Chains of Corruption Pt. 02

The shaking becomes more intense until a massive hand reaches up and grabs the platform. From the black flesh, you realize this must be First, but he is obviously different than the rest of the clones. Another massive hand grabs onto the platform and as First pulls himself up, you get a good look at him. He is easily over ten feet tall and his oversized muscles bulge and strain under his skin.

His mask is contorted into what you assume is a roar, full of malice. First stands up and towers over your group as Astrid summons her blade of energy. She charges in and stabs behind First's knee, but he reaches down much too quickly for someone of his size and grabs Astrid. He raises his arm and then throws Astrid into a nearby airship, causing her to break through the hull.

The airship rocks violently and one of the support beams snaps in half, causing the ship to tilt and hang precariously above the city. C.C. releases a wave of black fire towards First as she races to help Astrid, but the potent magic does little to slow him down. Priscilla scales the metal framework behind him and leaps in for a sneak attack, but First ducks down, causing her to pass over him. Unable to change direction in mid air, Priscilla can only watch as First's gigantic fist slams into her and she is sent flying off the platform.

'Is this it? After everything, this is how it ends? I've failed Mara, the only thing I can do now is...' You think to yourself as broken pieces of the dock fall onto the city below. You feel the divine energy boiling inside you and look back towards the Valkyria. Even from this distance, with your powers you can clearly see Gwen, Sid, and Ulyena watching fearfully from the bridge.

You look back towards First and feel a strange emptiness as you think, 'If I'm going to die, then I'll spend my last moments fighting to protect you... I'm sorry Gwen.' You begin walking towards First as you let your energy flow into your entire body. Once again the divine energy floods your body with pain, but your determination keeps your pace steady.

Still busy fighting Astrid and C.C., First doesn't see you approach. You raise you fist and slam it into First's leg, causing him to fall to his knees. You are surprised at your strength, but quickly back away as First returns to his feet. He roars and charges you, swinging his fists wildly.

You flood your arms with energy and try to block as the gigantic hands begin to pummel you. His fist is almost as tall as you are and his speed is unnatural for something of his size, which makes it hard to keep up. You take a glancing blow and lose your footing on the smooth metal flooring. You fall onto your back and before you can get up, First punches right through the metal floor.

You take the full impact and fall about twenty feet to the floor below, crashing through a market stall. Your ears are ringing and it hurts to breathe, but you get to your feet as First tears through the floor above and lands in front of you. He lets out a guttural roar and quickly closes the distance between you.

First swipes his massive arm at you, sending you crashing into a metal beam. You know you were hit pretty hard, but strangely you feel almost nothing as you return to your feet. The anger, fear, and even the pain of your battered body is gone, replaced by a peaceful, calming feeling.

First raises his fist and slams it down with all his might. You dodge and as he pulls his arm from the gaping hole he created, you place both hands on his hulking forearm. You release your energy and a bright white beam of energy pierces First's arm, severing it as he reels backward in pain.

First snaps his head toward you and lunges forward, grabbing you in his remaining hand. He gets to his feet as his arm begins to regrow and he brings you up to his golden face before roaring at you. His size and apparent rage make it deafening, even behind the mask. First begins squeezing and you feel your armor cracking, but even in the face of death, you don't feel scared.

Instead, you feel something deep inside, like a well of untapped power. You feel your bones breaking, but still no pain as you close your eyes and focus all your attention on this strange energy. You feel it rapidly increase and a warmth spreads from your chest to the rest of your body as the energy envelops you. You open your eyes and time has seemingly slowed.

As you peer into the dark, empty eyes of First, you get brief flashes of people screaming, being tortured and ultimately killed. For a moment, you wonder if this is all he is capable of thinking about, but in the end it doesn't matter. You take a deep breath and feel your energy building very quickly. You release it all at once and a bright white light envelops your body. First's hand disintegrates when your energy touches it and you slowly descend to the ground below as First roars in pain.

As First reaches out to grab you again, you raise your hands and release your energy all around you. A bright white sphere appears around you and again, First's flesh disintegrates as it makes contact. His momentum caused more than half his arm to be melted away by your barrier, but he isn't dead yet.

First slowly backs away as his arms regrow and you decide to see how much power you really have. You walk towards First while increasing your energy, but then the pain returns in full. You fall to your knees and your barrier disappears as First roars again. The pain is so intense you can't even look up at First as he is without a doubt preparing to crush you.

You scream as your body pulses with energy and the pain skyrockets, but it also appears to have affected First as he takes a step back. Your body is trembling and you don't know how much longer you can stay conscious. First roars again and you scream as a final pulse of energy comes from your chest and makes the pain unbearable. The last thing you see is a bright white light enveloping the entire area.

Chapter 16 - A Gift From The Goddess

You open your eyes and see a lavishly decorated room. You sit up and recognize this as C.C.'s brothel and you get out of bed. You walk over to the mirror trying to check yourself for injuries, but are shocked by what you see. Your hair has changed from jet black to a brilliant white, so bright it almost looks as if it's glowing. Your eyes have also turned a deep blue color, not unlike Mara's.

You stumble backwards unsure if it's actually you staring back at yourself in the mirror. As your mind races to recall what happened during the battle against First, you become aware of people moving around in other parts of the brothel. It's like you can sense their individual energy and can almost see what they're doing. Amid the sensory overload, the door slowly opens.

Priscilla stands speechless for a moment before walking over and hugging you. You can feel the genuine affection Priscilla has for you and your mind begins to clear. You hug her back, realizing you have gone past the point of no return. Even if you can somehow defeat Nero, you can never return to your own world now. Against your will, tears begin welling up in your eyes and you softly cry into her shoulder.

After a few minutes, you wipe your tears and say, "Thanks, I really needed that."

Priscilla smiles and says, "Don't worry about it."

You can sense your friends down below in the brothel and ask, "So everyone is alright? What happened?"

Priscilla sighs and says, "Yes, everyone is alright. You've been unconscious for two days and honestly, we didn't know what to think. Your power engulfed the entire area, but when the light faded, we were all fine and First was gone. You were unconscious when we found you, and you looked like this, so we brought you here."

"Where's Nero?" You ask.

Priscilla put her hand on your shoulder and says, "Relax, we haven't seen him since he left with Mary, or whatever number she is."

You cringe at the mention of her name and think, 'She must have used my own memories to build that fake persona. If I had only listened to Astrid, maybe Mara would still be...'

Priscilla snaps you back to reality as she says, "There have been reports of tremors and smoke coming from beyond the northern mountains."

"It has to be them, no one else would be way up there." You think aloud.

Suddenly you feel a familiar presence appear outside. Your eyes widen and you quickly take Priscilla by the hand and lead her into the hall. You make your way downstairs and ignore your friends as they greet you. You make it to the front door just as someone knocks lightly. Upon opening the door you begin to cry as you reach out and hug Mara.

She stands tall, her normal form has been restored somehow, and she tenderly hugs you back as your companions stand speechless. Mara ushers you inside and C.C. leads everyone into an empty room away from customers.

Mara waits until everyone has gathered around and then she says, "I imagine you all have questions, and with my memory finally restored, I'll do my best to answer them all."

Everyone speaks at once and Mara giggles as she says, "Alright, let me address Mika first, since her situation is more... unique."

Mara looks at you and says, "Mika, I'm sure you're aware, but you have awakened your divinity. The power inside you is no longer my own. I won't be able to reverse this change."

Of course you wanted to go back home at some point, but until now, you hadn't really cared how long it would take. Now that it's no longer a possibility you feel sad, but you don't regret your choice. 'Nothing's free, but hopefully I can at least still help Gwen get out of here.' You think to yourself.

You look at Mara and say, "Yeah, I figured I went too far when I saw my hair."

Mara smiles and says, "If it bothers you, you can change it to any color you like."

You hadn't thought of that and close your eyes to focus. You can't see, but some how you know when your hair and eyes have returned to their normal hue.

"That's so cool Mika, make it red now!" Kira cheers.

You softly laugh and then look back toward Mara and ask, "How are you still alive? We thought Nero killed you."

"Remember when I left your home by myself? I was afraid Nero would be targeting me, so I created a new body. It took almost all of my power to create this and I had to rest for a few days to let my energy recover, but I am back to my normal self." Mara says happily.

"Why didn't you say anything?" You ask.

"It was supposed to be a back up plan, I didn't think I would need it so soon. That's why I had to rest after I transferred into this body, it wasn't ready yet. Everything worked out quite well though, this body will allow me to use all of my powers." Mara says looking over her body.

She is exactly like you remember her: in her late twenties, the long golden blonde hair, her beautiful slightly transparent white dress, and her piercing blue eyes. Not to mention her silky smooth pale skin and her ample, DD cup breasts straining against the thin fabric of her dress.

Mara stands up and says, "I was unable to properly thank you all for helping Mika defeat Iliya, and now I must thank you again for helping me in my time of need. You all deserve a reward and so, Astrid, will you please come forward?"

Astrid is hesitant and walks over to Mara not knowing what to expect. Mara places her hands on Astrid's shoulders and you feel Astrid's energy changing somehow. Mara lowers her hands and Astrid looks like she's trying to figure out what just happened.

"I've changed the way your body draws in energy..." Mara begins.

"What the hell did you do that for!?" Astrid yells.

Mara softly laughs and says, "You were using energy from this world, meaning you could never fight at full strength. I've allowed you to draw energy from your home world as well."

Astrid thinks for a moment and says, "So, now I'll be stronger?"

Mara nods and says, "Yes, noticeably so. I understand that I have caused you a great deal of hardship, and so I hope this small gift can help repair our relationship."

Astrid struggles to find the right words until she finally says, "T-thanks, I guess."

You make sure not to smile until Astrid has walked past you as Mara says, "C.C., can you come over here?"

C.C. glides over to Mara and excitedly says, "So this is the real you huh? You're really sexy!"

Mara softly laughs and hugs C.C. for a long few moments. She backs away and C.C. begins feeling around her neck and shoulders.

"Can you feel the difference? I've given you the power to control your lust." Mara says.

C.C. cocks her head and says, "Wait, what?"

Mara giggles and says, "Don't worry, you can still use anytime you wish, and it will be much more concentrated since it's not constantly radiating off of you. This way people will learn to appreciate the real C.C., and not just what your pheromones make them see."

C.C.'s eyes well up and she hugs Mara while burying her face between her breasts. Mara smiles and pats her head as the succubus thanks her over and over again. After pulling herself together, C.C. glides off happily as Mara looks toward Priscilla.

"I'm afraid I didn't quite know what to give you Priscilla, is there anything you desire? I could grant you knowledge of the gods, or perhaps a tome of all known alchemical recipes? Mara suggests.

Priscilla thinks for a moment and then says, "Hmm, that's tempting, but then again finding the answers yourself is half the fun. I think I'll pass, however, studying a goddess would be an acceptable trade."

Mara smiles and says, "I believe that can be arranged."

Priscilla smiles and Kira buzzes past her and says, "Ohh, do me next!"

Mara giggles and says, "Alright then. I want you to transform for me."

Kira glides off the table and transforms into her archer form with a puff of smoke. She pulls down the bandanna from her face and for the first time, she also pulls down her hood. Surprisingly, she has short, light blonde hair with pointed ears and you assume she based her whole transformation off of Vivienne.

"I haven't really had to use this for a while, I've been trying to make my magic stronger instead." Kira says with a hint of embarrassment.

Mara smiles and says, "I know you've been struggling with your role in all of this, but I want you to know if it wasn't for you, Mika could have very easily ended up like Gwen or worse. Despite your lack of power, you've consistently shown your loyalty and nothing but pure kindness."

Mara reaches out and places her hands on Kira's shoulders and a soft white glow envelops them. The dingy brown cloak along with the rest of Kira's clothes begin to glow as they change shape. Her normal, short blue dress is revealed and her ears return to their normal shape as her blonde hair turns light blue and lengthens to her shoulders. Light begins to shimmer behind Kira and a pair of fairy wings appears from her back.

Kira is now a little shorter than you and she looks at her body as she says, "What is this, another transformation?"

"This is your true form now, you can still go back to being fairy sized if you need to, but this way your spells will be much more powerful. The best part is you can stay in this form for as long as you like, even if you run out of energy." Mara explains.

Kira hugs Mara and says, "Thank you, thank you so much! I promise I'll get really strong and help even more!"

Unaccustomed to her new stature, Kira jumps and when she flutters her wings, she flies up and hits her head on the ceiling.

Everyone has a good laugh as Kira rubs her head and says, " Oww! I gotta get used to flying all over again."

"And last but certainly not least..." Mara says as she takes Gwen's hand and has her stand up.

She places her hands on either side of Gwen's head and closes her eyes as you hold your breath in anticipation. Mara says something under her breath and after a few moments, she lowers her hands. Gwen blinks and stares at Mara for a few seconds, but it feels like an eternity for you.

"W-well?" You ask hesitantly.

Mara turns to you and smiles as Gwen says, "M-Mika, I... I don't even know what to say, I..."

You run over and throw your arms around Gwen and she breaks down. She clings to you and sobs uncontrollably and you both fall to your knees. You can't control your emotions and you begin crying while asking if she's alright.

After a few minutes, Astrid says, "Alright, you're both fine, just stop crying already."

You laugh and wipe your tears as you help Gwen stand.

"We'll catch up later, ok?" You whisper to Gwen.

She nods and wipes her tears before giving you a quick kiss. You return her affection and then take a seat as Mara sighs.

"That was beautiful, but I'm afraid there's more to discuss." Mara says.

"You finally remember who you are?" You ask, hoping to finally hear the whole story.

Mara nods and says, "A very long time ago, I was the goddess Yona. Together with my sister goddess Eris, we protected this world from the corruption. The other gods taught us to fight the corruption, but no matter what we did, it grew beyond our control and eventually Eris and I were the only divine beings left."

Mara pauses for a moment and then continues, "I don't remember exactly when, but I became corrupted and I... killed my sister Eris and took her place. I was being manipulated by the corruption, although now I know it was Nero. He made me alter the monoliths and caused the convergence. Around this time, there were two kingdoms, Gracia in the desert where Ardent City now stands, and Alissi near the eastern ocean, where Cyldell would eventually be built. In a small village near Alissi, there was another woman named Amelia that would eventually become a part of me."

"What? What do you mean?" You ask in confusion.

Mara sighs and says, "I am the result of two goddesses merging together. I am both and yet neither."

"You're two, separate people... merged together?" You repeat trying to understand how that is even possible.

Mara nods and continues, "Yes I... I mean, Amelia had two sisters named Rose and Evelyn. During the convergence, Evelyn was killed and Amelia was corrupted. Yona and Amelia traveled around the world causing more monoliths to activate until the balance was so unstable, they were able to summon another world to collide with our own."

Priscilla thinks for a moment and says, "Then your sister Rose is the one that you spoke of before?"

Mara nods and says, "Yes, Rose never gave up and while I was bringing ruin to the world, she awakened her own divinity. She saved Amelia from that darkness and even managed to kill Yona, but she lost her life that day. Seeing Rose give her life awakened Amelia's divinity and she used a special artifact called the soul crystal. There were several divine artifacts back then, like the crystal I created only much more powerful, and they merged together to form the soul crystal. The soul crystal had the power to stop the convergence, but due to the destruction I caused while corrupted, I was mortally wounded before I could use it."

Mara takes a deep breath and continues, "The queens of Alissi and Gracia each gave half of their life force to use the soul crystal and disaster was averted. It also brought Rose and Yona back to life, although Yona was now free from the corruption. Amelia hadn't died yet though, so she was untouched by the crystal's effects. She was bleeding out but there was still time to save her, so Yona took Amelia to her palace where she discovered that the corruption hadn't been fully eradicated inside her. The only way to save Amelia would be to sacrifice her own life, so Yona merged her divine energy with Amelia's, in repentance for failing her divine responsibilities and becoming corrupted. I have both of their memories, as well as my own. I believe that is why it was so difficult to regain my memory."