"That's amazing," I said with a smile after the small kitsune finished talking.
She'd spent most of dinner telling Tess and I about a number of supernatural exploits and adventures she and her girlfriend had got up to, along with the rest of their friends. It was honestly kind of amazing, both that they got involved in so many of those situations but also that they managed to get through them without anyone getting seriously hurt.
I was about to say as much too as I started to comment, "It sounds like you've had..."
My voice trailed off as something else caught my attention. It was a prayer from one of my people, and it was delivered with some very powerful emotions. Fear, desperation, and panic were the strongest.
After draining the last of my wine I set the glass down then gave the others an apologetic look as I stated, "Cassandra, Kaylee, Tess, I absolutely hate to do this but something's just come up and I have to leave right now. Hopefully this won't take too long, I'll be back as soon as I can."
In the back of my mind I recognized the irony, that I was basically doing exactly the same thing Cassandra did when she vanished partway through our meeting with May less than two weeks earlier. I had a very good reason though, and now I realized she probably did too when it happened to her.
Before any of my dining companions could respond I flexed some subtle divine magic and teleported myself out of the crowded pub and directly into Ada's basement apartment. And the instant I arrived I could tell the situation I'd teleported into was intense.
The petite catgirl was thrashing and struggling as her father held her pinned down on her sofa, while another man tightened a zip-tie around Ada's ankles. Her wrists were already restrained, and she had a piece of duct-tape over her mouth to stifle her frantic screams.
"I don't know about this Mark," Ada's father said to his brother in a quiet uneasy voice. It sounded like her father was having second thoughts as he added, "Maybe this isn't the right way?"
Neither of the two men had noticed me yet, I was behind them and between them and the exit. My fists clenched along with my jaw, as I held back from just outright smiting the pair of them on the spot. If Ada's dad was having second thoughts then maybe he'd get a second chance.
Ada's uncle sounded a lot more sure of himself as he scoffed, "Come on James, it's too late to back out of this now. You said this freak of nature was your son right? Well if you're serious about saving your boy's soul then this is the only way to do it."
"Now give me a hand," he added as he straightened up. "The little creep doesn't weigh that much, but we want to get him into the back of the van without anyone seeing."
I stated calmly, "Too late for that. I've already seen more than enough."
Both men spun around in shock, James's eyes went wide while Mark scowled. At the same time Ada stopped struggling, she went limp and let out a sigh of relief as she knew her prayers had been answered.
"Is that the demon?" Mark asked, as he reached up to put a hand on the gold crucifix that hung from a chain around his neck. I could tell he was unnerved by my sudden arrival, but he hid it well. He looked wary, but kept up a brave front.
Ada's dad on the other hand looked and sounded nervous as he nodded, "That's her. She's the one who -"
He cut himself off as his eyes flicked past me, while at the same time I heard a light footstep behind me.
Before I had a chance to react I felt something solid strike the back of my head, followed by an explosion of pain and light. The pain was over almost as suddenly as it began, but the light was slower to fade. As it did so I felt a floating sensation, then I gradually became aware of the sound of flowing water. The whole experience seemed almost dream-like, as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me.
My vision cleared a few moments later, and I found myself standing in a beautiful grotto where some lush green woods grew right up against a rocky outcropping. Water tumbled down three or four meters into a large pond, that in turn fed a little stream which flowed out into the woods. Overhead the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky, with just a few puffy white clouds visible in the distance.
The air was warm without being hot, and the warmth of the sunlight on my bare arms felt as real to me as the soft green grass beneath my bare feet. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers and fresh water as it teased my long silver hair, while a pure white sleeveless gown hung from my shoulders down to my knees.
It was a peaceful idyllic scene, and it seemed as familiar to me as my own home despite my certainty that I'd never seen the place before.
That's when it all hit me.
Like a veil being pulled away in my mind, I felt a rush of memories and knowledge flooding my awareness. All of Amethyst's experiences were suddenly right there, nearly three millennia of existence as a goddess was as real to me as my own life as Amy Price or my past incarnation as Amy Sullivan. I was definitely going to need some time to process all the recovered memories and experiences, but that would have to wait until later. For now there were two details which stood out clearly to me.
This place was part of my heavenly realm, and I was here because my mortal shell was dead.
No sooner had the thought struck me when I realized I was not alone. I turned in time to see Ravenna sink to her knees and prostrate herself on the grass before me.
"Welcome home my Goddess," she greeted me in a quiet respectful voice.
"Hello Raven," I responded. "Please stand up, and tell me what happened?"
My angel stood back up again and responded in that same soft tone, "Your mortal body was killed, my Goddess. As per your earlier instructions, I made certain you wouldn't enter into another reincarnation cycle. I ensured you returned here to your home, so you could decide your next course of action."
That left me frowning, "Thank you Raven. What I meant though was how did I..."
My voice trailed off as I realized I already knew how to find out what I wanted to know. I turned and looked down into the pond, as I reached out with my mind and my magic to make my intentions manifest.
The surface of the water grew still like a mirror, and in it I saw reflected the situation in Ada's basement apartment. My young worshipper remained bound and gagged on her sofa, a look of abject despair in her eyes. Her parents and her uncle were all standing around my dead body, quietly debating what to do next. As for what actually became of me, that was all too clear. The hammer laying on the floor in a pool of blood next to my head told me all I needed to know.
Ada's mother had obviously crept up behind me with the hammer while I was focused on Ada and the two men. And because my body was mortal it was vulnerable and fragile.
"Damn it," I frowned. "Ada shouldn't have had to see that. The poor girl's going to be completely traumatized by this whole thing."
My angel replied slowly, "Perhaps my Goddess. Or perhaps you could remove the incident from her memory, so she won't be aware of it?"
That didn't sit well with me, but I knew it was an option. I remembered using that method in the past as Amethyst, mostly for taking care of any innocent bystanders who got a little too upset after witnessing me smiting someone or taking other direct action.
For now my first priority was actually getting myself back to the mortal realm, which meant creating a new body. Except I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. There was a reason all the other gods used invulnerable immortal bodies, and I almost felt foolish for having insisted on keeping my frail mortal shell for so long.
I wouldn't look any different, I liked my petite silver-haired purple-eyed appearance. All the changes would be under the hood, the new model wouldn't age and wouldn't need to eat. It would never get sick, and most importantly nothing short of another god would be able to damage it.
"My Goddess," Raven commented quietly. "Your cleric probably sensed your passing. I believe her connection to you is strong enough, she will be aware that something's wrong."
"Ah crap," I grimaced. Now ontop of Ada being stressed and traumatized, Tess was going to be freaking out as well. "Ok I guess that means no more wasting time here. I have to go save Ada first, then I'll get back to Tess and let her know I'm ok."
"Very well my Goddess, how may I help?" my angel asked.
It only took a moment for me to make the decision, "I'm going to take care of Ada and her family myself. Then as soon as that's done I'll get back to Tess so she know's I'm ok."
"You can get back to whatever you were doing Raven," I added. "I appreciate your help."
Raven bowed her head, "With your permission I'd like to remain by your side while you attend to your worshipper."
"That's fine," I nodded. Then I focused my attention on Ada's living-room, and let my power and awareness flow back to the mortal realm.
My new immortal body manifested around me in a swirl of golden light, which caught the attention of all four mortals there. And a moment later Raven appeared by my side, in her 'angel of death' form. Her black wings extended as far as they could in the small space, while she held her black flaming sword and the black fire of her halo tickled the ceiling above.
Ada blinked the tears from her eyes as they filled with hope once again, while her parents and uncle all stared at Raven and I in fear. I also noticed the uncle had clutched his crucifix again.
"I have arisen," I announced. Then I couldn't help snarking, "And it only took me three minutes, not three days."
I glanced at the catgirl and her bindings fell away to nothing. The duct tape and zip-ties disintegrated in an instant under my gaze as I addressed my worshipper, "Ada. I know these people are your family, but they -"
"I don't care what you do to them," she stated before I could finish asking the question. She scrambled to her feet with her ears folded back and her tail all poofed out as she glared at her family, "They were going to take me to some exorcist! They wanted to get rid of my tail and my ears! Do whatever you want with them, I just never want to see them again!"
My attention returned to the three humans. They were standing together with my mortal body at their feet. Oddly enough seeing myself laying there in a pool of my own blood didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.
It crossed my mind that might have been a goddess thing, or an immortal thing. Then again, I'd died often enough in video games, and this wasn't all that different. The experience was oddly similar, with a sort of afterlife cut-scene and a brief time-out in a safe zone prior to respawning back where I left off.
The uncle was still clutching his crucifix in his left hand while he glared at me with hatred in his eyes. His right hand was curled into a fist as though he was planning to try and fight me and my angel, for all the good that would do him. Meanwhile Ada's mother was staring at my angel and I with a blend of both hate and fear in her expression.
As for Ada's father, there was fear in his eyes as well. Along with that I could also see guilt. That reminded me of what he was saying when I first arrived, how he seemed to be having second thoughts about the whole situation. That, along with his guilt, was enough to convince me that he would be spared.
I was never a vengeful or bloodthirsty person, either as Amy Price or Amy Sullivan. The last time I really lost my temper was in a video game, and my anger didn't reach beyond the limitations of the computer. I wasn't particularly violent as Amethyst either, but I was no pacifist. I could remember dozens of times in the past when I smote the wicked or evil in defence of the innocent.
There was neither joy or hate in me when I did again, nor was there any gloating or preaching. I didn't drag it out or make it into a spectacle, there was no pain, and no mess either. One moment they were there, the next they were gone.
The three humans vanished together, but only Ada's father still lived. Her mother and uncle were dead, their bodies disintegrated and their souls passed on to whatever fate had in store for them. Be that heaven or hell, some other afterlife, or perhaps even reincarnation.
As for James, he found himself back at his home. He was alive but alone, with a command embedded into his awareness.
He was not allowed to contact his trans daughter in any way shape or form, nor could he ever raise so much as a finger against her. If Ada ever wanted to reach out to him then he could reply, but he would otherwise avoid her and leave her in peace.
Finally I cleaned up the few remaining loose ends. My body, the blood, and the hammer all vanished without a trace. I ensured that no evidence remained of the attempted kidnapping, and that included deleting the mini-van that was parked out front.
"Ada I'm sorry," I apologized as I turned my attention to the catgirl. "They'll never bother you again. Is there anything else I can do for you? Are you going to be ok?"
She slumped back onto her sofa with a sigh, then curled up and hugged her knees to her chest. She looked like she was holding back tears as she shrugged, "I guess so? I don't know. But thank you. Thank you so much my goddess! I've never been so scared in my life."
I frowned slightly, "Is there anyone you can call? Someone who can come and be with you for now?"
"Yeah," she nodded slowly. "I'll call a friend. Thanks again. For everything!"
I gave her a compassionate smile as I replied, "Good. Just remember that you're safe now, they can never hurt you again."
With that both Raven and I teleported away. My angel returned to whatever she was doing before, while I appeared back at the pub. I teleported into the little hallway just outside the washrooms just in case, but even so my magic was subtle so nobody would notice the sudden appearance.
I attracted a few odd stares for some reason as I made my way back to our booth, where I slipped onto the seat again next to Tess. I could tell from her expression she was worried but trying to keep calm. And she probably had a dozen questions for me, but for now she limited herself to just two.
"Are you ok?" she asked quietly. "And what happened to your clothes?"
I glanced down at myself and suddenly understood why people were staring. I was still barefoot, and clad in nothing but a translucent sleeveless white gown. A moment later I was fully dressed again, thanks to yet another little application of subtle magic.
"I'm fine Tess. I promise," I said as I slipped an arm around her and pulled her into a side-hug. "I'm sorry for worrying you like that."
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"That's amazing," I said with a smile after the small kitsune finished talking.
She'd spent most of dinner telling Tess and I about a number of supernatural exploits and adventures she and her girlfriend had got up to, along with the rest of their friends. It was honestly kind of amazing, both that they got involved in so many of those situations but also that they managed to get through them without anyone getting seriously hurt.
I was about to say as much too as I started to comment, "It sounds like you've had..."
My voice trailed off as something else caught my attention. It was a prayer from one of my people, and it was delivered with some very powerful emotions. Fear, desperation, and panic were the strongest.
After draining the last of my wine I set the glass down then gave the others an apologetic look as I stated, "Cassandra, Kaylee, Tess, I absolutely hate to do this but something's just come up and I have to leave right now. Hopefully this won't take too long, I'll be back as soon as I can."
In the back of my mind I recognized the irony, that I was basically doing exactly the same thing Cassandra did when she vanished partway through our meeting with May less than two weeks earlier. I had a very good reason though, and now I realized she probably did too when it happened to her.
Before any of my dining companions could respond I flexed some subtle divine magic and teleported myself out of the crowded pub and directly into Ada's basement apartment. And the instant I arrived I could tell the situation I'd teleported into was intense.
The petite catgirl was thrashing and struggling as her father held her pinned down on her sofa, while another man tightened a zip-tie around Ada's ankles. Her wrists were already restrained, and she had a piece of duct-tape over her mouth to stifle her frantic screams.
"I don't know about this Mark," Ada's father said to his brother in a quiet uneasy voice. It sounded like her father was having second thoughts as he added, "Maybe this isn't the right way?"
Neither of the two men had noticed me yet, I was behind them and between them and the exit. My fists clenched along with my jaw, as I held back from just outright smiting the pair of them on the spot. If Ada's dad was having second thoughts then maybe he'd get a second chance.
Ada's uncle sounded a lot more sure of himself as he scoffed, "Come on James, it's too late to back out of this now. You said this freak of nature was your son right? Well if you're serious about saving your boy's soul then this is the only way to do it."
"Now give me a hand," he added as he straightened up. "The little creep doesn't weigh that much, but we want to get him into the back of the van without anyone seeing."
I stated calmly, "Too late for that. I've already seen more than enough."
Both men spun around in shock, James's eyes went wide while Mark scowled. At the same time Ada stopped struggling, she went limp and let out a sigh of relief as she knew her prayers had been answered.
"Is that the demon?" Mark asked, as he reached up to put a hand on the gold crucifix that hung from a chain around his neck. I could tell he was unnerved by my sudden arrival, but he hid it well. He looked wary, but kept up a brave front.
Ada's dad on the other hand looked and sounded nervous as he nodded, "That's her. She's the one who -"
He cut himself off as his eyes flicked past me, while at the same time I heard a light footstep behind me.
Before I had a chance to react I felt something solid strike the back of my head, followed by an explosion of pain and light. The pain was over almost as suddenly as it began, but the light was slower to fade. As it did so I felt a floating sensation, then I gradually became aware of the sound of flowing water. The whole experience seemed almost dream-like, as I tried to comprehend what was happening to me.
My vision cleared a few moments later, and I found myself standing in a beautiful grotto where some lush green woods grew right up against a rocky outcropping. Water tumbled down three or four meters into a large pond, that in turn fed a little stream which flowed out into the woods. Overhead the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky, with just a few puffy white clouds visible in the distance.
The air was warm without being hot, and the warmth of the sunlight on my bare arms felt as real to me as the soft green grass beneath my bare feet. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers and fresh water as it teased my long silver hair, while a pure white sleeveless gown hung from my shoulders down to my knees.
It was a peaceful idyllic scene, and it seemed as familiar to me as my own home despite my certainty that I'd never seen the place before.
That's when it all hit me.
Like a veil being pulled away in my mind, I felt a rush of memories and knowledge flooding my awareness. All of Amethyst's experiences were suddenly right there, nearly three millennia of existence as a goddess was as real to me as my own life as Amy Price or my past incarnation as Amy Sullivan. I was definitely going to need some time to process all the recovered memories and experiences, but that would have to wait until later. For now there were two details which stood out clearly to me.
This place was part of my heavenly realm, and I was here because my mortal shell was dead.
No sooner had the thought struck me when I realized I was not alone. I turned in time to see Ravenna sink to her knees and prostrate herself on the grass before me.
"Welcome home my Goddess," she greeted me in a quiet respectful voice.
"Hello Raven," I responded. "Please stand up, and tell me what happened?"
My angel stood back up again and responded in that same soft tone, "Your mortal body was killed, my Goddess. As per your earlier instructions, I made certain you wouldn't enter into another reincarnation cycle. I ensured you returned here to your home, so you could decide your next course of action."
That left me frowning, "Thank you Raven. What I meant though was how did I..."
My voice trailed off as I realized I already knew how to find out what I wanted to know. I turned and looked down into the pond, as I reached out with my mind and my magic to make my intentions manifest.
The surface of the water grew still like a mirror, and in it I saw reflected the situation in Ada's basement apartment. My young worshipper remained bound and gagged on her sofa, a look of abject despair in her eyes. Her parents and her uncle were all standing around my dead body, quietly debating what to do next. As for what actually became of me, that was all too clear. The hammer laying on the floor in a pool of blood next to my head told me all I needed to know.
Ada's mother had obviously crept up behind me with the hammer while I was focused on Ada and the two men. And because my body was mortal it was vulnerable and fragile.
"Damn it," I frowned. "Ada shouldn't have had to see that. The poor girl's going to be completely traumatized by this whole thing."
My angel replied slowly, "Perhaps my Goddess. Or perhaps you could remove the incident from her memory, so she won't be aware of it?"
That didn't sit well with me, but I knew it was an option. I remembered using that method in the past as Amethyst, mostly for taking care of any innocent bystanders who got a little too upset after witnessing me smiting someone or taking other direct action.
For now my first priority was actually getting myself back to the mortal realm, which meant creating a new body. Except I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. There was a reason all the other gods used invulnerable immortal bodies, and I almost felt foolish for having insisted on keeping my frail mortal shell for so long.
I wouldn't look any different, I liked my petite silver-haired purple-eyed appearance. All the changes would be under the hood, the new model wouldn't age and wouldn't need to eat. It would never get sick, and most importantly nothing short of another god would be able to damage it.
"My Goddess," Raven commented quietly. "Your cleric probably sensed your passing. I believe her connection to you is strong enough, she will be aware that something's wrong."
"Ah crap," I grimaced. Now ontop of Ada being stressed and traumatized, Tess was going to be freaking out as well. "Ok I guess that means no more wasting time here. I have to go save Ada first, then I'll get back to Tess and let her know I'm ok."
"Very well my Goddess, how may I help?" my angel asked.
It only took a moment for me to make the decision, "I'm going to take care of Ada and her family myself. Then as soon as that's done I'll get back to Tess so she know's I'm ok."
"You can get back to whatever you were doing Raven," I added. "I appreciate your help."
Raven bowed her head, "With your permission I'd like to remain by your side while you attend to your worshipper."
"That's fine," I nodded. Then I focused my attention on Ada's living-room, and let my power and awareness flow back to the mortal realm.
My new immortal body manifested around me in a swirl of golden light, which caught the attention of all four mortals there. And a moment later Raven appeared by my side, in her 'angel of death' form. Her black wings extended as far as they could in the small space, while she held her black flaming sword and the black fire of her halo tickled the ceiling above.
Ada blinked the tears from her eyes as they filled with hope once again, while her parents and uncle all stared at Raven and I in fear. I also noticed the uncle had clutched his crucifix again.
"I have arisen," I announced. Then I couldn't help snarking, "And it only took me three minutes, not three days."
I glanced at the catgirl and her bindings fell away to nothing. The duct tape and zip-ties disintegrated in an instant under my gaze as I addressed my worshipper, "Ada. I know these people are your family, but they -"
"I don't care what you do to them," she stated before I could finish asking the question. She scrambled to her feet with her ears folded back and her tail all poofed out as she glared at her family, "They were going to take me to some exorcist! They wanted to get rid of my tail and my ears! Do whatever you want with them, I just never want to see them again!"
My attention returned to the three humans. They were standing together with my mortal body at their feet. Oddly enough seeing myself laying there in a pool of my own blood didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.
It crossed my mind that might have been a goddess thing, or an immortal thing. Then again, I'd died often enough in video games, and this wasn't all that different. The experience was oddly similar, with a sort of afterlife cut-scene and a brief time-out in a safe zone prior to respawning back where I left off.
The uncle was still clutching his crucifix in his left hand while he glared at me with hatred in his eyes. His right hand was curled into a fist as though he was planning to try and fight me and my angel, for all the good that would do him. Meanwhile Ada's mother was staring at my angel and I with a blend of both hate and fear in her expression.
As for Ada's father, there was fear in his eyes as well. Along with that I could also see guilt. That reminded me of what he was saying when I first arrived, how he seemed to be having second thoughts about the whole situation. That, along with his guilt, was enough to convince me that he would be spared.
I was never a vengeful or bloodthirsty person, either as Amy Price or Amy Sullivan. The last time I really lost my temper was in a video game, and my anger didn't reach beyond the limitations of the computer. I wasn't particularly violent as Amethyst either, but I was no pacifist. I could remember dozens of times in the past when I smote the wicked or evil in defence of the innocent.
There was neither joy or hate in me when I did again, nor was there any gloating or preaching. I didn't drag it out or make it into a spectacle, there was no pain, and no mess either. One moment they were there, the next they were gone.
The three humans vanished together, but only Ada's father still lived. Her mother and uncle were dead, their bodies disintegrated and their souls passed on to whatever fate had in store for them. Be that heaven or hell, some other afterlife, or perhaps even reincarnation.
As for James, he found himself back at his home. He was alive but alone, with a command embedded into his awareness.
He was not allowed to contact his trans daughter in any way shape or form, nor could he ever raise so much as a finger against her. If Ada ever wanted to reach out to him then he could reply, but he would otherwise avoid her and leave her in peace.
Finally I cleaned up the few remaining loose ends. My body, the blood, and the hammer all vanished without a trace. I ensured that no evidence remained of the attempted kidnapping, and that included deleting the mini-van that was parked out front.
"Ada I'm sorry," I apologized as I turned my attention to the catgirl. "They'll never bother you again. Is there anything else I can do for you? Are you going to be ok?"
She slumped back onto her sofa with a sigh, then curled up and hugged her knees to her chest. She looked like she was holding back tears as she shrugged, "I guess so? I don't know. But thank you. Thank you so much my goddess! I've never been so scared in my life."
I frowned slightly, "Is there anyone you can call? Someone who can come and be with you for now?"
"Yeah," she nodded slowly. "I'll call a friend. Thanks again. For everything!"
I gave her a compassionate smile as I replied, "Good. Just remember that you're safe now, they can never hurt you again."
With that both Raven and I teleported away. My angel returned to whatever she was doing before, while I appeared back at the pub. I teleported into the little hallway just outside the washrooms just in case, but even so my magic was subtle so nobody would notice the sudden appearance.
I attracted a few odd stares for some reason as I made my way back to our booth, where I slipped onto the seat again next to Tess. I could tell from her expression she was worried but trying to keep calm. And she probably had a dozen questions for me, but for now she limited herself to just two.
"Are you ok?" she asked quietly. "And what happened to your clothes?"
I glanced down at myself and suddenly understood why people were staring. I was still barefoot, and clad in nothing but a translucent sleeveless white gown. A moment later I was fully dressed again, thanks to yet another little application of subtle magic.
"I'm fine Tess. I promise," I said as I slipped an arm around her and pulled her into a side-hug. "I'm sorry for worrying you like that."
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