she really letting herself be abused by Neiya again? Like she had abused Gibbou and countless mortals? Her Aiviri? Was this her life? Was she so weak and powerless to stop cruelty and crimes against it? No… It was her right to Judge. Her eyes bloomed into yellow suns. Clarity washing away the fog of despair. Oraelia grasped Neiya’s arms with her own, her eyes staring deep into her soul as her face relaxed. Then her form began to change. Her golden hair was leached of it’s luminous color, becoming black as the abyss. No longer running down the length of her back, but ending in curls around her shoulders. Her face became impassive, uncaring. Like a stark reflection of Neiya herself. Her eyes retained the same golden color but the kindness that was so often seen inside was replaced with scrutiny. Even her clothes changed, to that of a simple black dress, cut deep in the middle to reveal a tattoo of gold, the same color and glow as her eyes. The pattern faintly resembled a heart with wings, like a constellation, and spread along her arms and legs but stopped upon her chest and rose no further. She was [url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/9619d26f-f243-49f6-88d0-62e2c57ed110/dcvyjg4-c980fbe7-f297-479e-8aa1-5f55e2d0d99f.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_900,q_70,strp/_pr__secret_santa___lyndon_by_shikaama_dcvyjg4-300w.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD0xMDAwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvOTYxOWQyNmYtZjI0My00OWY2LTg4ZDAtNjJlMmM1N2VkMTEwXC9kY3Z5amc0LWM5ODBmYmU3LWYyOTctNDc5ZS04YWExLTVmNTVlMmQwZDk5Zi5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9NTU2In1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmltYWdlLm9wZXJhdGlvbnMiXX0.4bdIYs3W8zNUFjMf3ypcxi_Bt04N3egYMEzdgfrGn2M]reborn[/url]. A better fit for the world. She opened her mouth to speak and her voice reflected that of her form, cold but bitter. [color=gold]”You are not the only one who suffers. Let me show you my pain.”[/color] She began to pour her own emotions and memories into Neiya. Starting upon the very first day she had seen life taken from the world. Before any had been born but the sun and moon. It had almost been unbearable. Then the memories shifted to the tornadoes in her prairie and the devastation they wrought. Then to the Aberrant and her guilt, her failure. Then it jumped to her being ripped out of the world, Lucia’s crying face the last thing she saw. Then to an eerie reflection of Neiya doing the same as she was doing now and how deep it cut her, how long she had anguished in that misery. Then she showed her the pain of Genesis dying and the years of denial. There was a brief flash of all-consuming joy, but it was quickly repressed. To see Gibbou fall time and time again. To the very moment Neiya had grasped her again. Misdeeds and misery. [color=gold]”Yet.”[/color] Oraelia stated, changing the chord of her emotions to that of love and happiness. She was brushing Genesis’ hair, playing games, watching her grow. Hugging Gibbou, being proud of her, doing anything for her. Seeing Lucia and Sanya, Neiya’s own creation, in a love that grew deeper everyday. Then Oraelia showed her mortal love. The small grasp of a newborn, a first kiss, the petting of a Joyf. Acceptance, happiness and joy. The bad was there, ever present, for without it, how could one appreciate what they had? The memories faded and reality swept back in. [color=gold]”I‘ve learned to not let it consume me.”[/color] She finished but then continued, [color=gold]”Unlike you, Neiya. You fail to realize that love is neither one side or the other, but both. Working together. Your judgment is not sound.”[/color] Neiya, who had reacted with no more than a sharp breath and hostile staring at the grand change taking place before her at first, now stared in apparent awe at the reborn shape that was Oraelia's new form. Her eyes held a distant and morbid fascination with the sun goddess words and mannerisms, but first and foremost her gaze tinged with a serenity that had been rare for the goddess recently. Her rage was quelled almost instantly as pain and anguish was shared, and for a tranquil moment amidst Oraelia's resurgence, Neiya appeared taken with sorrow and sympathy. She had truly spoken her language. That changed with the shift in narrative. When pleasant memories rushed through her, that expression twisted to bewilderment and finally fear. Her irises returned to their golden shape, the dark swirl dying out as the Love Goddess relented in her own assault at last. That initial bewilderment turned to a restless discomfort, as her sorrowful expression washed away in favour of a growing tension quickly turned to anxious worry, and finally fear. Her nails, which had dug into Oraelia’s arms, now released their grips, and Neiya squirmed to try and wrest free. [color=8493ca]”N-No,”[/color] she cried fervently, shying away from Oraelia’s visions. [color=8493ca]”Stop this! I’ve never-.. It’s a lie! An oasis in the desert! Life cannot be like this-... I didn’t choose this!”[/color] Oraelia did not let go of her. She tilted her head, never moving her gaze away from Neiya’s. [color=gold]”A lie? No, Neiya. Even an oasis can be found by those who are lost. I realize now that life is a struggle. They crawl over one another, those mortals you hate, striving for greatness and falling time and time again. Most never rise. But those that do, those that endure the hardships, that find their oasis, they thrive. They grow.”[/color] Oraelia breathed, releasing Neiya from her grip and then touched a slender hand to her cheek. She used her finger to rub under Neiya’s eye. It was as if Oraelia was searching for something, so fixated was her eyes upon Neiya. She then spoke again, [color=gold]”The only thing they get to choose is whether or not they keep pushing forward. That’s how the world works. Now you must choose, because no one can help you unless you first help yourself. This, is the judgment you sought.”[/color] Neiya breathed unevenly, her eyes welling up with shimmering dark tears. Her features contracted into an unsteady frown, the Love Goddess doing her best to keep her usual haughty demeanour in the face of an onslaught of repressed emotions, doubts and fears. [color=8493ca]"All I wanted was peace and quiet,"[/color] she admitted in a subdued moment of serenity. [color=8493ca]"Every voice is a creature in pain. A voice unable to make itself heard. But I hear them."[/color] Oraelia said nothing, her eyes growing soft. Instead, she moved her hand to the back of Neiya’s head, and pulled her into an embrace upon her chest. She then used her other hand to wrap the Love Goddess in a squeeze of warmth. She then spoke in a more relaxed voice [color=gold]”I know.”[/color] The horned goddess remained placid in the embrace, golden eyes closing as she was simply held. A few moments later, she quivered gently in Oraelia's hold, and released a few silent sobs. For a long time, she seemed to simply linger, silently crying in another's embrace. Her form acted reactively to her mood, and her skin slowly twisted pale, while black horns began to sprout from her form. The goddess slowly shifted back to her traditional form, pale and sorrow-tinted. When Neiya spoke, it was sullen and guarded. Still it appeared to be a request, if only because her tone wasn't demanding. [color=8493ca]"Show me."[/color] There came a soft breath from Oraelia, and a warm finger found its way to Neiya’s cheek again. The moment they touched, Oraelia showed her memories she was ashamed of, that she tried to repress and forget. It all started with a simple berry. Vivid in color, joyous in taste and destructive. She ate them to forget the pain, to forget her life and her purpose. All she wanted to do was be happy. That’s all. No more pain. The memories shifted to what she did. Giving the humans of the highlands eternal fields of food, failing to see what grew within them. To arm monsters who destroyed her city with a weapon and even giving a Neiyari tools he could use to live forever. The reasons were there, induced by a sense of wanting to do right. Having to help, no matter the cost. Needing to be useful. She had caused so much pain. The memories faded away. [color=gold]”I know…”[/color] Oraelia repeated with a solemn tone in her voice. It was enough to make Neiya return the embrace properly, the horned goddess exhaling sharply. Oraelia made no sound, but returned the embrace all the same. Neiya breathed a forlorn and deep breath, as if to steel herself for what was to come. [color=8493ca]"I didn't mean to hurt you. I… It just… everything happened so fast, it was… I had to try. I… I think I'm broken, Oraelia. Being in charge feels so good. So easy. As.. as long as I don't think about it."[/color] [color=gold]”It’s alright, Neiya. I forgave you.”[/color] She paused, then asked, [color=gold]”Can I show you something?”[/color] There was quiet for a time, a weird tranquility amidst the raging torrent above and the strange calls of animals in the realm below. Eventually Neiya simply nodded against Oraelia's form, remaining in the embrace. There was a flash of light and the two found themselves in another memory. One that Oraelia held close in the days of her youth. The Sun Goddess stood before humans, mourning the dead. A baby cried and she asked to see what they had seen. A simple touch, no more, no less. It rocketed them to the past, there beside the river. A whirlpool formed. Something, no- Someone rose from the water. For a brief second, there [i]she[/i] was. Neiya. But it was not the Neiya any would know. For that Neiya existed for the briefest of moments, untouched and unrefined. Her form was simply that of a young woman, shouldered with impossible burdens. Before the pain came. So visible across her face and from the maelstrom of emotion that followed. Oraelia’s voice ushered in a calming aura as the memory played out further. [color=gold]”I latched myself onto that form of you. That perception I had fabricated in my head was of Love and how I thought it should be. I stared at the other side, right in the face, and I could not comprehend it at the time. I wanted you to be as I wanted you to be. But that was wrong of me, I see that now.”[/color] The memory began to fade away, turning the land white before reality ushered forth. Oraelia talked more, stroking the back of Neiya’s head with gentle fingers. [color=gold]”Being in charge is difficult, even for a god. Even if it feels good, we often lose ourselves. But I can say with confidence, you are not broken. Lost, perhaps. Still trying to find your way. Like I am. Like many of us are.”[/color] She paused as if in thought. [color=gold]”I want you to know that I believe she still exists somewhere deep down, Neiya. But I won’t change you, for that is a decision you will have to make for yourself. All I ask right now, is we stop our fighting. Please… No one needs to get hurt anymore.”[/color] Oraelia finished in a murmur. What Neiya thought of the vision she didn't seem keen to share, simply remaining under Oraelia's vigil. Coaxed into a response by the life goddess' words, she offered a simple commitment. [color=8493ca]"...Okay."[/color] For a time that was all she wished to say, until guilt, restlessness or doubt pushed her to elaborate. [color=8493ca]"I'd like to try."[/color] Oraelia let out a soft sigh, her embrace growing warmer as she rested her cheek upon Neiya’s forehead. There was more silence between the two, but unlike before, it was blissful. [color=gold]”Thank you.”[/color] Oraelia at last said. [color=gold]”That would make me very happy, Neiya. Yet... There is… There is one thing I think that needs to be done this day as well. What I did to the Neiyari… I’m sorry. Had I known what Rhiona was planning I would have stopped her and as such, it welcomed a challenge. Even now I can feel it spreading… So I ask you, Neiya- Might we forgive our curses as a start?”[/color] The horned goddess opened her eyes to look up at Oraelia, the ordinarily tall love goddess seeming to shrink as they drifted in the sky. A glittering in her eyes remained, emotion raw and thoughtful in her gaze as she pondered Oraelia's words; even now a wounded kernel of doubt lingered in every mannerism. A built in fear of being betrayed worn plainly on her sleeve. [color=8493ca]"You will allow the Neiyari to flower again? Even though you hate them?"[/color] Oraelia tilted her head as she looked at Neiya in return. The Goddess then resumed her caressing of Neiya’s hair and spoke, [color=gold]”Oh Neiya… I don’t think I ever truly hated them. I was distraught upon their birth but…”[/color] Her voice seemed to die a little before resuming, [color=gold]”Even they can change, I think. If they are shown a better way. Both the Oraeliari and Neiyari are… Incomplete. You know this as well as I. They function as they are but they could be so much more. Dooming the Neiyari would destroy any chance of seeing that future. So yes, I will allow them to flower again. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me and the Oraeliari.”[/color] Neiya raised her gaze to search for Oraelia's eyes, her own burning with a morose guilt. The pacified love goddess breathed sharply, as if trying to escape the tension of decision and responsibility. Still, Oraelia’s words seemed to pace the way for even the most self-centered of goddesses to acquiesce. [color=8493ca]"...Yes. I can… I mean, I do. I forgive you."[/color] Neiya raised her own hand and placed it against the changed life goddess' chest. It was another flush of emotion, of guilt and pain, but considerably more reserved and contemplative than any previous assault. Around them, a melody woven into the storm of the vortex in the sky seemed to dissipate and dissolve, quietly fading into oblivion. The Sorrowsong vanished, withdrawn from reality. Oraelia closed her eyes at the touch, a small smile forming on her lips. She took a deep breath and then looked at Neiya again. [color=gold]”Thank you… It is done.”[/color] She then looked around the sky and gave a small, but peaceful sigh. [color=gold]”I always thought your realm was beautiful, in its own way.”[/color] Her gaze lingered on the multitude of beasts so far below before she looked back at Neiya, cupping on her hands to the Love Goddess’ cheek. [color=gold]”It’s not my place to say what goes on within another’s realm but… Perhaps you should give them a chance to choose their own fates?”[/color] she cooed. Neiya seemed to consider the words and her gaze fell briefly, the sensations passed on to Oraelia mingling with a primal, petty shame. [color=8493ca]"I've never been pleased with it. Nothing is like what we left."[/color] She murmured sullenly, glancing down towards the ground below herself. [color=8493ca]"I've never created anything of my own before. Even these… were a mistake."[/color] With a gentle pull, Oraelia brought Neiya’s face back to her. [color=gold]”The only mistakes we make are ones where we don’t try hard enough. When we give up.”[/color] She gave another small smile and then took Neiya’s hand within her own, causing the love goddess to widen her eyes in passive alarm. [color=gold]”Come. I will help you.”[/color] And Oraelia began to guide her down. Neiya breathed unevenly, following Oraelia like an uncertain visitor in her own home, gaze fixed on the goddess. Below, animals that had gathered began to scatter as the shapes in the sky grew closer. The bipedal creatures were horned women in the colors of the rainbow, pale imitations of their creator. Hounds of shadow slinked back into the crevasses of the jagged landscape. They appeared to fear the mere presence of the divine, perhaps not without cause. The two Goddess touched down on a flat rock that overlooked the horned women. Oraelia gave Neiya’s hand a squeeze as she stood next to her. [color=gold]”How and why they came to be does not matter now. What does matter is how their future might look. It can be shaped and added to. I suggest… For a start… Give them the gift of intelligence?”[/color] she asked in a soothing, but reassuring voice. Neiya peered at the life goddess as though she had suggested something truly new and riveting, her gaze soon twisting to regard the scattering creatures. She closed her raw eyes, drawing a long and heavy breath. As she exhaled, an eldritch whisper carried on the wind, imperceptible to all but the divine. A call to awaken and ascend, setting alight a thousand minds at once. All about the jagged landscape, something slowly changed in the bipedal creatures, a renewed and deliberative caution with which to perceive the world. Question and curiosity. Oraelia watched with humble curiosity. [color=gold]”Very good Neiya. You see? You created them all by yourself. Take pride in that accomplishment.”[/color] She spoke in a whisper. Neiya glanced back to Oraelia, her expression of doubt and guilt growing to a taut, thin frown. She turned back towards the landscape and lifted her free hand. From her fingertips coiled ripples of divine power, dusting the landscape and coating the newly awakened creatures. One by one, their eyes brightened and produced the same soft glow as Neiya's own, hiding their pupils behind red, blue, yellow or green. It seemed to have an immediate effect on them, as the horned creatures seemed to panic and view their surroundings with renewed fascination in equal measure. [color=8493ca]"...Something to help them choose…[/color] she justified morosely. A few among the creatures appeared to approach the two, kneeling and offering their implicit worship. [color=gold]”Ah, I see.”[/color] Oraelia mused. She then did the same as Neiya, raising her free hand and waving it over them. The power that shot forth rippled and pulsed, entering their hearts by unseen currents. Most stood taller, their postures reflecting the change. [color=gold]”Something to help them act.”[/color] Oraelia said. [color=gold]”I hope you won’t mind.”[/color] she turned to Neiya. Neiya watched the change unfold in her creations, then turned to regard Oraelia. [color=8493ca]"...No, I don't mind."[/color] Her hand moved to touch the life goddess' cheek as she turned halfway to face her, demanding but without the threatening imposition she usually carried herself with. [color=8493ca]"You truly believe all things can change, don't you?"[/color] Oraelia pressed herself into the touch and stifled a breath. [color=gold]”For better or for worse… Yes.”[/color] she confided. [color=gold]”I do.”[/color] For but a moment the horned goddess appeared to smile, brief and hard to see but still a genuine reaction to the words. Neiya leaned forwards towards the new and altered Oraelia, gaze falling over her form in tempered curiosity. Finally, her scrutiny fell on the sun goddess' face, as she leaned in to touch her own forehead against Oraelia's. [color=8493ca]"...Naive."[/color] she muttered softly. Oraelia’s lips turned into a smile. In that new form, it was rather mischievous and knowing. She closed her eyes and took in the moment between them, arms and hands wrapping around the love goddess to embrace her once more. [color=gold]”I know.”[/color] She breathed at last. Neiya remained motionless for a long time, simply watching the life goddess. Her eyes roiled with purpose, golden flashes in their irises sparking like small eruptions of flame. Eventually she sighed a quiet [color=8493ca]"You should go."[/color] Oraelia hesitantly pulled away, her smile fading. Doubt crossed her face but she nodded. [color=gold]”It was… Good to see you Neiya. If you need me, please, don’t be a stranger.”[/color] Oraelia gave another nod, then walked past her, lingering for a moment by her side before continuing on. The portal was in view and as she walked, the creatures and beings of Neiya’s realm parted. As she arrived at the portal, Oraelia turned around to gaze upon Neiya again, and found the pale goddess watching her wistfully from afar. She almost raised her hand, but stopped, then stepped through leaving the realm of sorrow behind. Unbeknownst to her, her departure inspired the same in several curious young horned creatures, eager to see what the world had to offer. [hider=Summary] Oraelia is super nervous about going to see Neiya. Then she hears all the prayers from her Oraeliari about the curse Neiya has wrought. Feeling guilty and now full of determination she goes to Neiya’s realm and finds it really chaotic when she arrives. Neiya eventually shows up yelling in her succubus form and the two begin a back and forth of pleas and shouts. Oraelia is trying real hard to get through Neiya’s emotional armor and she is succeeding but things take a turn and Neiya flies up into the air, given chase by Oraelia. More things are said and Neiya gets upset so she does the same thing she did when they first met, and conveys an emotional flood upon Oraelia. Oraelia gets super duper depressed and wonders why she is so weak. She has a bit of an epiphany during their grasp and takes on a new form. One of Judgement. She then grasps Neiya by the arms and shows her all her pain, then love. This shocks Neiya and she settles down, allowing Oraelia to break through to her. Instead of beating Neiya down further, Oraelia does the opposite and ends up embracing her, showing her lowest point- her time high as a kite with joy berries. Neiya then realizes Oraelia does understand her and she becomes more open to change as they continue to talk and make up. And to further end the fighting between them, they agree to undo the curses they set in the Luminant to foster peace. Oraelia then convinces Neiya to help her creatures in her realm and she does so, bestowing intelligence upon the furies as well as both of them giving them abilities. They then depart reluctantly and some Furies leave Neiya’s realm as well. [/hider] [hider=MP] Oraelia 5/5 -5MP For Judgment Domain 0MP The fertility curse upon the Neiyari in the Luminant has been broken. -2DP Towards Punishment. (Confer an Extraordinary ability) - Furies have been imbued with the essence of Judgment. They are capable of punishing those who have sinned in the name of the Goddess by physical immolation. This right has been granted to them and etched into their souls by divine mandate. They only punish those who commit immoral acts decreed by Oraelia and only if there is no other way. Given their other gifts, they fill a role that most species are unable to. -2DP Towards Repentance (Confer an Extraordinary ability) - Furies have also been given another ability through Judgment. In order to carry out a punishment and to temper their own rage, Oraelia has given them an inclination for repentance. They are capable of steering wayward sinners onto the path of redemption by conveying emotional understanding for one’s wrongs and misdeeds. -1DP Blessing of Compassion. To further reduce their rageful tendencies, Oraelia has blessed the first generation of furies with a greater sense of compassion for other life. 0/0 Neiya 5/5 0 MP - The Sorrowsong curse on the Oraeliari in the Luminant has been dispelled. 1 MP - Uplifted the Furies to sentience. 2 MP - (Confer an Extraordinary ability) - Furies have been imbued with exceptional sight, and are able to pick out living creatures in darkness as though it was daytime. Inanimate objects are mere contours and silhouettes, like regular darkness. 2 MP - (Confer an Extraordinary ability) - Furies speak the same divine language as their creator, and transcend mortal language barriers. Their words are understood by all but the most ignorant, and they understand all who speak a mortal tongue. 2 DP - (Confer an Extraordinary ability) - Furies have been granted the ability to perceive sin. Particularly debauched mortals appear tinged in a color reflecting their sins, and Furies can concentrate to bring these auras out of most people, to identify their vices. 1 DP - Taught Furies about the concepts of friendship, love, betrayal, sin and virtue. 1 DP - Taught Furies about conflict and the idea of war. 1 DP - Assaulted Oraelia with some sweet sad emotion juju. 0/0 [/hider]