Interlude 14
Story by JBukharin on SoFurry
Part of: Among Stars (Prequel to 'The Golden Month')
The story of how a crew of misfits shattered the dominance of the Empire's tyranny.
Their victories, their losses, and their ultimate fate. An odyssey across the endless frontier that is space!
Las Lindas Web Comic Spin-Off, OC-Insert
The characters in this story (Except the OC-Insert) are © chalodillo
Interlude 14
Beta-Reader: Ant0nius
Pandora was alone.
Again.
One can be surprised by how easily hope can come down crashing out of nowhere.
Hopes and dreams… the food of those that have a chance in life, but also the fuel that drives those desperate enough to be stupid and foolish. She never once believed she would have been stabbed in the back worse than the first time. And yet it happened. The small ‘shy boy’ that she befriended, her descendant, the hope she had for a better world for the Narakhans and provide for an end to what her former deities caused?
All in shambles before the mistake of hers corrupting the last family member gifted with chaos. Chaos can taint and did taint the one that became the Emperor. The allure of corruption, the one that Pandora had earnestly dealt with before discovering chaos’ purest secrets hadn’t been easy for her last student to handle. And the mental pollution had been such that the young man that once bore the sweetest personality became the cruel warmonger that she was now waging war against.
A war that emerged from before the war against Prism, from before its fall, before the ensuing hit n’ run that ensued between one faction and another. In a turn of events that was as horrible as unpredictable, Pandora had once more cracked her family in two distant lines that hated each other. If before it was driven by the Dragon Gods’ troublesome behavior, now that had changed. It wasn’t them now, it wasn’t their gospel- it was the Emperor’s own action that hardened the souls of many Primes against that entity she had unwittingly allowed to be.
So Pandora waited, she witnessed the rise and fall of new queens from Prism. None matched the monster she had created. Each death came with renewed bitterness and despair. Time passed, decay unfolded, and then… something happened. A queen held out. A queen was born from the ashes of the previous one, anew and with great vigor. From the weakest point within Royal History, to the highest point. To the peak, to the success- to a chance to fix it all. Wonder swelled in Pandora’s heart as she could tell this one had it.
And the cause of it wasn’t just Queen Adela’s determination… but the individual standing beside her. A being that Pandora was quick to grow curious about. The chaos in him was impressive- but so was the Orderly Magic that seemed to work harmoniously with it. It was unexpected, unusual and… telling. The way his body accepted both was nothing short of rare, and worth further listening and watching. Their adventures showed her a chance that could be, the opportunity that couldn’t be ignored and… she was soon speaking with him, a hint of fascination rousing from within as she greeted the human she slowly learned of. The human that could end up becoming King through closeness with the Queen and bring peace to Narakhans and Primes alike. There was just a small hurdle to go through, a conversation she decided to deal with despite the endless despair of losing again. Of being tricked, betrayed and… pushed to cause more pain to others.
No more. But she couldn’t allow that pain to cloud her judgment. So, she moved forth and approached the young man herself, carrying a sense of duty that felt akin to the one she once had as the first Queen. The one that made the mistake happen and would now… fix it. One way or another.
“Mattia Castelnuovo,” Pandora greeted while approaching the young man. “I see you’re not… worried. Many would be in my presence.”
He looked quite nervous, perhaps using his real name had been a bit of a mistake at this point. He grew so accustomed to ‘Theo’ that he hardly kept track of it. Worrying to a degree, but nothing genuinely hindering in the long-term.
“Should I be?”
But instead of answering the query, the lady paused by the bed and… sat by its edge. Silence was restored for a while as the human quietly stared at the Goddess as she calmly looked around before finally looking back at him.
“I think you could,” The robed woman said with a bored tone, holding back that wonder that drove that meeting to happen. “But should? It all depends on subjectivity.”
He blinked, eyes flashing a hint of realization at that non-answer. “You’re… the one that controls Chaos.”
The cloaked figure sighed, then spared me an annoyed hum at that correct and yet wrong guess. “I suppose I should be like that. And yet I’m not. Not anymore, of course.”
“The Emperor-”
“Is no Emperor. But a foolish child that still has to accept the curse he has inflicted himself,” The woman interjected flatly, upset by the memory tied to such a figure. Even now, after so long, the mere name had her blood boil in hatred. “The one that was supposed to bring balance. He had so many qualities, but too many flaws from the way things turned out to be.”
…
“He lied to you.”
Perceptive little thing, aren’t you?
“He lied to himself, his ideals, his family, his friends- his… Goddess.”
There was an uneasy silence. One that Pandora refused to disrupt since she no longer felt in the mood to listen to others but speak. And she ended up speaking up once more, this time asking a legitimate question she was only picking up just now.
“Of all things you could have asked, you drove deep into my character. You didn’t want a name like he did, why?”
_ What’s your name? I will not trust you if you don’t tell me. _
Names have power. They have meaning, they have purpose, and can be used as a weapon. The choice is, will you use it as your weapon or let others use it on you?
The painful advice from one of her old tutors struck her like the tutors’ cane tended to do with her palms whenever she disobeyed the duties she had as a child. The duties of a scholar, of a learner, of a student.
“I… I guess it’s because I know this isn’t going to be a long talk. I wanted to know more of who I am talking to.”
It wasn’t just that. Pandora was now deeply fascinated by this and she wanted to know the full reason.
“And not my name?” She pressed with an intrigued tone. “Aren’t you fascinated by what kind of name I bear?”
“I am. I never said I wasn’t,” Theo hummed quietly, drawing a most unease smile. “But, from what I understand, you don’t like it when people seek your power.”
It took her a moment to realize where his logic was heading. And he sure looked flustered for some reason despite how reasonable his points were.
“Names bring power,” The woman spoke, taking a moment to digest this very interesting reason. “Do you wish for me to know you don’t seek power?”
“No,” I replied calmly.
“Even if it would save your friends from a possible death?”
“The Crests-”
“Should technically be able to fight off the Emperor. But that’s a hypothetical scenario since these tools weren’t created with the purpose that they are now sought for,” She argued, interrupting him as he sought to tempt him. Will he concede to that burden? Will he falter and show his true self through that horrible scenario? There was a single way to know that. “I understand the Gods believe this is the way, but what if you need that extra kick to even out the odds?”
“...I will train myself to the point I will be there to help them,” He proclaimed without hesitation, striking her doubts down in a single move.
Pandora was stunned- no, awed by the pure honesty she was suddenly assaulted from.
“But this power is immediate-”
“That doesn’t mean it is without a catch,” He shot back, almost angrily.
“I wouldn’t ask for anything in return, except for you to keep your ideal while-”
“That’s not the point,” He interrupted again, this time sounding quite furious. “It’s the kind of power that I don’t agree with. I refuse to use a power that I hadn’t gained through personal understanding and training to reach it.”
She paused, then she thought about it and… hummed. “So you think the catch isn’t tied to me but… the power itself?”
“Yes. While Chaos is described as a powerful tool, it’s not something that is without a price. Else there wouldn’t be any reason to stay away from it.”
…
“Fair point. I guess you’re not as naive as you appear to be at times, Mattia,” She agreed with a serious tone. Then… her smile widened and she threw her head back, letting out a chuckle.
It’s been ages since she heard someone behave this stubbornly. Heck, she was tempted to reach out and pat that fluffy head of his and test his hair… while also enjoying ruffling his hair in the process. In a way, she felt reverting back to her young self. Childish and yet adventurous. Pandora could only wonder if that’s how her current ‘heiress’ was behaving.
With that move her hood fell back and revealed her whole head and face. The young man tensed up instantly as soon as he got a good glance of her, with his eyes widening in shock as he realized one thing. Pandora did look quite similar to his lover. The woman wondered if that could be used for some teasing. After all, the human looked open for some mirthful poking.
“I suppose you are indeed a worthy candidate. I hope you know that my full attention is to you and your actions, Mattia. Keep down this path and perhaps you shall indeed find something the Emperor failed to gain. Power, yet not,” She muttered with a loving smile, almost amused by his own words. He was about to ask her more about it, but he felt something pull at him as… darkness formed a pool underneath his feet, dragging him down and away from that room. “By the way, I believe you deserve to know who bestowed you with this attention-
His consciousness was faltering as he couldn’t pull out from the suction and… Pandora decided to introduce herself willingly and without being asked as he fell into oblivion.
“_ My name is Pandora, my Champion, and I look to see more of what you plan to do with your own strengths.” _
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AN
A different perspective to complete the scene from Chapter 20.